Something to Fight For
by Last Of The Walking Dead
Summary: After escaping a group of bandits, Lee and Clementine venture deeper into the city of Pittsburgh. When two strangers show up, they realize they aren't the only ones trying to escape the city. A temporary alliance was forged, but circumstance and secrets force the four into a journey across the country together, to find the Fireflies, and ultimately, the cure that'll save humanity.
1. Ye Who Enter Here, I

**Author's Notes:**

**UPDATE 1/22/2020: I am in the process of altering the 27 chapters that were originally published for this story into smaller, easier to digest length chapters. Meaning that 26 chapters are about to become 64. **

**That being said, this is how the new chapter system works:**

**Every chapter is now separated into smaller ones, and share the same name (with a Part I/II/III) attached to the end. These are meant to be read all in one go normally, but the split will allow readers to stop at any time. New content will be added together in multiple-chapter uploads, so you'll see something like Chapter 28-30 being posted at one time, etc. Since, later in the story, there's plenty of 20,000+ word chapters, I felt this was the best option to keep things from getting ridiculous in length. Anyway, carrying on into the old Author's Note!**

Hey hey, everyone. It's been a minute since an upload from me (especially on this project). If you managed to find this from the original Something to Fight For fic on my normal profile, this is what's going to be replacing it from now on. With how taxing editing everything into a single POV turned out to be, it ended up being much easier to post the original content for the story in its original format. Thus, the RP Edition was born (and has been regularly updated over on Archive of Our Own). From this point on, this'll be the only version I work on and publish, with solo projects and other things going over on my main account, PunctuationPoint.

That all being said, the original format for the roleplay server may be confusing at first, but I hope that you guys will like it anyway :)

I'll be publishing all of the original chapters published over on the Novelization version here in their new formats, then I'll be tossing in two additional new chapters to give the folks that have been around for a while some new content to read. I'll be posting a new chapter every day until I get caught up with the AO3 version (which is sitting at 25 chapters as of this posting), then it'll get simultaneous updates. In terms of new stuff in these earlier chapters, one major thing you'll notice in this one is that Ben has been replaced by a 'shadowed' OC. This is due to the fact that since the novelization's inception, the RPer that played Ben left the server and asked us to not use his stuff.

Oh, and to clarify the timeline, the crossover takes place in 2025 instead of 2033, with the apocalypse starting in 2011 instead. This was the timeline we decided upon back when we first started the RP, having characters like Ellie and Clementine be born near the start of the apocalypse.

Anyway, without further ado, enjoy the chaos!

* * *

_2:25 PM - March 11, 2025 – Abandoned Apartment – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's breath came out in small spurts, her body running on pure adrenaline as Lee tugged her down the street by her left arm. Everything happened in what felt like a split-second, a moment guided entirely by decisions and careless judgments made in the heat of said moment. She sprinted alongside Lee without looking back, hearing the harsh sound of shouting and gunfire following them like a shadow. The only thing going through her mind was the where the next alley or doorway was, her eyes widened in fear. They had to find somewhere to hide, they _had_ to.

Once the gunfire ceased, and the yelling faded into the dense cityscape behind them, they stopped running, slowing down to catch their breath. Her feet burned with the strain, and her face was flushed red while she tried to breathe, only receiving short gasps, verging on hyperventilation. For a moment, all she could do was lean against the side of a brick building, listening to the sound of Lee's and her erratic breathing.

"L - Lee…?" She called out, stuttering, the words nearly lost in her throat amidst her heavy panting. Lee, however, not unlike the dozens of other times since the day she'd met him, was already one step ahead, trying to force open the front door of an abandoned apartment. It took several kicks, giving her the necessary time to get her breathing under some semblance of control before the wooden door finally gave in. Lee ushered her inside, and she did so with little to no hesitation, closing the broken door behind her.

The interior wasn't much to write home about, between old, dust-covered furniture and a decaying structure. She wouldn't be surprised if the whole building collapsed on top of them at any moment, but that little factoid hardly mattered, not when they were so close to the fire already. Clementine's gaze was focused on Lee, and never wavered, as the older man searched the house in a rushed manner. Her eyes fell to the floor for a single instant as she helplessly struggled to think of what to say to him. Was there anything she could? It was all her fault. He knew it, she knew it, and there was no denying it this time. She fucked up. Words failed her as she choked on them, taking in a deep breath before closing her eyes. _I'm sorry._

Finally, she managed to force the mental blockage out of the way, calling out Lee's name again, continuing to stand near the door they'd entered through. She waited silently, almost praying for Lee to answer her calling.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

With his heart pounding and his mind running a million miles a minute, he closed the door behind them without haste. Lee began to slide an old couch immediately after to use as a barricade for the door, making sure that if anyone planned to follow them, they'd have to get through that first.

He gave one final definitive grunt as he pushed the old furniture against the door, pausing with heavy breath for a moment, hoping to catch it and recompose himself. His hands stayed in place on the couch as he leaned on it, sighing as he closed his eyes and arched his head in the direction of the floor, avoiding eye contact with Clem.

The only thoughts he could muster were something along the lines of 'h_ow did that go so wrong?'_ Everything happened so fast. Those men had practically shown up out of nowhere, and once they'd caught on that they intended to rob them… Clem didn't hesitate in firing back, ultimately giving them a window to escape. Perhaps it was panic, or instinct... but it could've gone a lot worse, or a lot better. It didn't matter now. They were both still here, alive.

Whatever group those people were a part of, they clearly weren't friendly. This whole town was dangerous. _Maybe passing through here wasn't the best idea after all._

After taking a few seconds to catch his breath he let go of the furniture, confident it would hold against the door, he heard a soft voice call out to him, picking up a tinge of guilt in her tone as he tilted his head towards her, offering her a reassuring glance.

"You okay Clem?" _That wasn't your fault._ "We're fine. They're not gonna follow us through here, that's for sure," he spoke reassuringly in an attempt to brighten the mood, somewhat, but these days that proved difficult with the teen.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine answered Lee's question with a slight, quiet nod while helping him push the old couch against the door. She wasn't okay in the least, but just as Lee said, they were fine… or so it seemed. After a few short seconds of silence went by, neither of them failed to notice Clem's right arm, and how its sleeve had been noticeably soaked in blood right above her forearm. A bullet graze, easily identified by a sharp, messy cut in her shirt and skin respectively, yet despite its small size, it bled enough to become apparent even at a distance. Clementine covered the dripping wound with her left hand as soon as she noticed it, trying to hide it from Lee despite knowing for sure he saw it before she could. "It's okay, it's - I didn't even feel it…!" Clementine assured him, sounding almost panicked while attempting to conceal it. "They just grazed me. That's it."

The girl's gaze fell in a mixture of shame and embarrassment, fully aware that the entire thing was her fault. The grip on her right arm gradually softened, much like her expression. "He looked like he was reaching for a gun. I thought…" she tried to explain, her voice shaky. She clenched her eyes shut as words once again failed her, trying desperately to muster the strength to say anything else. They never came.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Hey, it's okay… No use running all of those what-if scenarios through your head. You did what you thought was right. We don't get to know what _could've _happened. That's just not how it works. All that matters is that we're both okay, and together." He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to relieve any guilt she may have been feeling from earlier.

He glanced down at her arm, examining the blood that was seeping through. "Now… let's take a look at that arm you were trying to hide from me." He knelt down, taking her forearm into his hand as he rolled up her sleeve. He glanced at it, relief evident on his face. "Lucky for us, it _is_ just a graze, easily fixable." He untangled his backpack from his shoulders, letting it plop to the ground, digging around until he pulled out some disinfectant to clean the wound. He grabbed a clean rag and dipped it, also applying it to the arm with slight pressure to stop the bleeding. Once it had stopped, he began to wrap it.

_Reminds me of that time back in my parents' drugstore, when her finger was hurt… except now she's a lot bigger… Time just really gets ahead of you._ He pondered with a slight smirk as he began to wrap her arm, finishing the process.

He then met her gaze, remaining on one knee. "We'll find a way out of this town, I promise you." It was a given that the bridge was their only way out of the town and the only way to where the supposed Fireflies were situated. They'd have to improvise, bide their time and come up with a plan on how they were going to get past the guards.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine endured the harsh sting stemming from her wound valiantly, simply looking the other way with a pout. The girl had long since gotten used to it, to that kind lifestyle… to that kind of pain. Yet even so, for Clementine not a day passed in which she didn't miss her parents, and the farm she used to live on as a small kid. That craving only ever fueled her desire to meet the Fireflies, to finally be able to live peacefully again with Lee by her side.

"I know we will," Clementine responded fearlessly. A scratch like that wouldn't be enough to stop her. Some days, her devotion was strong enough for it to often seem like nothing could.

She walked past Lee almost as soon as he was done patching her up, way too quick to even bother lowering her sleeve once more, the thought of thanking him simply slipping her mind. The girl went straight to the window to her right, leaning on the glass as she scanned through the barren streets of Pittsburgh, seeing nothing but broken-down cars, decaying buildings and utterly desolate streets.

"I don't see them, but I bet they're close," she said, refusing to drop her guard. Backing away from the window, Clementine sat opposed to it, taking off her backpack and placing it on the dusty wooden floor to grab a candy bar from its interior. "We should figure out a plan," she told him decisively while gleefully munching on the sweet. '_Staying here for the night is trouble for sure'_ was the girl's only thought, lost in the scenery as her eyes were naturally drawn to the window.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

She was just as determined as he was to get out of here, which was a good sign. With the door barricaded, they were at the point where there wasn't any other choice but to navigate through the dingy and dark apartments to try and get back down to the bottom level and the streets. They're going to have to find a safe place to hunker down and make a plan, and soon.

He zipped up his backpack and placed it back over his shoulders, chancing a glance out of the window to observe the lushly green overgrown streets. It was almost beautiful, if you took out the part about humanity falling. Almost felt like they were free. Being cramped up in a FEDRA safe zone, it was easy to forget what they were protecting the citizens from… until you left the zone and remembered what was truly out here.

He took a moment to gather his thoughts, focusing his attention on Clementine now. "Alright, a plan… I'm thinking we-"

At that moment, Lee's head jolted to the dingy and dark hallway. A disturbing sound unlike anything he had ever heard echoed through the apartment halls. With a very worried gaze he outstretched his hand towards Clem, signaling her to stay back and be silent.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's gaze rapidly moved away from the window opposed to her, staring incessantly at the dark hallway located in the corner of the apartment building. It echoed, as though piercing her ears, this very much sudden and equally disturbing sound…

It sounded like someone, or something, choking in agony. Clem didn't know how to react, or what to say even, and Lee's gesture made sure that she didn't have the chance to. '_Is it… a walker?'_ the girl wondered, complying to Lee's instructions for the time being, but not without unsheathing her knife in watchfulness.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee stood, his hand still outstretched and his body frozen stiff as he waited to see what would come of the sound.

_What the fuck could that be? Doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard._

It wasn't long before he could hear it getting closer. He deemed it would be best to let it come to them instead of venturing deeper into the dingy halls. What he expected to see was a walker enter the room, which they would dispatch easily enough, but what he emerged horrified him more than he cared to admit.

_Holy fucking shit..._

Lee's eyes widened in fear as a grotesque creature stood at the doorway. What looked to be some sort of fungus was coming out of its head, and its jerky movements were unlike any walker he'd ever seen. In fact, he'd seen _nothing _like it before. He'd heard rumors back in the safe zone of a different strain, but there was never any evidence of it. Walkers infested entire states surrounding the zone, and nothing else.

This thing was making some sort of clicking sound, which made Lee's body tense up immediately, expecting it to attack. It stayed still, though, croaking. Whatever it was, it couldn't see them.

Lee took a single step back.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The Clicker stood at the doorway as it emitted a croaking sound, scanning the area for any potential prey. When it sensed a noise, a familiar sound of what it assumed to be the footstep of a survivor, it immediately growled, lunging forward with its arms flailing as it screeched.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Oh fuck- Oh!" Lee cried out as the grotesque creature charged towards him. With almost no time to react, it had already grabbed him. He fought against it, but it was strong, a lot stronger and more aggressive than any walker he had dealt with. That sheer strength had caught him off guard, causing him to lose his footing as he tripped, the gruesome thing falling on top of him as it gnashed its teeth. "Jesus!" He yelled out in an almost panicked state.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Oh shit," Clementine muttered, just as frozen as Lee was, and somehow even more terrified. That thing charged out of the hallway before either of them could react, pouncing on Lee with a blaring and horrific screech. Clem couldn't even think, giving into her most dominant impulse and rushing as fast as she could towards Lee and the disgusting creature trying to rip him apart, panic and adrenaline crushing her so profoundly that she struggled not to fall over whilst standing up from beside the window.

The creature moved his jaw madly, desperately trying to tear Lee's face with his teeth. Clementine gripped the handle of her knife with both hands, focusing every ounce of her strength towards burying it in the creature's skull. The knife went straight through its temple, a gush of blood flowing from its head and covering everything in its immediate surroundings. Clementine didn't stop, nearly unable to in a fit of rage, kicking its dead corpse away from Lee and stabbing it in the head again, again, again and again, until it was dead for good… until _she knew for sure_ that it was dead for good. By then, it looked as though no part of Clementine's body remained not stained in blood. The girl laid breathless on top of the creature's dead corpse.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It all happened in a blur. Before he knew it, it was over. Clementine had killed… whatever _it_ was. He sat up, more shocked at how brutal she had been at taking down that thing rather than the corpse itself. It took him a moment to catch his breath as he sat up, his body still shaking from the panic as his heart wouldn't stop racing from that encounter.

Without haste, he crawled to his feet and made his way over to Clem, quickly ushering her off the dead corpse while keeping an eye on the hallway. Though it seemed quiet, he didn't want to speak yet, just in case. "That was… I don't even know what that thing was," he admitted in a hushed tone, his tone still harboring slight shock as he stared at the dead corpse, turning his attention to Clem. "You alright?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clearing away the blood from her face, Clementine falteringly stood up, immensely grateful for making it in time as she leaned against the wall with a sigh. "I don't – I don't know either," the girl conceded, moving the thick, untidy hair slipping out of her baseball cap away from her face. As for Lee's question, the girl didn't bother answering, shrugging her shoulders before sliding down the wall into a sitting position. The blood from the Clicker was particularly rancid, running down her face all the way to the sole of her boots and causing her muscles to stiffen in discomfort. _Gross…_

Lee himself looked fine, which brought her a sense of relief unlike any other. Clem shuffled over to where her backpack was, picking up a tiny piece of cloth along with a bottle of water in order to clean herself the best she could. "I'm alright…" she finally told him with a soft smile, putting the cloth back in its place once it did the extent of what it was able to do when paired up with a chunk of clean water. She still smelled really bad, her clothes and hair in particular, resulting in a sullen, dreary look. There was however very little that the girl could do about it aside from frowning and moving on, which is exactly what she did.

Her eyes were fixed on the Clicker's corpse, never before having seen anything quite like it. By the time the adrenaline wore off, all that lingered was the feeling of dread and unease in the air, as well as the strong stench of death. "We shouldn't wait here long," she quietly reminded Lee while keeping her head down, hoping he'd come up with some sort of plan.

Lee always did.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"As soon as we get out of this place, we'll figure out a plan... and get you some new clothes," he spoke as he eyed off her bloody attire that has been caused by that... _thing_. In all of the eight years he had spent in the safe zone, walkers were the only thing he had the displeasure of coming across or seeing. This was the same case in the last 4 or so years on the road. They knew walkers inside and out... but not whatever _these _things were. Those rumors came to mind when looking at the creature, talks about that different strain affected places further out west, and he deemed these things must have been what the soldiers were talking about. He couldn't lie to himself… they had exceeded his expectations as to how terrifying they were said to be.

"Let's scoot. You know the gig. Take it slow and watch your blind spots when we're going down here," he spoke as he past her, heading for the hall as he pulled out a small flashlight, shining it down the corridor. He couldn't hear anything, but if these things were anything like walkers, he knew they could still be hiding around every corner of this place. As they made their way through the complex, they took care to check the blind spots of the building while they made their way through. As they reached the bottom level, Lee approached the window leading out towards the streets, peeking out of it to examine both sides of the road. After giving Clem a nod signaling the all clear, he vaulted over the window, waiting for Clem to follow along before pointing out a specific building where they would be able to get their bearings and make a plan.

As they hurried along, approaching the new building, Lee used a tactic he usually did on walkers: knocking a few times on the door to see if anything would be attracted, and after no response, he entered. After perusing the place, it seemed clear and relatively safe. He made sure nothing would be able to get in by barring the door.

"Alright…" Lee sighed as he took off his backpack, sprawling out a map he had on a vacant desk. "We're not alone in this city, that much is clear enough. There's a lot of them guarding that bridge. What I'm thinking is maybe we could take the backstreets to an apartment overlooking the bridge... around here," he spoke as he pointed to the area on the map.

"We can observe their shifts. What times of the day they're guarding it. Early hours of the morning, there's bound to be less of them there… could be our chance to sneak right past. What do you think Clem?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine followed the same steps as before, pushing an old couch against the front door and turning her flashlight on once inside the dark building, helping Lee clear the place of any possible threats while being careful not to trip over anything. Once Lee sprawled the map on the desk by the living room, Clem aimed the flashlight towards the map, analyzing every street corner in order to single out the very best route to the bridge. _Got it._ Clem slid her finger across the map, poking its edge right across the fifth avenue. "There's a coffee shop _thing_ right around here, next to the university... _star_ something. I saw it on the way to the bridge. We can get a good view from there, I'm sure of it."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"One of the old Starbucks stores. Good idea. From there, we should be able to see what we're up against and plan accordingly."

_After all this time… still can't stay away from coffee, can I?_ Back when he was teaching at UGA that was about the only thing keeping him running sometimes.

He rolled up the map on the desk, placing it into his backpack, nodding reassuringly. "Sounds like it's a deal then, Starbucks it is."


	2. Ye Who Enter Here, II

_2:30 PM – Highway_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel was nodding off.

The first tolls of sleep had called to him with a few blinks that had gone on for too long. He shuffled in his seat, readjusting his back until he was finally comfortable, and continued staring out the windshield. Ellie, the girl, was asleep in the passenger seat, having finally done so after a while. The radio still crooned, Joel laying a finger on his temple and resting his shoulder against the door. His right hand was still on the wheel, eyes staring straight ahead… straight ahead… straight… ahead… ahead…

The brakes squealed, as his brain sent a jolt through his body, in awe of the mess before him. "Oh, no, no, no no no…"

A graveyard of cars rested before them, skeletons trapped in a perpetual traffic jam. Joel frowned, swallowing as his mind raced.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As the car slowed to a stop, and Joel's voice filled the air, Ellie stirred from the sleep she'd been fighting off for a while. Her eyes opened as she let out a long yawn, taking a look around the car. The country road they'd been on before was now replaced by large buildings and trees running along the highway they've been driving down. She managed to make out what had Joel so worked up through half-open eyes, a traffic jam that blocked off the exit they presumably had to take. _Damn._

"Now what?" She asked, turning towards Joel. With how things looked, they'd have to head deeper into the city, which would only slow them down. She wasn't even sure if they had enough gas to get them around all of this shit. _Probably should've stole more gas and less comics... nah, those comics were cool._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel frowned, looking off into the road that led further into Pittsburgh. Bad stuff went on in the major cities. Factions of bandits had taken control and pillaged and hassled – and killed – many a survivor looking to get by. Joel supposed he knew what had happened because of... because of...

"Screw it." He turned the wheel, speeding off onto the second road and towards inner Pittsburgh.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie watched with her elbow sat upon the windowsill and her hand resting against her face as building after building passed them by, the highway turning into a densely packed street. Dilapidated cars lined the road, torn apart, abandoned, some even upside down, but they all shared one common theme. They squeezed the truck into a narrow path, almost too narrow to get through. Her eyes were constantly searching the windows of the buildings, searching for any sign of the infected. So far, nothing. As they passed an overturned armored truck, something came into view ahead, leading to Joel to bring the truck to a sudden stop.

Jerking forward, Ellie turned towards Joel, her tone one of annoyance. "_Easy_." She followed his gaze, a man, probably no older than eighteen or nineteen judging by how he appeared, was in the middle of the road ahead, seemingly alone.

"A – Are we going to help him?" She returned her gaze to Joel briefly. The teenager appeared to be injured and stumbled towards them.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

"Hey! Over here! I need some help!" Jackson screamed as he stumbled towards the truck. He clutched his stomach with blood on his hands, though the blood wasn't really his. The infected corpse Henry Simmons had gutted to cover Jackson in the blood was hidden behind a dumpster on the side of the road, right where the older man lied in wait to ambush the truck.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel squinted, the silence of their car ride broken with the arrival of the teen in the road. The muscles in Joel's hand tightened, the back of his head getting hot and his hairs standing up. Why? _Why?_ Joel swallowed again, mouth sticky and warm with fright. His face showed no such thing; rather revealing clenched teeth behind old lips and wrinkles in his forehead straining.

"Ellie, put on your seatbelt. He ain't even _hurt._"

The boy approached, saying something. He was getting too close. Joel's foot tipped onto the pedal, slamming down on the gas and speeding forward, just narrowly missing the boy.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

As Joel sent the truck barreling forward, Simmons cursed and came out of his hiding spot, firing off a couple shots with his pistol towards the truck. Neither connected, but one managed to find its way through the front windshield and out the back of the truck. As they sped down the road, swerving around cars, Simmons aimed for the wheels of the car, managing to send the car spiraling out of control and plough through a metal sliding gate for what appeared to be some sort of mechanic shop. Ellie and Joel jerked in their seats as the truck crashed into the wall of the shop, bringing the car to a sudden stop. Simmons glared towards Jackson before rushing towards the building, putting away his pistol in exchange for the rifle. These folks were obviously too defiant to be left alive, they had to be put down.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie took in a deep breath as she struggled against her seatbelt, looking towards the damage that their truck's sustained. It was totaled, completely. She let out a sigh of relief as she searched herself for any injuries, finding none. "I'm okay, I'm okay." _Jesus, that was close._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel squirmed in his seat belt, finally unlatching it and taking in a breath. "Come, _on_!" He bit down on his tongue, a red bruise stained his forehead. "We – we gotta get outta here, Ellie," he said, beginning to get out of the truck.

**TheDomdotCom [Henry Simmons]**

Cursing under his breath, Simmons gestured for Jackson to follow him. He couldn't do this alone, not with the pair of them. One was just a girl, but that didn't mean shit. These days, anyone was capable of anything. If he knew this kind of person well enough, the asshole driving is gonna try and hide, or escape, and would only try to kill them if confronted. This meant they had to take a different approach. _The one fucking time I bring a kid._ He returned his gaze towards Jackson, letting out a slew of curses before finally addressing the boy. "Come on, kid. These assholes got the advantage on us here, we're gonna have to wait 'em out. Maybe they'll leave their shit behind in the truck. For now, fuck 'em. Ain't risking our lives to confront 'em."

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

The younger bandit looked towards Simmons with wide eyes, shock freezing him in place after nearly being ran over by the truck. He wasn't about to argue with Simmons, following the older man away from the scene to wait them out.

If they're lucky, this won't be a botched mission after all.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie struggled to remove her seatbelt, her hands shaking from the adrenaline running through her system. As she managed to unbuckle the seatbelt, she immediately opened her door, stumbling out into the shop they've found themselves in. Whoever was shooting at them hasn't followed them in, yet, which meant there was a chance that they could escape. Her eyes followed Joel for a moment as she grabbed her backpack from the truck, slinging it over her shoulder quickly. Her eyes darted to where they ploughed into the building, the metal gate was bent inwards, in the shape of their truck. Taking a deep breath, she stepped around the truck to join Joel. "Jesus, that was – that was intense."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel didn't say a word, just grabbing his bag from the car and wrapping it around his shoulders. His hands shook as he stumbled past the open truck door. He was too busy, too busy with his shaky breaths and his hands fumbling over his revolver. Checking it for ammo, taking note of the six bullets he had left in the cylinder of the gun. "God... god_damnit._" He muttered, pulling his revolver up and pulling the hammer back.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Joel checked his revolver for ammunition, Ellie searched around the store, looking for another exit. Going back the way they came wasn't an option, and they had to get out of here soon. Her eyes landed on a door on the other side of the room, quickly jogging towards it as she took one last look back towards the hole they made into the shop. She pushed on the door, but it remained in place. _Fuck!_ She kept pushing, her ears picking up a faint noise on the other side, something was being moved out of the way as she pushed. They've blocked this entrance off.

"Joel, need some help here!" She called, continuing to push on the door with as much force as she could muster. This was their only way out, and they weren't about to be trapped by some psycho with a gun and a teenager. "Joel, c'mon!"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He glanced down at his hands, closing his eyes. His head throbbed with pain, pounding away at his psyche as best as it could, only making him angrier with each burst. He reopened his eyes, holstering the pistol and backing away from the truck. Hank Williams still lingered in the air, echoing off the rotting walls in the store.

Joel approached the door at a light jog, taking notice of Ellie's poor attempts to open it. With any luck, the guys who had crashed them would likely descend upon the store in one minute. With no luck, it would be right now. He grunted, prepping his shoulder.

"Watch out," he told Ellie, taking the next moment to throw his shoulder against the door. Pain seared through his arm as the door shifted. He tried again, the door opening slightly more. Backing up about three feet, he threw his weight into the door one last time.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The door finally swung open as a shelf on the other side fell onto the ground, making a loud clattering sound as various objects littered the floor. Ellie clenched her teeth, the sound so loud that she was sure the bandits outside and any infected in the nearby area heard it loud and clear. Despite this, she squeezed through the half-open door, pulling her knife out, just in case someone had barricaded themselves in here and died. She found nothing inside but found a broken window at the back of the room, overlooking another empty street, out of view of the bandits. _Hopefully._

Wasting no time, she stepped around the fallen shelf and darted towards the window. "Looks like we've got a clearing here," she called back towards Joel, taking a moment to knock a few glass shards off the windowsill before climbing over it and landing on the grassy concrete beyond.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

After the door's fall, Joel leaned against the wall, rubbing his shoulder. Now his arm _and_ his head hurt; truly an invigorating combo. He watched as Ellie cleaned out the window, to which he shook his head.

"Don't cut yourself!" He cried before pulling back, a grunt of pain sizing him back down. His head was still sizzling, likely from the slap against the steering wheel. Joel hoped it wasn't a concussion. He hoped desperately that it wasn't a concussion. Then, Ellie had begun to climb through, to which he protested with great vigor. "Don't do that!"

He got off the wall, having taken his time resting. "Goddammit..." He let out a sigh before following suit, dropping down, flaring stings nabbing at his ankles. His vision went blurry for a moment as he took in his surroundings, albeit a bit dizzy. "Wait for me next time. Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?!" He pointed an accusing finger at her, before resting on his knees.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie resisted the urge to sigh, putting a hand against her hip as she pocketed her knife. "It looked clear to me, I thought it was safe. _Jesus_, I'm sorry."

While Joel had a point, she didn't want to admit it. She was more than capable of handling herself, and the infected could be dealt with. If there were other bandits around, they'd have shown themselves by now. Nevertheless, she let out a sigh, nodding her head, knowing that Joel wasn't going to change his mind about this.

"Fine. Next time, I'll follow you, okay?" With those words out, she finally took a good look around her.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked down the road, nodding at Ellie. "Okay," he muttered, eyes falling on the arches of the bridge. "Come on, let's get going. I can see the bridge from here, we can try and get back on the road there." He adjusted his backpack straps, feeling Bill's shotgun implant itself in his back. "And stay close. I don't know how many more of them there are." His voice, gruff and Texan, fell through the air. Joel began his walk down the greenery-endowed road, checking to make sure Ellie would follow.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The young girl followed closely behind Joel as they traversed the street, luckily devoid of any more bandits or infected. The last thing she wanted to deal with was another situation like that. Her heart was still beating at a rapid rate, leading to her taking in several deep breaths to try and calm herself down. Things could've gone worse They could've had more guys. They made it out alright. As they walked past a large truck overturned in the middle of the road, she glanced towards Joel, keeping her voice down, just in case those bandits were still nearby. So far, they haven't shown their faces, either biding their time, or they lost interest in chasing them. Once they were a decent distance away from the crash site, she finally asked the question she'd been wondering since they tried to escape that situation.

"How'd you know? About it being an ambush?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel approached the overturned freighter, blocking them from continuing on their path. He swore under his breath before she had asked her question. He answered abruptly. "I've been on both sides."

Walking towards the monster of a truck, he glanced it up and down, unsure if he could lift Ellie up past it. Joel wasn't sure about that; he wasn't sure if his answer was sufficient either. Grimacing, he continued to size the truck up before looking at the concrete walls surrounding them. Vines stretched up them, pulling the walls down to crumbles before them all. It was a bittersweet sight, the verdant imagery abound in Joel's life now. He almost missed the gray cities from before. Not almost, he supposed. He _did._

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Joel sized up the truck, Ellie mulled over what he'd told her. _'I've been on both sides.'_ "Oh," she replied softly, her eyes on the large truck. "So, uh... you kill a lot of innocent people?" She wasn't sure if that was the right question to ask, but it was the only thing that crossed her mind. The idea of Joel being the aggressor in a similar situation just didn't _fit_, at least, not the way she imagined him.

He wasn't the pinnacle of good, either, but he seemed alright. Not bad enough to do something like that. Maybe that's just something this world made you do, and she was the one who was inexperienced. _Safe to say that's true._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel listened intently to what she had to say. The older man followed it with a dismissful sigh, not bothering to look at her. He brought a hand to his forehead, dabbing at it with his fingers and returning to his eyes... no blood. That was good. His tongue ran along his upper row of teeth, attention brought back to the young girl behind him. "It doesn't matter. Just, c'mere. I'm gonna try and hoist you up over the truck." He backed up against the truck, crouching down and holding his hands together. He looked up at Ellie; she had been a thorn in his side ever since Boston. Ever since Tess died. Even before then. But she was a likable thorn in his side, even if he would never admit it to her face.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

A gunshot rang through the air from the opposite end of the truck before Joel could boost Ellie over, a flock of birds flying up into the air as footsteps echoed through the buildings and voices could be heard coming from the opposite end of the truck.

"You missed, a whole flock of birds just sitting there, and you still hit nothing," a man could be heard chuckling, followed by another voice.

"I'm about to hit you."

"Wow you're really upset," the other man chuckled. "Y'know, if you want some lessons, I'm more than willing to help you out."

"Yeah, whatever," the second man spoke as he brushed off the comment. "Let's just get up and over this truck."

"Where the hell are the rest? They're meant to be here," a third man spoke.

"They split off. One group's on the highway shift and the other went to go and search for those two tourists that fired at our guys. This spot's been a goldmine for tourists lately."

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Oh, fuck!_ Ellie's eyes darted towards Joel the moment the gunshot went off, instinctively flinching and ducking her head at the sound. It took a lot of effort to keep quiet as the two men on the other side of the truck conversed. In unison, they pushed away from the truck, heading for the nearest building they could that appeared to be open. The large metal gate had been left halfway up, allowing the two to duck under and take cover inside what appeared to be some sort of... food store? She wasn't sure what the word was. Shelves that laid completely barren lined the store, along with what appeared to be shelves with glass in front of it along the far wall. If she could hazard a guess, they were meant to be used for keeping stuff cold. _Refrigerators, that's the word._

As they quietly took cover inside the building, Ellie's foot found a bottle lying in the darkness, which rolled across the room before clattering to a stop against a nearby shelf. The resulting clatter was loud enough to echo inside the small space, which made her heart jump into her throat.

"_Shit!_" She hissed the word as she hastily hid behind one of the shelves towards the back of the store, next to Joel.

_I really fucking hope they didn't hear that._

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

One of the men that had been climbing over the truck immediately stopped in his tracks as he heard a sound come from one of the buildings, an all-too-familiar sound of a bottle rolling "You hear that?"

"Hear what?" The second man responded, sighing and shrugging. "Could just be clickers, not worth spending our time on."

"No, I heard it too," the third man interrupted, "o_r_ it could be the tourists. Go check it out." He spoke with authority as the three of them advanced with caution, casually strolling towards the direction of the noise.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel had rushed into the grocery store upon hearing the gunshot, Ellie right beside him as they took shelter inside. The two men, obviously hunters, had clambered over the truck and to their side of the street. He frowned, sliding under the metal guard with the young girl and taking cover behind a shelf. He had heard her foot kicking into a bottle clumsily - sure to be their doom now - and the three men lumbered towards their location like moths to a flame.

Joel reached around the shelf, grabbing the bottle. With that in his left hand, and his revolver in his right, he got next to Ellie and peered through a sharp crack in the shelf, waiting for one of them to get closer.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

"Fan out… make sure we check every inch. Remember, orders are to take in every tourist we see alive." One of the three men called out to the others as they entered the building.

"Yeah... but no one said anything about beating the fuck out of them first," another spoke. They were raggedly dressed, and their boots crunched on pieces of broken glass on the ground. One man was armed with a rifle and the other one held a pipe in his hand. The third man held a machete with a tight grip as the three of them spread out, the man with the rifle unknowingly approaching Joel.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie stayed close behind Joel, clutching her knife tightly in her right hand. She struggled to maintain her breathing at a near-silent level. It was one thing when they were on the run from those military jackoffs back in Boston, but this... this is different. Worse.

Ever since they'd entered Pittsburgh, it'd been one intense shitshow after another, in rapid succession. She had a feeling this place was _crawling_ with these guys, based on the way they talked about the city, and 'tourists'. They weren't the first ones these fuckers have attacked, and the mention of another couple of survivors had her wondering just how many people were in this city, being hunted by these assholes.

Ellie waited for Joel to make the first move; there was no other way out but through them.

**Shadow Boy [Narrator]**

The three men spread out, each covering one side of the building in an effort to find the trespassers. With them moving so close, Joel and Ellie could easily get a glimpse of their faces and behavior. Two of the men seemed to be in their early to mid-forties, the first, more stoic-looking one, was carrying a rifle, perhaps due to his greater skill and position in his group's hierarchy. The third one was a kid, barely out of his teens and carrying a large metal pipe, approaching by Ellie's side. Despite his age and fairly frightened demeanor, he looked ready to bash whoever tried to stand in his way. The second man was much harder to place, lighting up a cigar while carrying a hatchet. He looked laid back in contrast to the other two, but his location far away from his group meant he had the larger field of view of the three.

Taking out the man with the rifle first would require confidence in Ellie's capability to defend herself from the boy with a pipe, as well as Joel's ability to fight the most dangerous of the three men on his own. Taking out the boy with the pipe first would be a simple effort for Joel, however, leaving the man with the rifle unattended could prove to be dangerous if he's not taken care of with haste. Alternatively, Joel and Ellie could move from their hiding spot and attempt to take out the man with the hatchet first, ensuring a stealthier approach if done successfully.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's mind raced, the man with the hunting rifle getting ever so closer, and the boy with the pipe circling around, headed for Ellie. He looked out, seeing the man with the rifle looking to the side for a second; all he needed. Joel clenched his teeth, grabbing Ellie's back and leading her along with him to the next shelf. His eyes gleamed with fear and anger, hoping to successfully sneak around the man with the hatchet. The possibilities were endless; the man could see them, catching Joel's throat with the hatchet. Ellie's face could get bashed in with the pipe. Joel's heart pierced by the hunting rifle. Ellie suffocated. These men would do _anything_ to survive, anything to kill all of them. Joel couldn't let that happen; of _course_ he couldn't let that happen.

**Shadow Boy [Narrator]**

The man with the rifle stopped dead in his tracks upon spotting two shadows moving across the building's interior, smiling ever so slightly before signaling the kid with the pipe to move onward.

"What's up, Johnny?" The kid asked in a hushed tone, clueless. The man with the rifle let out a soft sigh, pointing his two fingers towards the counter near the fridges, and thus the boy nodded back.

"I got you, you son of a bitch…" The man with the rifle said before raising his gun above his head and hitting Joel with the butt of his rifle, dragging him out of his hiding spot. The kid with the pipe followed his steps, grabbing Ellie's left arm and yanking her towards him. Taking advantage of Joel's stunned state, the man with the rifle continued to drag him by the neck, throwing him against one of the refrigerators and smashing his face on the glass. "You two the tourists who fired at our guy? Huh!?" He shouted furiously, pulling Joel's head back and struggling to keep him still. Amidst their scuffle, the boy with the pipe dragged Ellie away with the help of the man with the hatchet, who had since spat out his cigarette in favor of focusing on the task at hand.

"Let's make it quick, knock 'em out!" The man with the hatchet cried out, hoping the guy, Joel, wouldn't put up much of a fight.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel nearly screamed as the man with the rifle hit him then grabbed him with meaty hands. His head continued throbbing, Joel screaming and trying his best to push the man off him, but it was no use. He smashed his face through the glass, shards of it poking into Joel's fleshy cheeks. The man was screaming at him, blood trickling down Joel's face and onto a broken shard of glass sticking out. Joel continued struggling against the man's weight, before one final Hail Mary blow against him. He threw his elbow at his stomach, attempting to grab the man and throw his neck into the glass knife gleaming on the fridge's edge.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The man saw the elbow coming, but as he tried to come back, he was caught in the chin by the elbow, stunning him for a moment. Before he knew it, he was thrown against the glass. He let out a gurgle as a shard sticking out from the broken window pierced his neck and he fell to the floor, choking on his own blood.

The two other men could be seen a half dozen feet away, attempting to drag Ellie away as she struggled against them. "Stay still you little bitch!" A man screamed.

"Grab her other arm!" The second man yelled out as they both tried to restrain her.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The man with the hunting rifle was dying. His blood joined Joel's in the significant pool on the floor. Joel wiped glass dustings from his eyelids, before opening them again to reveal two splotchy red eyes. Anger. _Fury._

They were on Ellie, tossing her around as if she were a ragdoll to their whims. Joel brushed past the bleeding old man, sprinting forward blind.

Blind. He couldn't see. He couldn't see anything, but he knew he was headed for the older one. He slammed into the man, grabbing his waist in an attempt to throw him against the counter and bash his skull in against the hard metal.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Agh, let go of me, you little chickenshit!" Ellie screamed as she tried desperately to get away from the two assholes, but they were too strong for her. She watched helplessly as Joel was sent headfirst into the refrigerator, glass covering the floor. As Joel killed the man with the rifle, and headed towards the bigger guy holding her back, Ellie tried the last thing she could, biting the guy with the pipe on the arm, hard. He screamed in pain, cursing as he tried to get her off, but she wouldn't let go, not until he let go of her. She was worried about Joel and the beefier guy, but she knew that he'd be able to take care of himself. She hoped, anyway.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The third man felt a piercing pain in his forearm as he realized the kid was biting down on his arm. He let out a loud scream as he tried to wrestle his arm out of her mouth. When he realized his two companions were down, he began to panic, pure fury keeping him going as he raised his other hand and delivered a swift backhand to the girl's face, knocking her off his arm. Once she was down, he turned around. "Jerry!" he yelled out as it was too late, the elder man had already smashed his head in. He charged at Joel.

"Motherfucker!" The man yelled as he grabbed a piece of debris from the ground as he charged, smashing Joel across the face with it as he grabbed his throat, wrestling him to the ground, getting on top of him. The man then edged Joel's face into a puddle on the ground, attempting to slowly drown him as he pushed his head deeper into the pool of water, holding it there. The revolver that Joel had dropped in the skirmish glistened on the ground several feet away from Ellie's feet.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel felt the – _satisfying, it was satisfying, just say it, Joel –_ crunch of the man's head against the counter, his skull fracturing and shards piercing his brain while his eyeballs drowned in blood. 'Jerry' had been killed instantly. Joel's eyes were still red, and he turned to face the boy who had slapped Ellie before being tossed to the ground himself. The boy was tougher than Joel had realized. He'd been caught off guard, his head now under the water as his hand fumbled out for the gun. He emerged for a second, punching the boy in the shoulder, but then he flipped around and got pushed face first in. Life was fading, life was fading so fast... if only he could reach his revolver...

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie let out a pained yelp as the fucker with the pipe managed to knock her off of him and backhanded her onto the ground. With Joel dealing with his buddy, the bandit focused his efforts on him. She took in several deep breaths, the air in her lungs having rushed out due to the blow, before trying to pull herself back onto her feet using the register counter. Before she was even halfway up, the bandit had Joel's head underwater in a puddle, leading to Ellie's heart leaping into her throat. She charged towards the man, grabbing the revolver Joel had dropped and aimed it towards the man.

She clenched her eyes shut for a fraction of a second, bracing herself for what was to come, and the resulting jolt that'd travel through her arm. She pulled the trigger, yelping ever so slightly as the bullet burrowed its way into the man's head. As he fell to the ground with a thud, releasing Joel from underneath the water, Ellie lowered the gun, a small puff of smoke escaping the barrel. _Jesus..._

"I - I, _shit_, I shot the hell out of that guy, huh?" She was at a loss for words, the fact that she'd just murdered somebody starting to weigh her down. Her arms were shaking, and she tried to control it as she stepped towards Joel, trying to help him up. _Oh, fuck. This... this whole thing's just... so fucked._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel was still going. His vision blurred, the murky water turning red with streaks of blood piercing through it. He grew weaker, his mouth still clamped tight to prevent...

_BAM!_

He was freed, rising from the puddle with so much force he threw the boy's body off of him. Emerging from the pool of now red liquid, Joel sucked in a deep breath and coughed, before leaning up and onto his knees. Shaky gasps for air still echoed through the store, as he turned to look at Ellie approaching him. "Yeah, you sure did."

He stood up uneasily, before snatching the revolver from her hands and putting it in his pocket as a makeshift holster. "I told you not to touch any of these guns." He spoke, firm and abrupt anger flowing through him. Joel took a few steps back, sitting down on the counter where he had burst the Hunter's skull just moments before, a ringing sensation in his ears.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"'Oh, and thanks Ellie.' It's not like I had a choice," Ellie replied, annoyed. She knew that he was just trying to make sure she didn't end up shooting herself on accident or something - or just didn't trust her to use a gun, which was probably more likely - but it was either that or try to stab the guy. At least shooting him meant that there wasn't any risk, the threat was over... for now. Sighing, she looked towards Joel as he sat down on the counter. Clearing her throat, she spoke up once more. "We should... probably get moving. Before more show up. Right?" _He probably just needs a minute to catch his breath. I don't blame him._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stared at his feet, rubbing a hand over his eyes and then through his hair. The stress was compounding on him; he was sure the girl had her own layer of it coalescing on her brain by now, and he wasn't sure if he had done the right thing. Pride was a nasty thing, and it was sure to not let Joel out of its clutches anytime soon.

"Yeah, let's get going," Joel said, grabbing the hatchet and the hunting rifle from the floor. He slung the rifle over his back and stuck the hatchet through one of his belt loops, trapped by his belt now. He began to make his way back towards the freighter, where he waited to hoist Ellie up again.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie followed Joel over to the overturned truck, her eyes examining the large vehicle with awe. She couldn't see much of the truck itself from this side, except for the wheels and the underbelly of the vehicle, but it seemed _huge_. She wondered what they were even used for. Was there that much stuff needed to be hauled around that they needed behemoths like this? The thought baffled her.

As Joel positioned himself in the middle of the truck, Ellie approached him, the older man hoisting her up until she could reach the ledge. Once she'd gotten her hands on the ledge, she pulled herself up, grunting from the exertion. As she got to her feet, she took a cautious glance over to the other side, her breath hitching.

_Holy shit._

In a large pile in the middle of the street laid about a couple dozen bodies mangled together, charred black and still smoking ever so slightly. The smell washed over her like a wave, causing her to gag uncontrollably. She forced herself to look away and find something to help Joel climb the truck. Her eyes found a ladder leaning against the other side of the truck, presumably for the bandits to use to climb over.

"Uh, Joel, there's some... pretty fucking gnarly stuff over here," she called back to the man, forcing her eyes to look away from the pile as they had once again drifted towards it, before pulling the ladder up onto the side of the overturned truck.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel waited. Tapping his foot impatiently, he heard Ellie's call and the muscles in his face tensed. "Just get me a ladder!" He called back, just as said ladder dropped over the side of the freighter and down to him. He clambered up, pulling the ladder up with him in an attempt to deter anybody who would follow. He grunted, eyes struck with a brief moment of awe and fear, before returning to their confrontational state. He said nothing for a moment, looking at the ash pile, steamy smoke rising from the ashes. Recent.

As the smell of fire wafted through his nostrils, he jumped off of the freighter. "It doesn't matter. Let's keep moving."


	3. Ye Who Enter Here, III

_2:55 PM – Starbucks - Downtown Pittsburgh_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After taking a bit to gather their bearings and search the place they were at prior, the two survivors made their way towards their new destination, staying off of the main streets and sticking to the back avenues in an effort not to be spotted. It was peak time and it seemed the group that was hunting them were out in force near that bridge. It wasn't long until they stumbled up on their destination.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's head perked up at the sight of the awesomely large coffee shop standing in front of them, poking Lee in the shoulder whilst pointing her forefinger in its direction... their destination. "That's it… that's the one! _Starbucks._" She read aloud the big letters on its storefront in an almost mocking tone, jogging inside and urging Lee to follow behind. Needless to say, the place was in terrible condition after being out of business for nearly fifteen years, but for a kid who hadn't ever seen something as ordinary as a coffee place before, it failed to do anything less than fill Clem with adventurous wonder. The girl's decision to go to that place was far from a coincidence after all, but Lee didn't need to know that.

She occupied herself with the weird, wonky old stuff inside the shop while Lee looked for a roof access. First and foremost, there was the ancient menu under a pile of rubble, which she read and re-read hysterically. _Hot chocolate… Iced coffee with… Vanilla or Caramel. Oh man…_ Next, and not at all less compelling, were the coffee machines behind the counter. They were all smashed up, probably didn't work by the time she was born, but that didn't stop her from poking all over in odd excitement. Lee _eventually_ found a way up, much to Clementine's dismay, but it was _so_ worth it.

The two sat on the edge of the rooftop, watching the empty city from above and feeling the soft afternoon wind blow against them.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The urge to just close his eyes and relax for a few seconds eventually came over Lee as they sat there. He glanced over towards Clementine, seeing that this place had brought out the curiosity in her. He wondered what she would make of the old world, and if there would ever come a time where kids could just be kids again… Clementine deserved that much at least.

_Just forget the infected… the bandits… just imagine the sound of hundreds of cars down below… and I'm right back to where I was fourteen years ago. About to head off to class… grabbing myself a cup of coffee... Jesus…_

Deciding that the moment's peace had its time to shine, Lee once again reached for his backpack, pulling out a pair of binoculars. He decided to let Clem do it this time, since this would be something she'd need to refine her skills in as she grew older.

He held out the binoculars to her with a reassuring gaze. "Go on, tell us what you see." He nudged his head towards the direction of the bridge, hoping to get eyes on how guarded it was and what exactly was happening down there.

**Art [Clementine]**

Taking the binoculars from Lee's hands with mild enthusiasm, Clementine held the two eyepieces in front of her in order to scan the golden bridge below. "I see a truck," she called out worryingly. "Two trucks. That's probably them." She subsequently pointed out, handing the binoculars back to Lee in frustration. "Damn it…" From the looks of it, their only choice was to wait them out for _who knows_ how long, so that they could finally get out of Pittsburgh.

Clementine set her heavy backpack down on the floor, leaning against one of the air vents whilst hugging her knees. The streets below were unexceptionally quiet that day, just like her… silent and downright unresponsive. After a few long minutes of dead air, she spoke up falteringly, calling Lee's attention to her. "Here, take it…"

Clementine held her revolver in front of her with a single hand, looking away, disgruntled. The revolver's muzzle faced down so that Lee could easily snatch it away by its grip. The girl didn't say anything else, half-expecting Lee to ask for it back himself eventually.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_They're guarding that bridge good... these guys probably have some claim over this city. Damn it. If only we'd known before getting here… only way to know for sure is to see if their ranks on that bridge thin out by nightfall._

When Clementine called out to him, he raised an eyebrow, definitely picking up on some bottled-up guilt in her overall demeanor. He'd been around her enough to know that when she sat like that, with her knees hugged, something was on her mind. When she held out the gun he just looked at it, not making a move to take it back.

"I'm good, keep it," he finally spoke up, his tone shifting into a lighthearted one. "Let's just say I'm glad _you_ were the one that had it when we ran into those guys." _We might not be here if it'd been me._

**Art [Clementine]**

_What…?_ Clementine's eyes widened in surprise, her head turning to face Lee in a quick, confused motion. "You don't… want it back?" She asked, brows furrowed, unsure of how to even react to that. After she shot that guy on the bridge… _killed_ that guy on the bridge... for no good reason, she could barely trust herself with a gun around her.

So how could Lee…? How could he do it so… lightheartedly? The girl struggled to wrap her head around it. The fact that he was so quick to brush it off after she nearly got them both killed only making her feel even guiltier. "But…" Clem tried to argue, like somehow she _had to_ after Lee spent so many years doing just that… always adamant on the thought of taking a life. Ultimately, she said nothing, lowering her gaze along with the revolver.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"The deal was you were going to be hanging onto the gun for the whole day. I'm not about to go back on that, regardless of what happened back there." He tried to sound firm about it, but as always, he fell a bit flat from the mark, his expression hardening slightly. The gun was her responsibility, and so were the choices she had made with it today. _She's not eight anymore, Lee._

"Some decisions... we make them in a split second... and then we live with them. That's never going to change… but what we _can_ change is how we react to what happens around us and _how_ we make those decisions." He kept his eyes on the bridge, feeling the wind on his face for a moment before turning his head slightly to meet her gaze.

"Knowing how to shoot is one thing, you're a professional at that, but knowing _when_ is never easy… that's something we're gonna keep working on, okay?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine listened intently to Lee's words, promising herself that she'd do better moving forward, no matter how difficult things got. "Okay, Lee." She said in a soft tone, hesitantly holstering the revolver in its place. Together, the two patiently waited for the Saviors to make a move… waiting for their chance to leave the city.

* * *

**Dot [Ellie]**

As they hopped down from the truck, Ellie's gaze lingered on the smoldering pile for a bit longer than she would've liked, only looking away as they passed by it. Ahead of them, the street seemed to slowly sink underneath water, the rest of the street beyond resembling a river or a canal more than a side street. _Is everything out here flooded?_She thought, annoyance rising inside her. She was embarrassed when she first admitted to Joel about not being able to swim. She hated having to rely on him to get her through these situations. Luckily for them, several cars lined the road, each with a plank across them, making the street a relative ease to follow along. _Bandits must hate getting their feet wet._

As they approached the first car, which was half submerged in the water, and climbed atop it, Ellie spoke up once more. She could still smell that putrid stench the burnt bodies put off, as if it'd never go away.

"Are things like this... _normal_... out here?" Her guess was 'yes', based on everything she'd seen so far. It wasn't out of the equation that people burned the bodies of those they've killed. She wasn't sure _why_, but she wasn't exactly a bandit either, so their logic - or lack thereof - eluded her.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel led Ellie out onto the submerged car, the vehicle bobbing along with their footsteps as they reached the next rotting yet sturdy plank. "Yeah. It's a lot like this everywhere. Bandits took over most of the major cities."

His mouth contorted into a regretful frown, sudden remembrance of his hunting days hitting him like a sack of bricks. The burning bodies – bodies he at some point may have set alight – mixed in with the rancid water, fish, moss, and rot all combined into one potluck of air. Joel's feet brought him over the next plank, the wood creaking and groaning under his weight.

"The sooner we get to that bridge the better." He turned, then, as an afterthought, added "be careful on that plank. It seems a little weak."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Okay," Ellie replied, her eyes instinctively going to the plank in question as she slowly crossed it. _Please don't break, please don't break, please don't break..._

She let out a sigh of relief as she made it to the other side, the plank having withstood her weight. The last thing she wanted was to fall into the water; at this point, it seemed deep enough that she'd be beneath the surface at her height. They continued in silence, moving from car to car. The only sounds she heard around her were their footsteps on the metal roofs of the cars and the _thumps _on the wooden planks, along with the slight buzzing of a mosquito near her ear. She tried swatting it away, to no avail.

"How much farther? To the bridge?" Her voice was quiet, the ever-tightening street starting to make her feel both claustrophobic and paranoid. It seemed that the road was starting to converge from four lanes into two, leaving less room to work with, and less room to escape if bandits showed up. "It didn't seem that far away when we were by that truck."

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The quaint silence of the landscape was interrupted, the sound of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves from the overgrown buildings being drowned out by an approaching engine.

Two people flailing and screaming turned the corner of a building down the street above them, pleading and begging as they ran, being followed by a large vehicle mounted with some sort of military turret. The sound of heavy gunfire filled the air as the large caliber bullets tore into the screaming man and woman.

The car stopped next to the bodies as two men emerged, realizing that the woman was still alive but bleeding out. "Please... I…" she croaked as she lifted a solitary hand to the man. He stared at her with a blank expression before pointing a shotgun to her head and firing, remnants of her head splattering the concrete. They began to search the two bodies that they had gunned down after a moment.

"Been a busy day, huh?" Raymond asked, as he watched the other man search the corpse. "Got an ID?"

Derrick scoffed as he shook his head. "Nah, this ain't them… pair of old shoes, shitty clothes. They got nothing, let's go." He banged the car twice with his palm to signal the driver as they both got onto the car, driving off and leaving the bodies in the middle of the street.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel sucked in a breath as the engine rumbled down the street, shaking the ground as it crossed a bridge up ahead. Joel laid down on top of the car, pulling Ellie down with him and resting a hand on her back. It was over in under a minute; they were dead and the truck was gone. When it had finally left, Joel rose from his spot on the ground and shook his head.

"Nothing we could've done."

The flooded streets appeared to end just up ahead, around where the truck had killed the pair of poor souls on the bridge. "It's not too far now." Joel began to walk towards the dry land, where he would surely find his feet.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"_Jesus_, what the hell's wrong with these guys?" The question was rhetorical, the sight of that massive truck gunning down those survivors imprinted in her memory. She'd seen some stuff while they've been out here, including that burned pile of bodies, but seeing them so mercilessly kill people was... they _really _needed to get out of this city. As they approached the unsubmerged section of the street, not too far away from where that truck had gone down, Ellie dropped to the ground. At least they weren't on some precarious planks anymore, but now they've got murder trucks on the loose.

She scanned the streets nearby from where they stood, trying to make out the bridge through the buildings and trees. She could just barely make it out on their left - which, regretfully, was the same direction the truck had gone. _It better not come back. _Nearby, the sidewalk lowered into what appeared to be some sort of passageway. Doors lined the passage, presumably leading into what might've been basements, but it would at least get them off the street.

Turning back towards Joel, she indicated the stairs leading into the passage way. "Might be able to hide down here, just in case they come back."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stared at the doors that Ellie had pointed out, a sloppy and careless entrance to what was likely an ever worse safehouse. "They're desperate. They've spent too much time out here and figured out that this is the best way they could survive. It just becomes another day in the life; a _job _." He replied to her first question, then listened intently to her second proposition. He looked down the street, seeing the corpses of the two, bloody and covered in gore. He turned back to Ellie.

"Alright. I'll go first, stick close behind me. If things go south in there, run as fast as you can, got it?"

He pulled the hunting rifle out, his shotgun long spent. He decided he'd ditch it; tossing the shotgun to the ground. He was pretty sure it broke in the accident earlier; a bullet had pierced the barrel of the gun. Joel walked down to the doors, eyes gleaming with anxiety. _Just open the door, Joel. It'll be fine. _He was sure it would be; and so, he pushed the door open with one thrust, pulling the rifle up to aim at anybody who dared face him.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

As Joel kicked open the door, a familiar thick musk in the air was present within the depths of the underground area. A deceased clicker was slumped against the wall as it had passed away, vile growths and fungus had spread from the body and covered the walls of the hallway. The fungus protruded out of the corpse's skin, and had evidently released spores into the air, leaving the whole basement covered with a thick yellow haze and would infect anyone that'd enter without proper equipment.

The clicker hadn't been able to reach stage four of the infection, which was a fifty-fifty chance. Instead, it'd become a sprouter, spreading more of the fungus into its surroundings after it passed away. The underground route could serve as a passageway to navigate under the streets, but would prove to be potentially dangerous.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel leapt back, the spores nearly throwing themselves down his throat. "Dammit." He muttered, before reaching to his back pack and pulling his gas mask off of it. Throwing it over his face, he looked back at Ellie. "We got spores. Keep an eye out for infected down here, things could get dangerous." He slung his rifle over his back, now trading it for the hatchet he had stolen from the hunter earlier. "Alright, let's go." He led Ellie into the depths of the basement, past the corpse. "You see a way out of here?" He asked, flicking his flashlight on.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie let out a cough as the spores entered her system. They weren't a threat to her, thankfully, but it always smelled so _horrible _. Like a musty room that hadn't been touched in decades. In some cases, that was probably true. Once she had gotten a hold of herself, she followed Joel, looking around the basement area. The room seemed to lead off towards another stairwell, leading deeper underground. _Well, at least it gets us off the streets? _She doubted those bandits would come down here, it already appeared to have been untouched for a while.

"Looks like it goes deeper," she called back towards Joel. "Smells like shit in here, maybe it's the sewer?" _Oh god, please don't be. It smells bad enough as it is._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel nodded at her, his hand firmly gripped on the hatchet's handle. Sweat caked his palms, and he looked at the stairwell. It was either there, or the truck... he'd rather face the infected than the hunters any day. "Could be. If it is, at least we won't have to deal with that truck."

If it was the sewers, it should lead them to the run off, towards wherever they treated the water, outside the city. They'd be out of Pittsburgh in no time. Joel quietly hoped they'd be able to get out of this city soon enough; this damned accursed city. He couldn't bear to stay here any longer, the threat was too high, and it was only growing higher.

"You still got that joke book? With the puns?" He asked, a mumble as he began his descent, his free hand guiding him along the guardrail.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She let out a disappointed sigh as they began their descent, reminiscing over the puns she'd read in that book. "There wasn't a lot of good ones left, so..." she trailed off for a moment, before a small smile twisted her lips. "...I came up with some of my own. Oh oh, here's one I came up with on the drive here. 'How did the clicker know when it had a good idea?'" She paused, for dramatic effect, before continuing, a hint of glee in her voice. "It _clicked _. Get it, because it's a clicker?" She had to stifle her laughter, not wanting to make too much noise in the confined space, which only grew darker as they descended the stairs.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel smiled lightly under his mask. "Awful." It was truly a terrible pun. One of the worst puns he'd heard in perhaps his entire life. But it gave him some sort of sense of nostalgia, some vague light in the darkness. "That was absolutely awful. I hope the other ones you made were better than that one." He said, a chuckle struggling to form as he spoke. With each step, it kept growing darker, colder, but the spores were a constant. Thick and musty, always there, always _always _there.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"I guess you'll just have to find out," Ellie replied through a smirk. She knew that was going to be Joel's response, hell, she'd nearly groaned herself when she thought of it. Nevertheless, as the stairs opened up to what appeared to be some sort of sewer system, she thought better than to continue giving more of them out. Who knew what might be down there, besides the obvious. Shit and clickers. _Fantastic combo._

Her nose wrinkled at the smell; it'd been so long since the beginning, she was surprised that it would still smell this bad, but maybe time just compounded the smell into something worse. The infected didn't help, either.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Down into the depths they went, spiraling ever so closer into danger and more danger. He couldn't smell the shit, thank God. Ellie probably could, having no protection on her face. He couldn't hear any infected down there; Ellie wasn't tugging at his shirt to try and get his attention, so he assumed she didn't hear anything. That was well enough; it could have just been a dead infected having sprouted and spread its spores across the sewer, and Joel was content with that. Once they got Ellie to the Fireflies, nobody would even have to worry about the spores anymore. Everything would be fine then.

He stepped over a discarded baseball bat, dried blood covering the handle. Poor bastard must have died clutching his slugger, or rather, was turned into one of those things out there. Joel looked back at Ellie, sniffling. "Tell me if you see _anything. _And I mean _anything. _" He whispered to her, then faced forward again. Trudging through the shit and piss in the sewers was about as wonderful as one would expect.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

As the two made their way down the sewers, the yellow haze would only get thicker. Fungal growths were attached to the wall like a bad disease, feeding off of the moisture of the sewers to grow, and they only found _more _as they went deeper into the tunnels.

As they made their way down the hallway, a grotesque figure jumped out at Joel out of nowhere, flailing in an attempt to stun him. Fungal growths were evident on its head, and its voice was a mixture of screeches and croaks. As soon as it spotted the second figure that was Ellie, it retreated before a gun can be drawn on it, running back down the hallway and disappearing around the corner to hide while emitting a horrible croaking sound.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie had stumbled backwards, only barely catching herself against the sewer wall as the infected disappeared from sight. It felt as if her heart had jumped into her throat, and her breathing had become rapid, only fueling the sickening feeling in her stomach due to the spores. For a split second, she wondered why it didn't attack them, but quickly lost that train of thought. Right now, her mind needed to focus on _getting the fuck out of here _.

"I - I saw something," Ellie finally manages to get out, letting her knife slip back into her pocket, her hand having instinctively gone for it.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's throat croaked with fear as he stepped back, hatchet at the ready. "Stalkers. Watch out." He should have guessed they would be down here, hiding away in these decrepit sewers. "Stay aggressive and they should back off. If one gets too close I can take it." He kept himself in a defensive stance, looking back and forth. "Check behind us. They're sneaky. They set up ambushes; probably are setting one up right now." Joel swallowed his spit, trying to steady his breaths so he didn't use up his gas mask too fast. The sharp edge of his hatchet poked through the spores, Joel's eyes firmly implanted forward still.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Right, yeah... stay aggressive... got it," Ellie spoke in a hushed voice, the sudden sense of fear that'd jolted through her system moments ago still coursing through her veins. She turned to glance down the sewer behind them, squinting to make out anything in the darkness. So far, she couldn't make out anything. Which was good... right? Or was that bad? She was too scared to ask which. _C'mon, you can do this. They're just skittish, like a cat. ...Cats are like that, right? _She'd only ever read about cats, although she wished to see one show up on occasion, back when she was living at the school. Would've made living there a bit more _hospitable _.

She pulled out the knife again, nervously flicking it open and closed as they continued through the sewers, her eyes darting back and forth, looking for that _stalker _from earlier. So far, nothing.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

The croaking of the stalker continued to echo through the sewer tunnel, as if taunting them. Ten minutes passed with no incident, although it was starting to sound like they were being followed, the sound of the stalker continuing to be constant.

Ahead, their side of the sewer ended abruptly, a plank was set out in between their side and the other. In between the two sides, the sewer floor was covered in about four feet of sludge, filthy and vile. If it got on their clothes, it'd be a bitch to get back out. There was only about a foot and a half of distance between where the board laid and where the sludge began. Whether or not the board was still structurally sound remained to be seen. Up ahead, the sewer tunnel forks off, taking an abrupt right turn. Trace amounts of light seemed to flow from the tunnel, indicating a potential exit.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked down at the board, the stalker still croaking and crooning behind them. Goose bumps rippled across his arms, hairs standing on edge as he stared down at the board. "We can't turn back now. Come on." He put one foot on the board. Sturdy so far, able to keep one dainty foot pressing against it. If it could support his weight however; that was a different story. He slung his pack over the gap first, hoping to keep the weight down a bit. The plank wouldn't snap in two, there was no way it would snap in two...

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

Surprisingly enough, the plank remained stable, making it easy for Joel to quickly cross the gap. Ellie followed shortly behind, before knocking the plank into the sludge with her foot. She looked up towards Joel.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"That way it can't follow us," she replied, explaining herself. She figured it'd be the best option. After all, that sludgy shit looked deep. Maybe it'd just get stuck trying to get to them. Unless it could jump, but even then, it could potentially not make it. _Hopefully._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel nodded to Ellie, his expression under the mask grin. "That's a good idea." She was smarter than she looked, smarter than Joel had originally given her credit for. Was he sorry about this? He supposed so, but he wouldn't tell her that. "I think we're almost out of this tunnel." He took the lead, walking further down.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

The two made their way towards the turn in the tunnel, the light they'd seen before getting brighter as they continued. It seemed that the spores were slowly dissipating too, although still too much for Joel to remove his gas mask. As they continued down the new tunnel, the source of the light came into view, a half opened pothole. As they examined it, they could see the side of a brick building towering over the street above. They'd gone a while, now, so they should hopefully be out of the line of fire of the truck from earlier. All they had to do was head up and get their bearings.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Oh, thank you," Ellie sighed, looking up at the pothole opening with what could be described as relief. If she ever had to go into another sewer again, it'd be too soon. They'd been lucky, for the most part, too. Ellie awaited Joel's instruction, knowing that he'd only yell at her if she did something without asking him first, like back at the mechanic shop. With how things have gone since they got here, she'd rather just do what she was told anyway, as much as it pained her to think it. Joel, at least, knew what he was doing, and _hopefully _wouldn't get them killed.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked up at the pothole, eyes glowing behind the gas mask. "Alright. Ellie, I'm gonna have to hoist you up again, alright?" He looked at her, rubbing at his chin, before reaching into his pack, pulling out his old pistol. The one that he had gotten from Tess. It would be dangerous up there, up above. The hunters could be there, and without anything to defend herself other than a switchblade...

Joel extended the pistol out towards her. "Back there at the grocery store, just so we're clear... it _was _either him or me." He kneeled down with the pistol, pointing at parts of it. "This is the safety. Keep it on whenever it's in your pocket or whenever you're not using it. Even if the safety's on, never point it at something unless you intend to shoot it. And always keep your finger off of the trigger, unless you have to fire your gun. Remember, this pistol's only for emergencies, got it?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's eyes focused on the weapon being handed to her for one long second, taken aback that Joel was actually giving it to her, especially at how adamant he'd been about her not using one, and his outburst back at the convenience store. Gulping, she merely nodded, taking the weapon from him before pocketing it. "Okay."

She looked up towards the pothole. It looked like there was some sort of ladder built into the wall, but the bottom section of it was retracted. If Joel lifted her up, she might be able to just pull it down as she's climbing up. Finally, she returned her gaze to Joel. "Okay, okay…" She let out a long breath. "Let's do this."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel placed his hands together, and then they were under her foot and shooting Ellie up towards the pothole, ladder hopefully just in reach to pull down for him. With a heavy grunt, he lifted her up as far as she could go.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Joel lifted her up, she reached out for the bottom rung, just barely managing to wrap her fingers around it. Grunting from the exertion, she used her feet to propel herself upward, managing to get a bit further up the ladder, before unlatching it from where it'd been locked. The ladder slowly fell to the floor with a faint metallic creak, before making a soft _clink _on the ground. Knowing that Joel would be following her up, Ellie continued to climb, pushing the pothole cover out of the way. She clenched her eyes shut as the sunlight blinded her, pulling herself over the lip of the hole and onto solid ground. The smell of old standing water filled the air, and she noticed another flooded street down the road. It might've been the same one as before, she wasn't sure.

Once Joel joined her on the street, she took in their surroundings. In the distance, the bridge loomed larger than ever. They were close. A sign was in the distance, barely hanging onto the metal poles it'd been fastened to. Among a few city names was presumably the name of the bridge. _Fort Duquesne Bridge _.

"Looks like we're almost there," she said victoriously, a smile on her face. They were almost out of this hellhole. Just a hop and a skip away.

**Shadow Dot** **[Narrator]**

Before Joel could respond to Ellie's comment, the sound of a truck filled the air, coming from a side street not ten feet up the road. The truck from earlier came into view before stopping in the intersection ahead. They only had a few seconds before the men in the truck would see them.

Nearby, several dumpsters lined the street, providing the perfect place to take cover. Behind the dumpsters was what appeared to be a dilapidated coffee shop, the name half-faded away. If one squinted at it, they could read the words _Starbucks _. Joel would have to choose whether to hide behind the dumpsters, and seek shelter, or hide behind a car in the street, and hope that the truck passed them by.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's eyes widened as the truck emerged into view, and he turned to look at the dumpsters lining the rotting coffee shop. He crouched down, leading Ellie towards the dumpsters and towards the building. "Goddammit." He groaned, looking up at the store. "C'mon, we can wait there while the truck passes."

He walked to the back, looking for a door that would lead inside the now ancient building. Bricks hung from the wall, vines stretching up it as if they were trying to drag it down into the Earth. Finally, Joel uncovered the back door. Grabbing the handle, he twisted, pulling it open and letting Ellie in first before he joined her.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

Inside, Joel would find that the back entrance had been blocked off with tables and chairs, leaving the interior door completely unopenable without applying a lot of force, which would generate a lot of noise. The only area that was accessible from this side was a small restroom near the back exit. For now, it seemed that they were cut off from the inside, but would be able to hide from the truck until they drove away.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Joel tried to get the door open, Ellie watched the back entrance, hoping those bandits wouldn't hear the noise and follow them here. Her hand hovered over the pistol in her pocket, while she held the knife in her left hand.

'_For emergencies only.'_

With how things might go, she was willing to bet an emergency was going to crop up at any moment, but she'd rather make sure it was the right time. Last thing she wanted was for Joel to have to take it back because she chose a poor moment. She'd only just gotten it, after all.

Finally, the door made a cracking sound, along with the sound of something scraping against the floorboards on the other side of the door, before it swung open. Ellie turned around to face Joel, preparing herself to enter.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel moved past Ellie, nodding to her. "Alright. Stay down, they might be able to see us through the windows." He pulled back the hammer of his revolver, eyes glaring forward as he walked through the store. What waited for them in there? He frowned, glancing back and forth, back and forth, continuing his walkthrough. He pushed into the kitchen now, past a weighty door and past ruined coffee machines.


	4. Ye Who Enter Here, IV

_3:15 PM - Starbucks - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After taking some time to talk to Clementine on the rooftop, they eventually took note of the gunfire they heard in the distance, along with the almost military-esque truck that patrolled the streets below. Lee insisted that they should get off the roof and back down to the lower level of the coffee shop until nightfall, just to make sure they were not spotted.

However, when the two made their way back to the lower level, he immediately stopped in his tracks, caution and aggression filled his eyes for a brief moment as his fists immediately clenched. He could hear chatter, and some movement coming from one of the doors, maybe two or three people from what he could hear. Maybe a small patrol._Did they spot us on the rooftop? No... that can't be possible..._

_Son of a bitch... _he inwardly cursed in his mind as he took a step back, keeping his eyes locked on the door as whoever was on the other end tried to knock it down. Straight away, he turned to Clementine, entrusting her with the gun that he had let her keep.

"Find somewhere to hide, _now _," he spoke as he waved her off to quickly take cover. Once he saw that she had, he moved into a position of his own, further in front of her so that he was in a position to be found first if it came to it, that way Clementine would have time to run if things looked too hairy.

As the door was forced open, Lee darted behind one of the vacant rooms near the kitchen, taking cover with the full intent on taking the intruder down. He was adamant on not using a gun, in an attempt to not attract nearby patrols. He managed to get a peek of what seemed to be an older, stocky man with a green flannel. _This guy looks the type... he's with 'em for sure._

_Fucking bandits. _Lee inwardly cursed as he gritted his teeth, the ominous silence of the coffee shop came to an abrupt end as Lee charged out of the doorway, not noticing much else around him as he went for the biggest threat first, grabbing the man from behind.

"Fucker!"

He wrapped his elbow around the man's throat from behind as he tried to choke him out, dragging him backwards.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

As the arm wrapped around Joel's neck, there was barely any time to react, but react, he did. He threw his elbow back a few times, kicking and grabbing at his attacker's legs, before trying to toss him into the coffee shop's counter. _Bandits, bandits, goddamn bandits everywhere! _He had no doubt that the truck would see him soon, after this bastard killed him... if Joel even let him. He cried out, his fists clenching, tendons tightening, nerves going haywire as all of his emotions went off at once.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The man had appeared out of nowhere, barreling towards Joel before putting him in a headlock. His sudden appearance had caught her off guard, to the point that she found herself not knowing what to do. She wanted to pull her gun out, to subdue the situation, but choose not to. She wasn't confident in her ability to kill this guy without missing and hitting Joel. She'd have to do this the old fashioned way. Cursing under her breath, she rushed towards the man, trying to pull him off. "Hey asshole, let go of him!"

When she realized that she wasn't going to be able to pull him off of Joel, she decided on the next best thing, her knife. Pulling the blade out, she stabbed the man in the back of his shoulder, latching onto him while trying to pull him away from Joel. She began to pull the blade back out and go for another stab.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He let out a huff of air as the older man landed some elbows into his stomach, letting out a scream as the man with the flannel drove them both back towards the counter. Lee's back mostly took the brunt of the impact, winding him as he coughed, almost causing him to let go of the man, but Lee's grip around his neck remained firm, almost locked-on as a Rottweiler would be to an intruder.

It was at that moment that he heard a voice, and shortly after, it was followed by a piercing pain in his shoulder. Lee squinted his eyes and yelped loudly in pain, letting one arm go off of the man so that he could turn around and face his second attacker. He was quick enough to see they were going to swing at him with the knife a second time and he raised his hand this time, blocking the knife as it cut his forearm, pushing _her _back.

_Wait..._

Lee's eyes widened as he realized that it was a child, his whole body freezing up for a split-second. "Jesus christ..." he murmured as he stared at the girl in disbelief, distracted in the moment, enough for someone to easily overpower him.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel leapt to action after Ellie had thrown the man to the ground, eyes flaring with hatred. He almost screamed, instead going for a wild cry of fury as he descended upon the man, fist raised and throwing down. Heavy hits landed on the man's face, Joel's knee on the man's stomach to keep him down. It was all a rush, all a complete blur of action while he began to beat him. His left hand went for the hatchet on his side, pulling it off of his belt loop and raising the weapon in the air for the kill. With one last cry of anger, he prepared to swing it down.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Wait!" Lee tried to yell out, to no avail, as a fist landed on his face, followed by a knee in his stomach. He coughed out again, and all he could do was try to block his face as the punches kept coming. This guy was strong... too strong. He could feel the blood on his back from the knife pooling on the floor as he laid there, trying his best to defend himself as his hands blocked his face from the swings.

"Listen man!" he tried to call out again in an attempt to tell him this was a misunderstanding, but the punches just kept coming, until at that instant, Lee saw a hatchet looming over him, eyes widening at the sight.

He had to think fast, this guy was going in for the kill. He couldn't... he couldn't let this be the way he was going down. He quickly looked to his side in a second of panic, looking to try and subdue the man. He grabbed a glass bottle that had rolled off of the counter and swung it at the man's head in an attempt to hit him before he swung down the hatchet.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The bottle crashed over Joel's head before he could throw the axe down, instead planting the counter hard enough to bury the blade in it. He dropped to the ground, more glass stuck in his face and blood pouring down his head again. His wound reopened, and he fell to the ground in pain. Grabbed for his revolver next, he struggled to take it out of his pocket before pulling on it, the gun dropping to the ceramic floor.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine took cover behind the counter at Lee's sudden request, keeping every step as light as possible as she crouched over to her temporary hiding spot. As she leaned against it, hidden from sight, she used every second they had to prepare for whatever they were about to come across on the other side of that door. Starting by swinging out her revolver's cylinder, the girl loaded it one chamber at a time with the few remaining rounds she kept in her back pocket, clicking the cylinder back into place the moment she was done, now solely waiting for Lee's signal.

It was hard to see anything from where she was, not a whole lot besides loud noises and blurry faces. Lee struck first, grabbing one of them from behind in an effort to subdue him. It looked, or rather, sounded like things were going fine, until Lee let out a spine-chilling cry of pain.

"_Hey asshole, let go of him!" _The girl listened from across the counter with a grimace, dreading Lee's insistence of keeping her out of the way whenever something mildly threatening stood in their way. Throwing cautiousness out the window, Clementine climbed over the counter, tackling the girl who previously tried to stab Lee in an effort to separate her from the fight.

Unfortunately for Clementine, as they both violently tumbled and rolled on the floor and out onto the streets, her head hit the pavement with a loud **_thud_**, stunning her indefinitely and leaving her unable to reach for her revolver.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie let out a curse as she was tackled by someone from behind, sending both her and the stranger to the floor. Her blade fell out of her grip and her body collided with the ground, hard. Pain suddenly shot through her shoulder, forcing her to let out a pained yelp and lift her torso up from the ground. Reaching behind her, she felt the blade of her knife wedged into her shoulder, roughly where she'd stabbed the asshole earlier. Letting out a cry of pain, she pulled the blade out, letting it drop to the floor, before turning her attention to asshole number two.

She didn't expect it to be a girl, especially someone around her age. For a moment, a flash of surprise went across Ellie's face before she finally managed to get a hold of herself. These assholes attacked _them _, for whatever reason, and they were still trying to. She couldn't stop just because one of them was a kid too. Letting out a grunt as the pain from her shoulder increased exponentially, Ellie forced herself to her feet, grabbing her knife, covered in blood. She wasn't sure if it was all hers, or a mixture. At this point, her mind was only focused on one thing.

They needed to survive, and that meant making sure this girl didn't attack her again. She approached the girl, grabbing her by one of her pigtails and holding the knife to her throat. It was her last resort to try and stop the guy from attacking Joel.

"Let him go, or I'll kill her!" She shouted, hoping to be heard over their fight across the way. The fact she was even saying that made her feel horrible, just like the bandits outside, but she had no other choice. She had to stop this, somehow.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He was surprised that he'd actually managed to get the raging bull off of him with a well-placed hit from the bottle. He felt a weight being lifted off of him as the man fell back. Lee rose to his feet gripping his shoulder, his heart racing and his mind in a frenzy of panic as he saw the man starting to reach for his gun, he went to lunge forward but stopped at the sound of a voice.

"_Let him go or I'll kill her!"_

He looked to see Clem with a knife to her throat, held by a girl that didn't look that much older than her. Without question, Lee backed off, raising both of his arms as he limped backwards, the blood beginning to soak the back of his shirt from the earlier cut.

"Take it easy, okay?" he spoke softly, almost pleading, visibly stressed at the sight of that knife at Clementine's neck. "This was just a misunderstanding. I thought your dad was one of them too... just let her go. It's not her fault... please."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie loosened her grip on the girl as the man retreated from Joel. She still wasn't sure if she trusted these people yet, so she didn't pull away completely. Not until she knew they were safe.

"The bandits?" She asked, trying to clarify just who he was talking about. It was the only thing that made sense. As the guy begged with her to let the girl go, she finally did, quickly pulling away from the girl, but keeping her knife in her grip. The last thing she wanted was to be surprised by the girl. "Well, yeah," she continued dryly, her gaze focused on the guy. "You too."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel grabbed the gun, pulling it up and aiming it at Lee, before his vision cleared and he laid eyes on Ellie and the girl. "You're not hunters." He lowered the revolver, tired breaths pumping from his diaphragm. His heart pounded a mile a minute before Joel stabilized his breath and looked around. "Who the hell are you people?!" His speech was abrupt and angry, his eyes squinting with suspicion. He tightened his grip on the revolver, finger finding its way to the trigger.

**Art [Clementine]**

_Agh… fuck. _Clementine struggled to stand up, with a loud buzz nearly ripping her eardrums apart and her vision blurred to hell and back. The painful sting in her head was probably the worst part, a small stream of blood falling into her right eye, descending all the way from her forehead as a result of the impact from earlier. No matter how hard she tried to get her body to move, her arms and legs simply failed to respond, and by the time the girl's senses began to come back to her, it was already too late…

Feeling the cold touch of a knife around her throat, Clem didn't dare to move, feeling a mixture of anger and unconditional fear… though none of those could beat how frustrated she felt for putting Lee in that dire position.

Once Ellie's grip on her softened, Clementine crawled away staggeringly, wiping the blood away from her face for the second time that day. Overhearing the conversation going on between the two parties, in spite of her weakened tone, Clem did not hesitate to butt in. "Same as you…" she answered the man's frankly senseless question, supporting herself on the coffee shop's walls in order to stand up proper. "We could've just talked…!" She breathed, addressing everyone in a bitter tone.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Hey, you attacked first!" Ellie snapped, looking towards the girl. The hypocrisy of the comment left her feeling a little bit defensive. After all, they had no idea anyone was in this place, then the guy attacked Joel. All they did was just defend themselves. Sighing, a mixture of annoyance and the tension deflating in her tone, she cleaned her blade off on her jeans before pocketing it. Her shoulder flared with intense pain, forcing her to sit down at one of the nearby tables in the room, her hand instinctively going to her back, only to come back bloodied. _Damn it._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_Shit... should've waited instead of just jumping out like that... fucking horrible move. _Lee silently shook his head at himself for the mistake. "Look... we've been running into those damn hunters all day... it's just put us on edge." He raised his hands defensively, then he lowered them with a sigh, hobbling over to Clem's side to check her over as he clutched his shoulder, checking her face. "Shit…" he mumbled as he saw some blood trickling down her eye. "Don't think it needs stitches, we'll fix it when we get off the streets."

He was more concerned about her injuries than his own, although he was getting worried about how deep that knife the other kid had plunged into his back. It felt like fire, and wouldn't stop burning. He'd also sustained a cut on his right forearm from the second swing of the knife as well as a busted lip from his fight with who he presumed to be her father. He then focused his attention on the two strangers.

"I thought you were with them... that was until I saw _her. _" He looked over to the redheaded girl. "They, uh... don't keep kids around... in case you haven't noticed."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked back, regarding the girl with the hat with one raised eyebrow. "Ellie, settle down." He kept the gun trained on Lee, looking back at him and listening to his story. He pushed the hammer back down, shoving the barrel of the revolver into his pocket. "Yeah." He wrinkled his nose, lightening up on his tension. "How many are with you?" He asked, eyes glancing back at the new girl in case she tried something... anything at all.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Well, what you see is what you get," Lee groaned as he tried to move around his bloody shoulder. It was just him and Clementine, though he wasn't sure if the other man trusted that all too much. He sighed, his features relaxing slightly. "You guys trying to get out of this city the same way, huh?"

**Art [Clementine]**

"You **stabbed** my friend," Clementine remarked coldly, shifting her attention to said friend. Lee looked awful, just… awful. Worst of all, Clem could hardly feel bad about it after he tried to pick a fight on his own.

**_You_**_ find somewhere to hide next time..._

She wrapped both arms around Lee, helping him to a chair opposed to Ellie's. She couldn't help but find _them _the hypocrites after ganging up on her friend, and that feeling was only accentuated as she examined Lee's gruesome wound.

"What'd you expect me to do…?" Clem spoke up again in a much softer tone, shooting a question back at her.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rolled her eyes as the girl tried to retort. "Well, if he didn't attack my friend, then everything would've been peachy," she replied in equal measure, frowning towards the girl as she tried to apply pressure to the wound on her back, hoping to stop the bleeding temporarily. She let go after a moment, before rummaging through her backpack and pulling out an old shirt she'd kept. She held it over the wound, hissing in pain. "Not like any of us had a choice," she continued, returning her gaze to the girl.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stepped towards Ellie, taking the shirt for her so he could apply the wound care. "Ellie," He chided, disapproving of the heavy back and forth between the two girls. While beginning to tend to Ellie's wound, he continued his conversation with Lee. "What are you saying? There's no way past the bridge?!"

He grimaced, swallowing. There had to be a way past the bridge; there _had to be. _If they couldn't get out of Pittsburgh, they'd surely die. There was no doubt about that. Joel remembered the ash pile... the ashes would be them if they didn't leave. And soon.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Jesus, would it've hurt to pull your punches?" Lee groaned, holding his ribs, before speaking to the stocky man. He didn't resist Clem's help as she sat him down and examined the wound, and whilst she did that, he dug through his own backpack to find something to apply to Clem's head. As he sat down, he pinched his nose, shaking his head, listening to the two girls fighting like cats. It only now just sunk in how fucked up this whole misunderstanding was.

_Smashing a bottle over a guy's head, nice one..._ He looked back up, noticing that the man was still staring at him with caution. Well, he has every right to be cautious now. When the man with the flannel spoke, he shook his head, signifying that it wasn't the case; there was a way out.

"I'm Lee, by the way" He sighed, exchanging a glance with Clementine, knowing she may not agree with what he was about to do. "I think I heard your name was Ellie?" he spoke before looking back at the two strangers, feeling overall guilty for what had happened. He specifically looked to the other man to see if he'd give his name.

"Since we're both trying to get away from this hellhole, maybe we could all figure something out?" He finally proposed in an attempt to thin out this tension.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked at the man, raising both eyebrows for a quick second in disbelief. "Yeah, well I was trying to kill you." He sighed, finishing up the job on Ellie's back. "Don't strain yourself too much, alright?" He told her, taking another strip of her old shirt and dabbing his face with it.

"Joel. She your daughter?" Joel had assumed as such, but then again... they probably thought that him and Ellie were related, which was not at all the case.

"I guess we could help each other, if you have a plan to get past the guards on that bridge." He cringed at a burst of pain in his cheek as he touched it with Ellie's shirt, hot fire searing down his face.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee shook his head towards the man he now knew as Joel. "No, uh... we're not related," he spoke rather awkwardly, answering this question every time it was asked never got any easier, how did one even begin to explain the long story of how they met and all they'd persevered through? It was probably one best saved for another time. He softly groaned as he gritted his teeth. He could feel Clem putting through the last stitch in his back; it still hurt… but she had improved a lot.

"We've got a small camp up on the rooftop of this building. Can get a good view of the bridge. Better to get out of here just in case." He rolled down his shirt as the bleeding had stopped and began to tend to the graze on Clem's temple, worrying about the hit she had taken to the head, dabbing away at the wound with a clean disinfectant-soaked rag. Once the necessary procedure was done, he stood up, turning his attention to the two.

"You guys aren't related too, are you?" Lee had remembered that Ellie had called Joel her friend , but was still unsure.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel finished wiping the blood off of his face, tossing the dirty rag to to the floor. "Hideout, huh? As good a plan as any."

So the two weren't related. What their story was was a question for another time; right now, it was time to get out of Pittsburgh as fast as they could. Joel approached the counter where he had nearly split Lee's head in half, had it not been for a stray bottle smashing over his head.

Joel ripped the hatchet from the table, then looked up at Lee. "No, we're not. I'm…" He looked at Ellie, then back to Lee. "I'm watching over her for now." His eyes fell to the hatchet in his hands. The thought of giving it to Lee passed his mind quickly.

It was gone just like that.

It would be better to determine if these two were really as friendly as they said they were before Joel went around offering them weapons. He stuck the hatchet through his belt loop. "Lead the way."

**Art [Clementine]**

"_Not like any of us had a choice."_

Clem felt like hitting Ellie after that comment, in spite of it being more than a fair assessment. Maybe it was all anger, or maybe she just wasn't mature enough to admit that Lee and her were wrong after that stupid scuffle. It was, after all, much easier to keep pointing fingers instead. _Just shut up._

"Stay still, okay?" Clementine asked of Lee, doing her earnest to ignore Ellie on the opposite side of the table. Stitching wasn't so hard when you didn't have to do the stitching on yourself. It took a few sloppy strokes, a few winces of pain, and a lot of time, but Clementine managed to stitch Lee's wound. It looked… almost good. _Scars are way cooler than stumps. _It was her turn next, much to her consternation, but it was a breeze compared to what she had just put Lee through. Having to take turns stitching each other was something she definitely _wouldn't _miss once they finally found the Fireflies.

Lee dropped the bomb shortly after that.

_Help each other?! _Clementine asked herself, just barely containing the urge to raise her voice. For a moment, the girl wondered if _she _was the one with the concussion. After the guy _Joel _almost killed him…? After Ellie held a knife to her throat...? What the hell was Lee thinking? And he didn't even consult her, because that'd be too fucking thoughtful of him. Screw Ellie, Clem wanted to hit **Lee** after that comment. Somehow the two jackasses went along with it, and thus Clementine was forced to along with them.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee never thought he'd see the day where he'd meet another pair of survivors that shared a similar predicament to them, although it was too early to judge if the reason they were together was really similar to himself and Clem, but he decided not to pry on the subject. He zipped up his backpack and slung it over his shoulders before going to pick up Clem's gun that she'd dropped during her fight with the other kid.

"Here.." he outstretched his hand as he gave the gun back to her. Right now, Lee was weaponless with just his backpack and this Joel guy didn't seem like he was about to be walking in front of him anytime soon, so it was up to Lee to make the first move of trust here... knowing that Clementine had his back with the gun.

"Alright, this way." Lee nudged his head in the direction of the stairway before leading the way, glancing behind him once to check if they were following before beginning to lead them to the rooftops, hoping that once they were up there, he'd have a chance to talk to Joel one on one, just to see where his head was at. He just hoped that sharing the location of this hideout wouldn't come back to bite him. _This is the right thing Lee... you're doing the right thing..._

* * *

_3:30 PM - The roof of Starbucks - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The walk to the roof of the building was spent in an awkward silence as the two strangers led them to their 'hideout'. After everything they've been through to get here, she still didn't trust these guys yet, but they were, at least, nicer than the bandits around here. She was certain of that. The girl, Clementine, _definitely _didn't like her, although she wasn't all that surprised. She did stab her friend then put a knife to her throat. She'd be furious if she had to be around someone who did something like that to her and Joel.

Once they reached the roof, she let out a sigh of relief. At the least, there wasn't anybody here waiting to ambush them. Maybe these guys weren't so bad after all. She took in the view, the sun beating down on them in warm waves of light. After the past month of terrible weather, it was nice to have some warm weather again. She'd packed her jacket into her backpack, and hoped she wouldn't need it again for a good while. In the distance, she could see the bridge clearly, and it was just as they feared. Barely visible, but visible nonetheless, were several specks walking along the bridge, guarding it. Too many to take on all at once. Especially with just her and Joel. Like it or not, they'll probably need help, and they were all in the same boat.

As Joel and Lee stood at the edge of the roof, talking amongst themselves, Ellie turned her attention to Clementine. Perhaps the best place to start off after everything that happened would be an apology. Not that she was very... good, at those. Nevertheless, it was worth a shot.

"Hey, uh…" she opened, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, already feeling the urge to back away before this girl managed to kill her... somehow. "Sorry about... y'know, stabbing your friend, and holding a knife to your throat. It was a dick move."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The walk to the rooftop was awkward to say the least, not many words were exchanged on the way up and a lot of thinking was definitely going on... but no talking. Lee didn't know what bothered him more, a guy that had just tried to drive a hatchet through his skull walking right behind him, or the looks he was receiving from Clementine. _Jesus..If looks could kill... sorry, Clem._

He sighed out as they reached the top, leading Joel to the edge of the rooftop away from the two girls where he could talk to him privately and get a better view of the bridge. He glanced off the side for a moment, seeing that the other girl had made an effort to talk to Clementine. Looks like she's apologizing… good sign. He bit his tongue… praying that Clementine wouldn't lose her temper. He then focused on Joel, who was oddly pacing around, looking around as if he was expecting an ambush. "Maybe try to calm down, if you can. We're clear up here," he spoke as he frowned slightly at the grizzled man.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine was spent in pretty much every sense of the word. As the four of them walked up the stairs, making their way to the rooftop, she was the very last in line, feeling her head spin around like a rollercoaster. They were all tuckered out, yet even in the verge of passing out, Clem didn't let up, not for a second. If those guys tried to hurt Lee again… hell, if they tried to hurt _her _, she'd shoot them without an ounce of hesitation. All the girl needed was an excuse. Once they finally reached the rooftop, Clem picked a spot far away from Lee and Joel and lied down on the floor, utterly exhausted. It was cold and downright uncomfortable, but it was her own way of dealing with her temper: seclusion.

What the girl couldn't have predicted was Ellie sneaking up on her less than a minute later, trying to apologize. Clementine shot a glare at her in utter skepticism, rolling her eyes and facing the other way in response, completely ignoring her.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked up at Lee, his arms crossed and his face curled into a grimace. They _seemed _trustworthy enough. But things that seem like good ideas could always backfire, as Joel had found out throughout his forty-one years of life. He looked at Lee, hand at his side with the intention of grabbing the revolver, should anything become too threatening.

"Then why haven't you left yet?" He bit. The walk they took up there had been uneventful, the same old cracked stairs and crumbling rails back to back. Joel's face was now clean of all blood, and the wound he had sustained in the truck crash had managed to settle a little bit.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Right. Okay. Yeah, that's fair. _I guess. _" Ellie fumbled over her words, taking a step back, away from the girl. She couldn't really blame her, after everything that happened, but it still made her feel _shitty _. Guess that was the point, but still. Joel and Lee wanted to work together, they might as well _try _to get along. _Guess that's not happening._

Not saying anything more, she leaned against a nearby air conditioner unit, pulling out her knife and trying to clean more of her blood off of it. Her back seared with pain, but otherwise was taken care of. For now. She didn't know much about wounds, but it'd probably need cleaned. She whistled softly to herself as she cleaned off the knife, still not quite getting the hang of it. She was almost there, but it still sounded too airy. Didn't help that she was trying to keep quiet, but with Clementine being... presumably how she normally is, then she had nothing else to really do while the two men talked.

_Can try to make up some puns about her hat. Maybe. Looks old as hell. _She shook her head, pushing the thought away. _Make friends, Ellie, not enemies._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee crossed his arms at the question as he looked down to where the bridge was. Taking a moment to examine it calmly. "Oh believe me, we've tried… but it's just too damn guarded," he spoke as he then reached out the binoculars to Joel if he should choose to take them. "They've been grouping up down there for hours... almost like they're expecting us." _There's definitely more men down there compared to the first time we tried to leave… something's up._

"Been waiting for the sun to go down, and a proper opening. Their numbers thin out in the early hours of the morning usually, that's the time if ever to try and sneak by." Lee proposed the idea, keeping his arms crossed. The both of them handled themselves back there, they seem capable enough to help pull this off.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel leaned over the side, looking down at the amassing hunters and taking the binoculars from Lee. After he was done with his light reconnaissance, he pushed himself away from the ledge, handing Lee the binoculars back, should he want them.

"That could work," he said, nodding his head while running all the possibilities over in his mind. The man leaned up against a retired air conditioning unit, popping the air from his knuckles with calculation. Propping a foot up against the hot metal of the A/C, he glanced over at the two girls. "Doesn't look like they're much gettin' along."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"It's gotta... these folks aren't too bright." Taking back the binoculars, he placed it back inside the backpack. Lee leaned back towards the ledge with his arms still crossed as the two adults focused their attention on the kids for a brief moment.

"Yeah…" was all he could really muster up to say. Joel's analysis rung true. Whatever was going on down there didn't look very friendly. "They're just kids. They'll come around." _Eventually, I hope._ He glanced over to Joel. "You uh... all good?" Lee raised an eyebrow as he noticed the way Joel was looking over at them. Lee still didn't still didn't know much about them or how long they were together for, but from what he could see, Joel did care about the kid he was with.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The man paused. "...Yeah," was all he responded to Lee's inquiry about their childishness. Nostalgia flooded Joel, past memories of Sarah popping up, and Joel could practically see a floating scrapbook, pictures of past times flipping by at violent speeds.  
"Lee, they ain't just kids." He looked down at his knuckles, bruised and blue from the beating he had lain on the man earlier.

"I don't know. She's a good kid, but she's got a fire in her. Your daught-" He refrained, starting over. "Clementine seems to be the same way, maybe a bit different. Where are you two headed, anyways?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee wondered what Joel meant by the remark as he cautiously looked over. In his opinion, underneath it all they were still that... just kids, but he could see it from Joel's perspective. Regardless, he kept his mouth shut about it, looking away. He was right, they did seem to be more or less similar...

_Maybe that's why they aren't getting along..._

The old professor turned to Joel as his eyes lit up slightly at the question. He decided to tell the truth, deeming it pointless to withhold any further information about their destination, since they already seemed to be on the same page about getting past the bridge at least. "Word is the Fireflies are holed up somewhere out west, plan's to hopefully find 'em, see if they can afford to take us in."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel raised his eyebrows. More folks looking for the Fireflies. "Hmph." He muttered, scratching at the back of his head. The man seemed to be telling the truth, at least as far as Joel could tell. The Fireflies... how trustworthy were they? Joel found them to be nothing but a damned militia with so-called altruistic goals. He shook his head, looking back out over the bridge as a cool wind began to pick up, sending goosebumps raving across his arms.

"Seems like a lot of people are putting their stock in the Fireflies these days."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee sensed some skepticism in Joel's overall tone... the Fireflies were the safest bet. To put an end to this life of endless running. Their cause was noble and they wanted to find a cure, and they didn't have the mindset of those damn bandits... they definitely seemed more peaceful than any FEDRA force he had come across. He was positive they would accept him and Clementine with open arms, knowing they would have protection, and they could pull their weight.

"Seems like a lot of people got a problem with that too." Lee replied in a defensive tone.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel grimaced again. Taking some girl across the nation for a so-called refuge. Was he being serious, or would he crack under further pressure if Joel attempted to press on? He was sure to find out. "So you don't know where they are, and you're just gonna drag her across the country to find'em?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It had been a long and quite frankly shitty day for the both of them, and Lee wasn't in the mood to have his ideals scrutinized by some guy he had only just met. Beginning to slightly regret telling Joel in the first place, he leaned in slightly, this time adopting an even more defensive tone. "Listen, I'd really prefer if you'd spare me the lecture, alright? Unless you want me to start asking questions about your whole situation _there_." He nodded his head the kid's direction.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel held up a hand. "Easy."

His test had worked; Lee wasn't flip-flopping. Joel supposed that he could finally be mostly certain that Lee and Clementine were exactly who they said they were. Two survivors, down on their luck, trying to find the Fireflies. "We're tryin' to find the Fireflies too." He rubbed at his chin, sighing. "Look, I saw that you don't have any weapons." With that, Joel took the axe from his belt and handed it to Lee. "Figured you can't be entirely defenseless when we decide to get out of here." Joel paused, before deciding to add more. "I don't suppose you're a good shot, are you? I'd be willing to let you borrow the rifle when we head down."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee eased up, taken off guard that Joel and Ellie were looking for the Fireflies too. A look of surprise washed over his face for a moment. "Thanks," he spoke before looking at the axe as he accepted it from Joel, appreciating the gesture. "Yeah, was trained to use those things a while back from someone I knew." Just thinking about her brought back memories of those times at the motor inn, when he had a functional group...

He paused for a moment, before continuing again. "Look, uh, I don't know what you guys are planning on doing after we cross that bridge, but you and your girl are welcome to join us on the way to the Fireflies, after we get this done."

It could be a refreshing change after travelling alone for so long.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel smiled faintly at this. "Thanks. I'll talk to the girl about it." He stepped away from the A/C unit, nodding to Lee. "I reckon we better get some rest before our big night."

He walked past Ellie, glancing at her for a moment as if telling her to follow. They'd get some rest, then. They'd get some rest.

* * *

_3:00 PM – Fort Duquesne Bridge_

**TheDomdotCom [Henry Simmons]**

The road back to the bridge was mostly uneventful, Simmons too busy trying to make the rendezvous to bother listening to the sound of gunfire in the distance. Presumably, the rest of his squad had found the same fuckers he'd run into earlier. Hopefully that meant those fucktards would be taken care of, and they'd only have to deal with one shithole father and daughter pair. Nevertheless, he kept going, hoping to reach the bridge before Negan got there. Best to be punctual, even if you're traveling through a dangerous place like Pittsburgh. This side of the river was a hellhole, filled with infected, but so far, they've gotten lucky and missed them. Last thing he wanted was a fucking clicker slowing him down.

As the checkpoint on the bridge appeared in the distance, Simmons picked up the pace, hurrying Jackson along as they passed through the checkpoint, Henry taking a moment to grunt a greeting to the bridge guards before going on their way. It wasn't long before he could make out Negan driving up to the checkpoint in a large vehicle, at least a dozen men filling the back of the repurposed army transport. As the truck came to a stop next to them, Simmons glanced up towards Negan in the driver's seat.

He bowed his head, feeling that kneeling while the guy was in the truck would be a tad too much. _Still fucking too much having to do this shit in the first place._

"Negan," he greeted, returning his gaze to the man. If Negan was going to come out there himself, then that meant that he meant fucking business. _These poor fucks don't know what's coming. Should've fucking given us your shit._

**PeePeePantsCity [Negan]**

Negan greeted Simmons with a nod as he weaseled his way out of the truck and to the ground, feet crunching along the floor. He took a minute to observe the area as if expecting the shits to be around and well.

"Alright, where are the fucks hiding?" Negan swung Lucille over his shoulder with a confident grin, ready to make an appearance. He enjoyed the whole talking and greeting bit of these confrontations, in fact it was his absolute favorite being able to make them piss their pants with just a wave of Lucille.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

"Uh, they… ran off… sir," Jackson was the one that spoke up, nervously scratching at the back of his neck while his gaze focused on the barbed bat Negan held. He'd seen first-hand what Negan was capable of, and he _definitely_ didn't want to be next. "But, uhm – I think they left their stuff in their truck! Just need to send a crew to salvage it."

**PeePeePantsCity [Negan]**

Negan ripped his gaze away from their surrounding area and faced the scrawny teenager before him. Jackson was something, alright, and sometimes that _something _was a pain in the ass.

"They ran off or did you let them go?" Negan squinted his eyes menacingly down at him with a frown. "Why the hell am I here, then? What kind of bullshit is this? I swear to fuck if I don't get to kick someone's ass then it'll be yours, kid."

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

_Shitshitshitshit._

Sweat threatened to burst from the pores on his forehead, and his gaze bounced between Negan and Simmons rapidly, deciding which one scared him more.

_If I tell Negan we let them get away, he's gonna kill me. If I tell him that it was Simmons, then _ **_Simmons_**_ is gonna kill me. Can't lie my way out of this one. Fuck me, right?_

"W – We were gonna chase 'em, but Simmons said that we needed to fall back. Get more guys to chase 'em down," he stumbled over his words, trying to come up with an excuse that would make sense with what Simmons had told him earlier.

**PeePeePantsCity [Negan]**

"Am I going to have to fucking kill you? Seriously?" Negan kicked at the ground a bit before swinging Lucille into the air. At this point, Negan felt like his time had been wasted and now there really was nothing fun to look forward to. He turned his focus back to the kid and pointed with a gloved finger. "I'm joking, but Jesus fucking capital Christ you're making it hard to make jokes right now." He tossed a hand into the air with frustration, trying to think of something else instead of using Lucille on some poor innocent shit.

"I thought this shit was handled."

**TheDomdotCom [Henry Simmons]**

"They're not getting out of Pittsburgh alive," Simmons added, sending a short glare in Jackson's direction. _Fucking kid needs to learn when to shut the fuck up._ "As we were headin' here, seems like another one of our patrols ran into 'em. Those assholes are probably already dead, but we still got the girl with the hat and her father to deal with. Gimme a squad, and I'll take care of 'em, sir." _I swear, if this fucking kid gets me killed, I'm going to rip out his throat when I turn._

**PeePeePantsCity [Negan]**

Negan chewed on his lip as Simmons spoke, mentally toying with idea of just drop kicking the both of them into another dimension. Abruptly, Negan shook his head and shoved Simmons slightly with a gloved hand. "I'll give you a group of apes, but the first batch got fucked or did you already forget?" He tilted his head to the side briefly before a wide grin took its place. "I'm fucking going too, so round it up and suck it up."

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

_Well, this just got about ten times worse…_

Jackson gulped, burying the crippling fear now coursing through his veins. Having to work with Simmons was terrifying enough without adding their _leader_ to the mix. He wasn't exactly going to get out of it now, though.

"So… uh… where do we go from here, then?" He decided to ask, to try and seem that he's interested in taking down these tourists.

**TheDomdotCom [Henry Simmons]**

"Well, if these assholes are trying to get out of the city, they're most likely heading _here_. We should tighten up security around the bridge, let them come to us. Lay a trap. Only one way out of this city besides the ambush zone, and they've already shown that they're not looking to go back," Simmons suggested, crossing his arms over his chest.

**PeePeePantsCity [Negan]**

He only blinked as Simmons formulated a plan of action against whoever the ballsy tourists were. "Don't have to fucking tell me twice. Get it set up then, and Simmons..." Negan trailed off with eyes narrowed as he pointed loosely at him. "Don't screw this up."

With that Negan sidestepped, waving a hand onward as if gesturing them to get to work. He wasn't very patient, but Negan liked to claim himself as being reasonable in situations.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

As Negan left, Jackson turned to Simmons, scratching at the side of his neck. He had a feeling the older man wasn't going to be very pleased with him, but he had to do _something _for the group. So, instead of standing around like his usual awkward self, he cleared his throat.

"So, uh… need me to do anything? Like… load magazines or something?" He asked.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

"They're fucking dead!" Raymond suddenly emerged from the distance as his figure could be seen sprinting up to the group of Saviors. He passed Jackson and Henry, stopping as soon as he reached Negan, his hands on his knees as he hunched over, coughing and out of breath. The man seemed heavily distressed and panicked.

"Negan, sir..." he tried to address him formally but fell short as the panic was seeping through, visibly upset because one of his close friends had been one of the victims. "Jerry… Tobias… Johnny… they were on their way to meet up with the highway shift group. They... never made it to the meeting spot. We found them dead in some grocery store... all of them." He looked at the ground in despair, not daring to look Negan in the eye.

"Some fucking tourist must've killed them, sir." _First, we lost a man near the bridge, then the truck slips through our fingers… now this?_

**Shadow Boy [Narrator]**

"You're fucking shitting me…" Another man who solely called himself Brooks said in bewilderment, nearly falling to his knees at the sudden realization, covering his mouth, shaking. "T – They killed Toby too? Christ." The four of them… they knew each other for years, everyone in the Saviors was aware of that. To hear that they were gone just like that, it was… crushing, more than anything.

Brooks rushed to Raymond's side with a scowl, enraged. "We're not gonna let this go, you hear me? I'm not gonna fucking rest until whoever did this is **dead**." In that moment, Brooks could hardly care about acting reverent in front of Negan. After they were gone... it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered, except getting justice for them.

**PeePeePantsCity [Negan]**

It was a wild turn of events from shitty to shittier and Negan was not taking it lightly as he stayed silent for a moment. Head swinging back and forth as if a hammer was smacking into the core of his head, which at the moment seemed a lot better than this. Eyes took in the men around him before finally falling on Raymond that was knelt before him like some pissy infant. Within seconds, Negan's gloved hand came swinging down onto the man's collar and grasped it, yanking it upward harshly without hesitation. "And you fucking came crawling back to fucking cry about it on your knees in front of me?" Negan snarled as he pressed his face closer to Raymond's.

"You motherfucking bastard, you better know where the hell they went and what color their piss fucking is to think about even coming back here to tell me like this." Negan tossed him backwards and lifted Lucille up as if about to swing mercilessly but paused to look at everyone else around him.

"Someone better fucking get something done around here right now or I swear to dick and balls that each one of you will get a big ol' kiss from Lucille!"

**TheDomdotCom [Henry Simmons]**

"You heard the fucking man," Simmons shouted, directing his next words to everyone on the bridge. "Get this bridge locked down!"

Without another word, Simmons went to work, helping coordinate the planning for their trap. These assholes won't know what hit them, he'd make sure of that.


	5. Cornered, I

_3:00 AM - March 12, 2025 - Roof of Starbucks - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The chilled air brushed against Lee's skin as he kept tabs on the bridge down below with the binoculars. It was dark and hard to see, but he'd been right in his assumption that their ranks would thin out. With Joel next to him, observing as well, he looked over and gave him a nod.

"We'd best get going," he said, signalling they should wake the kids. He strolled over to where Clementine was asleep, hoping she'd be in a better mood than the last time they talked. _Fingers crossed. _He gently shook her shoulder as he knelt down. "Hey Clem, its time."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine slowly opened her eyes, letting out a soft groan as the cold morning breeze agonizingly struck the side of her face. Somehow, the floor managed to get even colder… it felt like falling asleep atop a frozen lake.

"What…?" She asked in a whisper, still half-asleep. The look Lee gave her in response, however, was more than enough to catch her up to speed. "Oh…" she uttered whilst hastily rubbing her eyes, sounding almost flustered as she did.

It didn't take long for her to take notice of the fact that Ellie and Joel were still hanging around with them, much to the girl's displeasure. Lee had already taken the time to explain to Clem that they were both also searching for the Fireflies, and that they'd be travelling with them for the indefinite future. It didn't make her any less hopeful that they'd just take off before nightfall. Still… part of her, one that was hidden away behind a mountain of rancor, was actually glad they stuck around... thrilled beyond measure to see another girl her age, someone she could really talk to. A friend...?

Clem didn't have any friends, that's how it'd always been… just her and her parents living on their own. Sometimes she wondered if that's why she could never forget about Duck or Sarah. Having a friend only ever left her feeling hurt, beaten... It used to be something Clementine longed for more than anything else in the whole world, but somewhere along the way that feeling became weakened, shattered. Lee was the only person she ever wanted to have to care for… because she knew he would never leave her.

Clementine took hold of her revolver, checking its cylinder to ensure the rounds from yesterday were still loaded and counting the bullets in her back pocket one by one: five in total, including the six she had loaded at the moment. Restless, and with her arms crossed, Clementine waited for the time to leave, ready for anything.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel was not the most restful sleeper. He had attempted it a few times over the course of the night, but he'd wake up in a cold sweat, head pointed out towards the city and realizing it hadn't been that long after all. This was one of the most dismaying of things to Joel; this problem had been occurring for the last fourteen years or so.

Nights of remembering the before, nightmares of what he pushed Tommy through, of the innocent blood that Joel had spilled on their hands. And now he was transporting this girl across the country, with another pair. As if his mission were so _noble _, as if it were pure. Joel would never be able to give a reason why he had continued on this journey for so long; but he supposed that reasons weren't necessities. He walked over to Ellie's resting place, and tapped her on the shoulder with his large, callused hand. "Ellie, come on. It's time to go."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Being disturbed from her already half-sleep, Ellie let out a small groan, stretching her arms out as she let out a yawn. Why did they choose to do this in the middle of the night? She was starting to regret that decision more and more as time went on.

Finally, she stood up, letting out a pained grunt as her back wound flared. She regretted getting involved in that fight, but at the time... it seemed like her only choice. Maybe she'd just been brash, and thought she was helping, when she wasn't. Besides ending the fight, all she did was escalate it.

As everyone gathered in the middle of the roof, Ellie took stock of her things, making sure she hadn't lost - or hadn't been sneakily stolen away - anything. Her backpack was exactly as she left it. She pulled out the pistol Joel had given her and pocketed it, before making sure if her knife was still in her front left pocket. Everything was where she left it. _Good._

Her gaze lingered on Clementine as she approached the group. She wasn't sure if the girl looked bitchy because of the fact they were still around, or from being disturbed from her sleep. Probably both. She'd have to get used to it, though, since Joel and Lee decided they'd be traveling together for a while. Eventually, she'd get the girl to open up. Not sure about _liking _her, but at least open up. As long as the girl wasn't trying to kill her, she guessed that was an improvement.

She could make out the bridge in the distance, darkness surrounding it like a veil. Lights were spread out across the structure, but it definitely seemed quieter than it'd been earlier that afternoon. Maybe they had a chance, after all.

"So... what's the plan?" Ellie spoke, returning her attention to their new group. She was curious as to how they were going to pull this off. They were all capable people, but there's still several dozen people on that bridge, which could pose a serious threat. She wasn't sure if she liked their odds.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As the group of four congregated in the middle of the roof, Lee had kept the hatchet strapped to his side, along with the rifle Joel had leant him slung over his back, giving everyone a moment to pack their things and get organized. _This time it's gonna work, _he reassured himself. He directed his attention onto the question from Ellie, taking one last moment to think over the strategy.

"Joel and I can take the lead, clear us a path towards the checkpoint… as long as we stay quiet and stick together, we shouldn't have too much of a problem. The guards at the checkpoint have a spotlight… stay out of the light and we'll be hard to see. In the odd event that anyone gets spotted and we're forced to shoot, one well-placed shot at the spotlight will make 'em blind. The checkpoint is the only place that's guarded..Once we're through… we navigate the streets until we reach the bridge." He took a breath. "Okay?" he looked around at everyone. "Okay." He said more confidently.

If nothing else was to be said, the group would then make their way towards the staircase leading down towards the bottom levels of the coffee shop.

* * *

_3:15 AM - Checkpoint guarding the bridge - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The four of them hung low and stuck to the buildings, as far away the streets the streets as possible. They watched every corner in an attempt to not to be ambushed again by these damned thugs. Instead of directly approaching the checkpoint on open road, they opted to enter a building that would be able to conceal them that was right opposite the checkpoint, it would make for good cover and they wouldn't be seen by anyone on the perch or on the street, allowing them to see what they were up against before trying to sneak past.

Even from the inside, they could hear chatter coming from the streets towards where the perch was at the checkpoint… could almost see them even from the windows inside. A spotlight was being shone on the streets, switching positions frequently. They'd need to avoid it once they left this building. Taking cover behind some worn furniture, the four of them crouched, and Lee slowly peeked down the hall.

"I see two up ahead," he whispered, mainly addressing Joel as he spotted two men talking near a barrel fire, seeing that they were alone and secluded from the rest.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel had kept on with them, following along as best as he could. He had to stop a few times, resting his mind when his vision blurred and a groaning headache crept into his skull, but he managed to keep up, the loom of a horrid death pushing him on. The hunters were everywhere; while their night shift was certainly a skeleton crew, as Lee had said, they still outnumbered them two to one. Plus, when those four ones were a man with a hatchet and three bullets, two little girls, and an old man with a concussion, things out-matched them on every level.

Joel's attention was caught by Lee again, aiming his gaze at two hunters gathered around a barrel fire. _Just talking. _Joel frowned, and he pointed towards one. "I'll take left." He whispered, continuing forward with the aim of crushing this poor soul's windpipe.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie peeked over the top of the worn-down couch they'd been hiding behind, looking towards the two bandits across the room. Her hand instinctively went for her knife in her pocket, holding the weapon tightly in her hand. If things went south, she'd make sure to back Joel and Lee up. _They don't seem that tough when they're not... y'know... trying to kill us._

She glanced towards Clementine, who was crouching beside Lee. She still wasn't _talking _, which was... fine. Twelve hours on top of a roof, and you'd think she'd at least say_something _to her. _Don't really blame her. But still... it's awkward as hell. _The girl definitely seemed capable, though, so she was sure if things went south with Joel and Lee, the pair of them could handle things. Hopefully.

She watched as Joel approached the bandit on the left, grinding her teeth together anxiously. This was only the beginning of their attempt at escaping this hellhole, so hopefully these assholes won't see them coming, and things go smoothly. After the past couple of days, smooth sailing would be welcomed with open arms.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee acknowledged his request with a nod. _Guess that means I've got right _. He slowly crouched as they silently approached the two unsuspecting hunters. It took a lot to remind himself that there was no other choice here. If he could avoid this course of action... killing, he would. It didn't sit well with him, doing this in front of Clementine after all the time he had spent telling her not to kill unless she absolutely had to, but unfortunately this was one of those times where there was no alternative.

Lee advanced until Joel was in position behind his respective victim. After they gave each other the signal, Lee pounced, wrapping his arm around the hunter's neck as he gasped for air, trying to claw at his face, but soon enough the man fell silent, falling to the floor with a thud. As Joel dispatched the other hunter, Lee began to search the man over for weapons and anything useful.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He approached swiftly. No sounds fell on the hooded man's ears, his hearing distracted by the crackling fire and his friend's babbling. Joel came from behind him, throwing his hands up and wrapping his arms around the man's thick neck, a quick gasp being the last voluntary sound he would ever make. His arms flew back as he tried to scream, gagging and choking on his own spit. Clawed fingernails flew back, scratching at Joel's neck and grabbing his cheek. Joel tore away, clenching his teeth and pulling back from the man's grip.

He squeezed, and squeezed, and squeezed, a wet dribble of spit drooling onto his forearm. Something cracked inside the man, the crunch a terrible reminder of the man's own mortality. More cracking, abrasive and furious sounds sifting through the air like slugs rolling through molasses. Joel cradled him for a moment; but he was already gone. He let the body fall to the ground, and a quick flash of minute regret flushed over his mind - and then the thought was gone, and Joel scoured over his broken corpse.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

Lee held a couple of large bullets in his hand, while Joel held up what appeared to be a nail bomb, similar to the one that Bill had given Joel back in his town. The victory was short-lived, however, as voices from outside pierced the air.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

Adonis was up on the watchtower perch working the spotlight, occasionally shining it onto the streets. The only exciting part about this was spotting the occasional clicker or two that would wander up to the checkpoint gate and shouting out to whoever was on sniper duty to take it out. _Glad I'm up here and not on the shift down there. It's fucking pitch black… they should be thanking my ass for giving 'em light, _he thought to himself, although he'd never say it to anyone's face. Negan's instructions were to keep the bridge locked down, and he wasn't about to do anything but that. He was still on edge after seeing what almost happened to Raymond earlier today.

"Negan really spat the dummy today. Don't think I've seen him that angry in like.. a long time," he spoke aloud, since none of Negan's dickriders were around on this shift from what he knew, he felt safe to bring it up to the folks he was with.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

"You got that right, man," Jackson added from his sniper's perch as he scanned the street for any threats. There'd been a serious lack of anything to shoot out there in the past little while, and he was starting to feel restless. After dealing with Simmons and Negan earlier, being able to blow off some steam would be _fantastic _right now. He was still hoping those tourists would show up, just to give him something to kill, and enough points to eat like a king. At least, he'd get in Negan's good graces.

"That other guy's pretty creepy, too. Looks like he's thinking of ways to kill you every time he looks at you. No wonder him and Negan get along so well. They're both equally psychotic. I wouldn't doubt if Simmons did some horrible stuff before he joined the Saviors. He's a freakin' nutcase."

**Shadow Boy [Narrator]**

Brooks quietly leaned against the perch in front of the checkpoint, struggling to stay awake. He wasn't, in fact, part of the night shift at all. Brooks had been there in that same spot ever since he found out yesterday, hoping to God he'd be able to catch the guys who murdered Johnny and Toby before they left the city. Lighting up a smoke from the very same pack they had looted from his dead friend, Brooks waited fervently. _What'd they even look like…? Best not let anyone across. One of'em's bound to be them._

The other guys from the night shift were just talking shit, par for the course when you had to stand around doing nothing for hours. Problem was, they were talking shit about _ Negan _... hearing them say that stuff was like watching two assholes poking a beehive. "Pipe down, will ya?" He asked from below, an annoyed look on his face. "You know what that bastard would do to you if he found out." Brooks said lifting his shotgun up in a batting stance, mockingly imitating Negan's most infamous schtick. "Dead." He finished, swinging the shotgun with a straight face, almost grief-stricken. "Nothing left to bury from your neck up."

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

"Hey guys, you hear that?" Adonis shouted as a clicking noise could be heard. A solitary clicker had wandered onto the street near the checkpoint as the sniper above began to take pot shots at it.

"Yeah, I hear it, but I don't see it. Get eyes on it," Jackson shouted back. Adonis began to move the mechanism over towards the dark abyss of the streets while Jackson tried to hit it from a distance with the rifle.

Unbeknownst to the hunters, their checkpoint was being watched by the very same people they've been hunting. Out of sight, they observed the checkpoint, gauging its defenses. On the street level, there seemed to be at least seven men patrolling the street, spread out across different areas, seemingly in an unaware and relaxed state. The rest of the men had left the area to patrol the nearby streets, but were not too far of the general vicinity.

The double gate itself was closed but not locked, and could be pushed open if they were to reach it. They could attempt to sneak their way through while avoiding the spotlight, and once on the other side of the gate, lock it so they could not be followed, or come up with some kind of distraction to lure them away. A direct approach may also prove useful if they were to take out the spotlight. The person operating the spotlight was busy trying to hold the light over the clicker, so it was somewhat safe to advance onto the streets, several broken-down cars and barricades were scattered on the street, which they could use for cover in the night.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The area seemed clear ahead as he and Joel signalled the kids, letting them know it was safe to move up. As they slowly advanced, the two adults moved over to a glass window, peeking out onto the street to get a good look at what was going on.

"Alright, how do we wanna do this?" He asked Joel in particular, wanting to see if anyone had an opinion on the situation before advancing onwards, formulating a few ideas in his head as he looked out into the streets. The noise of the rifle did, somewhat, provide a distraction for them.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel grimaced, looking out at the hunters fighting the clicker. "We could run to those pillars over there," he pointed to a series of pillars sticking from a crumbling building, and squinted. "I don't see anyone over there. Looks safe while he's fightin' that clicker." Joel whispered the plan, listening for Lee's judgement.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine stuck with Lee the entire way to the bridge, sharing only a few short and somewhat hateful glances with Joel and Ellie. Somehow the girl had to put up with the fact that they were tagging along, as fucking crappy as it was… for Lee's sake, at the very least. Finally approaching their destination, the four of them crouched over to the hazy window ahead of them. Clem calmly leaned forward, rubbing the glass with the sleeve of her shirt and paying careful attention to the scenery below in order to determine the most surefire way to get across. "We need to come up with some kind of distraction," she said aloud to whoever wanted to listen. "There's _way _too many of them to sneak through… we'll get spotted for sure."

Clem casually pointed down, her eyes half closed due to the spotlight's aggressive glow. "See the cars down there? If we can find one with a working horn… we'll get their attention away from the bridge, away from _us _, and send a crowd of walkers their way." Clem couldn't hide the crafty smile on her face brought about by explaining her plan, interpreting the silence that followed as a query over who intended to carry the task at hand.

"I can do it," she suggested with a shrug, hoping Lee wouldn't shoot it down on account of it being too risky, something Clementine half-expected with utmost dread.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Just as Lee was preparing to move over to the pillars Joel had pointed out, Clementine spoke up, proposing an idea. He heard her out on the plan. _Not bad... _he thought as he ran it over in his head. _It could work._

The only thing they needed to be careful of was that spotlight, if they were to pick a car too close they'd be spotted right away when that horn went off. It needed to be a car close enough to get their attention but not far enough for them not to bother taking a look. The only part that had him worried was, of course, the part that insisted that they split up, with supposedly them waiting by the pillars that Joel had pointed out while Clem headed for the car. Once the horn rang, she'd have to be quick in bolting to the pillars so they could get a move on. But overall, Lee was _very _hesitant in entrusting Clementine alone with this, the possibilities of what could go wrong filling his mind with an uneasy feeling. Lee opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately stayed silent as he looked away with a frown, unsure of whether to allow this or not.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel scowled, a wry face that made his nose wrinkle. The girl's idea was naive; the so-called "walkers" they were talking about - he had heard of these things and seen one trapped in a cage, but had never actually fought them - were nowhere to be found in Pittsburgh. At least, Joel didn't imagine they would be.

"No," He scoffed, narrowing his eyes. "Only thing you'll get attention from is clickers and runners, and they're more trouble than they're worth. The 'walkers' or however you said it aren't in this city. We would've seen'em by now if they were, or so I've heard. Considerin' all the noise that rifle's making." He rose the vigor in his speech. "Then I highly doubt that a car horn will do anything."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine returned Joel's scowl with a scoff, his reasoning only succeeding in provoking her. He had a point anyhow, at least regarding the walkers. Clem's thoughts were however only fixated on that gross thing Lee and her had fought against in the apartment. If that's what Joel referred to as a clicker...

"Trouble for them," the girl pointed out with a half-smile. "It'll work, as long as we get their attention away from the bridge."

Frankly, it didn't matter whether they attracted walkers, runners, clickers or the fucking Easter Bunny… Clementine's real goal was solely to distract the guy on the spotlight for a few seconds, hopefully long enough for Lee and Joel to take him out.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie listened to the others plan out what they were going to do in silence, her eyes focused on the bridge checkpoint. Everything about this plan was risky, including this horn idea. But, there wasn't much else they could do to get through these assholes, so... it might be their only choice.

She returned her gaze to Joel and Lee, adding in a hushed voice. "It might be worth trying. Even if it just distracts them, that gives us a chance to take them out."

She scrunched her eyes to see better in the darkness, trying to pick out a car that might be worth trying. There was one near the intersection behind them, a fair distance away from the checkpoint.

"We can put something against the horn, and just let it wail. The guards will have to check it out, giving us a chance to get inside." She took in a breath, returning her attention to Joel. "Clementine and I can handle that while you two take out the spotlight guard and the sniper."

It wasn't a perfect plan, but it could work. Just enough of a distraction to divide their forces, and let them take them out one-by-one, or sneak past.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The uncertainty of the whole plan was enough to make Lee second guess his decision-making as he stayed silent for a few moments. Of course, after Clementine proposed the idea, the other kid wanted in on it too. _Maybe it's better if she's with Clem while Joel and I take out the spotter, they won't be in direct trouble… but it's not just my call._He knew that they needed Joel's go ahead for the plan, which he'd clearly expressed he didn't seem too fond of.

"They do have a point," Lee finally butted in, looking to Joel before sighing, turning towards Clementine, then to the position where the spotter was shooting at that… _thing _, and had since killed it. The spotlight had moved positions now. "Maybe they can use that corpse over there to put on the horn. What do you think?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The plan was mediocre. Joel's thoughts forced an exasperated sigh, and he shook his head. But it was them against him, and he didn't have much of a choice in this matter, so he looked at Lee and gave a curt nod.

"Alright," he said, looking back at the ground. "Let's do it. But they can't use the clicker's body." He looked at it, frowning. "It'll start releasing spores, and…" He looked at Ellie for a moment. Immunity. Something best kept on the down low for now, and for some time after. "...and it could infect one of them." He looked back into the building, and the two corpses by the barrel fire. "We could help them grab one of those and drag it to the car."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Clickers, that's what you guys call those things?" _Spores? _Lee frowned for a moment, trying to unravel whatever the hell this guy was talking about, he'd need to explain that Clementine and him were not from around here... but now was hardly the time for that.

Lee, confused, nodded as he assumed Joel knew more about these types of infected than him and it was best to follow his advice. After all, getting infected was not on the agenda. For a moment, he was worried that their first encounter with that... fungus thing - Clicker? - may have infected them, but they weren't around it long enough for it to supposedly release spores on them.

"Alright, plan's on," he spoke towards the kids, before he and Joel went to one of the bandits they'd killed, getting ready to drag his corpse to the car. As they silently emerged from the building, they had to keep a low profile as to avoid the spotlight. Luckily enough, they were quiet, and the spotter was rather unsuspecting.

It wasn't long until they found the appropriate car, hauling the body and dropping it down next to it. Staying behind it for cover, Lee opened the driver door. "Alright, we're gonna head over to those pillars, give us a minute or two to get into position. As soon as we hear the horn, we'll wait for most of them to come down here. When they start coming down, you guys come to where we are. That's when we'll take out the spotter, then run for the gate. Got it?" If no further questions were to be asked, Joel and Lee would then depart to a position at the pillars not too far off, leaving the both of them to the task at hand.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem raised an eyebrow the moment Ellie suggested to go with her, keeping her immediate objections to herself partly due to the gravity of the situation. Needless to say, she wasn't a fan, well-nigh against the idea. Doing something that dangerous with someone she didn't trust just seemed like a terrible idea all around.

Before Clementine even had the chance to voice her mind, Joel and Lee had already moved on, not the least bit concerned over her thoughts on it. By then, it'd become more than clear that she didn't really have a choice in the matter. _As long as she doesn't get in the way, _Clem thought with a pout, just eager to get it over with.

Carrying a corpse around was probably the worst part, even with the help, and after having to dodge a spotlight with a guy on her back for a painful amount of time, she began to loathe whoever came up with the idea of dragging one to the car. With a ton of time and patience, the four eventually drew near their target, dropping the body next to the car whilst breathing a sigh of relief. Lee repeated the plan in painful detail to her and Ellie with a touch of worry in his voice, almost a customary occurrence whenever he tasked her with something important.

"I got it, just go. We'll take care of it." She said, practically waving him off before getting inside the car, where the two girls would wait for the time to make a move. Clem sat in the driver's seat impatiently, watching the two sneak towards the pillars with her arms crossed...

_This better work._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel took chase, keeping close behind Lee with the intention of taking the bandit on the spotlight out. His knuckles clenched, nails rubbing against his palms with anxious nervosity. He walked near, getting into position and preparing himself. "There's a ladder on the side of the platform, but they might see us if we go that way. Might have to hoist one of us up there."

He wasn't quite sure if that plan would work. It wasn't the best of options, but Lee had his hatchet and his rifle, and Joel had a revolver and a nail bomb. If things went south, he felt confident they would survive.

Well, somewhat confident.

He gritted his teeth, another throb slamming on his forehead and a flash of blur zipped through his eyes. He leaned up against the pillar, rubbing his forehead and closing his eyes.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie could tell based on the way Clementine looked at her that she didn't like the idea of pulling this off with her _at all _. Once again, she didn't blame her, but that was precisely the point on why Ellie had suggested they do it together. Not only does the girl need someone to watch her back, but they needed to repair whatever... _this _was. If they were going to be traveling together, they should at least _stand _each other's existence. Ellie was too proud to say that out loud, though. Also, the idea of annoying Clementine by just _being there _was a fun thought. Annoy the girl without actually doing _anything _. Of course, she wanted things to be less awkward between the two of them, but she still wanted to get back at her, after all.

As Clementine sat down in the driver's seat, Ellie eyed the dead guy on the ground next to the car. The two of them _should _be able to get it inside, and onto the horn._Hopefully it works. _Choosing not to tempt fate by sitting in the passenger seat, Ellie sat against the side of the car, hidden from sight from the checkpoint. She pulled out the pistol Joel had given her, popping out the magazine. Two bullets. She'd have to make every shot count if things got out of hand. She pocketed the pistol, glancing up towards the open driver's door. She wasn't sure what to say, if there was anything to say. Last time she tried apologizing to the girl, she'd basically ignored her existence. Sighing, she chose to do the next best thing.

"Are they in position yet?"

_Keep it simple. Right._

**Art [Clementine]**

Joel and Lee were taking their time, which was to be expected all things considered. They were all screwed if the guys in the bridge so much as thought they had seen something before it was time to bring the noise. After a few minutes of waiting under stress, Clementine put her feet up on the car dash, already sure _enough _that the guy in the spotlight couldn't see them from that far, at least for now. Ellie spoke up shortly after, a simple question easily explained with a simple answer.

"Nope," Clementine said, not bothering to look back, let alone say anything else, once again shooting down Ellie's every attempt at small talk.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Once they were in the position, Lee waited about a minute or two, the time he had instructed to let them get into position before sounding off the horn. He peeked around the pillar, just faintly being able to make out the two kids in the car. He gave the thumbs up from his position, signalling it was time to go along with the plan.

"Yeah, I'll get you up there when the horn goes off, enough of them should be distracted not to notice us by then, think you can take him silently?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked up, only seeing the night sky and a beam of light flying from the spotlight. He let air blow from his nostrils, and then looked back over to Lee. "I'll see what I can do."

He looked back at the car, then began taking glances from Lee to the two girls. His mind raced, sweat beginning to drip from his palms. The night still shone bright; Joel supposed a good thing about the end of the world was that he could finally see the stars. A morbid consideration, he considered immediately after, but one that was truthful.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie let out an annoyed sigh, before pulling herself to her feet. Hunching down so she wouldn't be seen, she watched for any movement from Joel and Lee. In the distance, she could just about make out Lee giving a thumbs up from their position. _Thank you. _She let out a breath, before turning her attention to the girl in the car.

"Looks like we're ready to go. C'mon, let's get this asshole in the car." She began to hoist up the dead bandit, hoping Clementine would get out of the car and follow suit. Unless she wanted to be a dick, but there wasn't enough time for that, right

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's head perked up as soon as Lee, and subsequently Ellie, gave them the green light, getting her feet off the dash and down onto the road with uttermost haste. As though carrying said asshole wasn't bad enough with Lee and Joel's aid, now the two of them had to drag the heavy shitbag on their own.

"I'll take the left!" She said to Ellie, possibly the first time she did so without an ounce of passive-aggressiveness, lifting the guy's left side just as she said it. Together, Clementine and Ellie raised the corpse from the pavement, both letting out heavy grunts from the sheer effort it took to do so. After carrying the body inside the car, the two girls sat him on the driver's seat, his head collapsing against the steering wheel and the horn respectively, causing an intense, resounding sound to echo through the streets of the once quiet Pittsburgh.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

"Why's a damn horn going off?" One of the men called out from his position, taking aim at the car as he slowly advanced.

"Don't know, but it's making a fuckton of noise. Turn it off before we attract attention," another man spoke as several armed men made their way to the car that was emitting the noise. The man on the spotlight frantically tried to shine the light on the right car, taking some time for them to get to the scene due to how far it was.

"I don't like this. I'm calling in the fucking turret," the man responded as he got on to his radio. The turret was equipped with an extra light, which they very much needed at this moment.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Give me the signal when he's down. I'll round up the kids and we'll get the gate open before the rest come back," Lee whispered. As the sound of the horn echoed through the streets, he waited for the men to move down the street. Deeming it was safe, he nudged his head towards the direction of the perch, silently making his way towards the platform before pressing his back against the wall, getting ready to boost Joel up.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Alright, let's move," Ellie said to Clementine, having to raise her voice slightly to be heard over the loud horn blaring next to them. They had little time to get somewhere hidden before those bandits converged on their position. Ducking down, she examined their surroundings. If they ran to the left, they could hide behind some barricades lining the far side of the street. Without saying a word, Ellie gestured for them to cross to the other side. Her body was bent down low to the ground, hoping that the spotlight guy wouldn't see them moving through the street. Once on the other side, behind cover, she pulled out her pistol. Things might kick off her soon, and she wanted to be ready for it. With the two bullets she had. _Gotta make them count._

She waited for Clementine to reach the barricade before moving on, hoping that their luck won't run out too soon.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

As Clementine prepared to move off, the corpse on the car reanimated, grabbing her foot as it gnashed its teeth. The walker's grip was firm, causing her to trip as it tried to drag her back to the car.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine lost her footing before she had the slightest chance to react, letting out a painful grunt as her body hit the pavement with force, her revolver flying off her hand.

"Agh, fuck!" She shouted, feeling the cold, dead fingers wrapping around her boot. Though Clem attempted to kick the former corpse away, it was all too much too late, as it persisted without a sign of stopping. The walker would eventually climb on top of her, viciously moving his jaw up and down, being held back solely by the girl's left arm situated by its neck. Clem couldn't possibly reach for her knife whilst keeping the walker away, nor could she reach for the revolver that flew away from her grasp mere seconds ago. Clementine began to whimper, her strength gradually depleting and the walker slowly overpowering her...

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Shit! _Ellie watched as the guy they'd placed into the car began to attack her, horror flashing across her face. _I thought he was dead, Jesus Christ! _Cursing, she quickly rushed back over to the car, slipping her pistol back into her pocket before grabbing her knife. She still had to keep things quiet, before the bandits got here and found them.

As she drew closer, the bandit fell out of the car, right on top of Clementine. As the girl struggled to get the guy off, Ellie approached, knife ready. Without missing a beat, she tried to pull the guy off, stabbing him in the back, right where his heart would be. She wasn't sure if it would reach, but it should be fatal enough to kill it. The fact he even turned was something surprising, as they didn't even have any bites from infected. As her knife plunged deeper into its back, it just kept going, getting back onto Clementine. Her mouth went wide, as for a moment she was struck with surprise. That'd normally kill an infected...

Cursing, she pulled the walker back again, this time aiming for the walker's head. She stabbed it through its cranium, hoping that did _something _. As the blade pierced flesh, the bandit fell silent, the guttural growl it'd been making ceased. With the silence that ensued, without the horn to hide them, Ellie pulled the dead bandit to the side, off of Clementine.

She didn't have time to gloat, or do _anything _. They had to run, _now _. Reaching out her hand to help Clementine up, she whispered her next words. "C'mon!"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel placed his foot on Lee's palms, allowing the other man to throw him up to the platform. Joel grabbed the side of the platform, the hunters rushing to the blaring horn. It blew through Joel's own ears, warping his skull into a rock concert of pain. He clenched his teeth, finally dragging himself up to the top of the platform. He fought through the pain, his gaze falling on the hunter on the spotlight. Joel got up into a crouched position, eyes focused on the man. He was tall and skinny, his arms practically skeletal. Ragged, greasy hair stuck out from the back of his scalp, and his chin was covered in rough peach fuzz. Joel moved, throwing his arms up and around the man's throat.

The hunter's reaction was instant; he gagged and croaked at Joel's ability to cut him off from his air. He struggled, grabbing at Joel's arms and face and belt, but the stronger man managed to ward off each attempt of rebellion. It was then, of course, that he felt a hot liquid running down his leg, before pain soared in his thigh. He had never even seen the glint of metal, a switchblade digging into his leg. Joel bit down on his tongue, suppressing a scream. And in that moment of distraction, that one moment, that was all the hunter needed. He pushed back on Joel, sending them both to the floor of the platform. In one last act of defiance before they hit the ground, Joel spun around.

The hunter hit the ground first, Joel's grip on his throat releasing. He coughed and wheezed, a thick croak dripping from his stomach with some thick saliva and blood. But before he could scream for help, Joel's hand gripped the back of matted hair and scalp. He was thrust forward into the ground, again, and again, and again. The only sounds were a wet squelch and a splat, the man's skull splattered onto the ground. Nobody would ever hear it; the horn was too loud. Joel rose from the body, leaving heavy breaths in the air as he regained his composure. The knife had already been ripped from his leg, and Joel peered down at it. _Nothing wrong there. _It hadn't managed to rip any arteries or other important body parts, so Joel ripped a piece of his sleeve off and wrapped it around the small wound. Moving past the messy corpse, he looked down at Lee and nodded. "He's gone." He whispered.

**Art [Clementine]**

The walker collapsed on top of Clementine, weighing down on her before she finally managed to push him away. _God…damn it…! _Escaping certain death by the skin of her teeth, Clem fearfully crawled away from the walker that was inches away from eviscerating her, shaking, thoroughly out of breath. Managing to spot Ellie's hand through the corner of her eye, Clementine grabbed it without a second thought, standing up with Ellie's help and following her to the barricades on the far side of the street after picking up her revolver from the ground. The two girls took cover behind one of them, praying none of the armed men in the bridge were able to spot them.

"T - That was…" Clementine uttered, wide-eyed, stopping mid-way in order to catch her breath. "...Thanks." She said quietly, almost hoping Ellie wouldn't be able to hear it amidst the loud commotion in the background. Saying that aloud had never felt more embarrassing for Clem...

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee gave an uncomfortable glance up at the perch as he heard the noises of the struggle, hoping to God that Joel had managed to take him out. As he heard Joel's voice, a tinge of concern appeared on his face, from the sounds of it, he almost felt sorry for the guy the southern man had brutally killed, but it was brushed off as an afterthought.

"Alright, open the gate. I'll find the kids," he whispered back up over the sound of the horn that had now suddenly stopped just then, worrying that something was wrong, Lee darted back to the pillars where they would hopefully be by now, leaving Joel to hopefully have the gate open by the time they returned.

He darted back to the pillars, seeing the two girls waiting there for them as he could see the men examining the car and corpse from a distance. "You guys did it, nice work. Joel's working on getting the gate open. We gotta gotta get there fast before they wander back. Everyone okay?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel jumped down, pain shooting through his leg. He drew back, swallowing a lump of spit back down his throat. He followed Lee's instructions closely, the knife being nothing but a small wound at this point. He made his way to the gate, pushing on it with little resistance from the giant metal door. And then, there was a crack ready and open for them to go through. He waited for the others, looking out for any sign of them.

**Dot [Ellie]**

After how ice-cold Clementine had been to her over the past day, hearing her say thanks for saving her was... among a few things she wasn't expecting to hear, but good to hear nonetheless. At this point, she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. No point dragging out this competition going on between them longer than it needed to be. Even if she totally wanted to gloat, the situation demanded that they focus on the task at hand. Finally, she replied to the girl's statement, with a simple "no problem."

As Lee approached them, she let out a sigh of relief. It was best to just... move on... from this, and get the hell out of this city. "We're good. Let's just... get out of here." Ellie spoke, keeping her voice down. The bandits were still nearby, just reaching the car they'd used. Too close for comfort. They needed to go, _now _.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee exchanged a nod with the two, before glancing at the gate. "This way," he whispered before making a break for the gate. By the time they reached the large metal blockade, Joel was already holding it half-open, as to which Lee responded by helping him keep it open. "Go, quick," he huffed out, helping to open the gap wider so the kids could get through.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The sound of a roaring engine overshadowed the horn's distant echo as it turned the corner of the street after being called in by one of the men. Its large turret protruded at the top as it scanned the area, accompanied by a torch to help it see. Unfortunately, the torch managed to shine on four survivors trying to open the gate.

A voice yelled from inside of the modified vehicle, calling out to the rest of the men. "It's the fucking tourists! They're here!" He screamed as the second man operating the turret began to turn the mounted gun towards them, prepared to fire. They would only have a few seconds to get through the gate now.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's eyes widened at the rumbling purr of an engine. It was the truck with the MG mounted on the top of it; it had to be the truck. He turned to the right, looking down the street and seeing it - _of course it's here now, of course _\- pulling down the road. Joel hurried in after the others, him and Lee closing the door together before Lee threw down the barricade. Joel swallowed nervously, turning around.

"Goddammit…" He muttered, his chest rising and falling back. "We gotta move, they'll break down the gate in no time." He said, pulling his revolver out.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

As the gate was barred off, the two would come to a blocked-off area, a broken trailer truck blocking their way to the street that led to the bridge. There, however, was a small ladder sitting on the top of the truck, where they could reach with a boost. There seemed to be no other visible way to progress other than that.

Screaming and yelling could be heard on the other side of the gate. "_ They locked the damn gate, ram it down! _" could be heard, among other things. There wasn't a lot of time.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Oh no…" Clementine muttered, going pale the moment the light shined on the four of them. The girl froze on the spot, being pulled away from her petrified state only once Lee and the others made a break for the other side of the gate. Joel was quick to block the gate behind him, buying them just enough time to get away from the bastards trying to kill them. The sight of the truck in front of them, however, left Clem panicked, though she made an effort to shake it off as quickly as she possibly could. As long as they could reach that ladder, everything would be fine. Following Joel's line of thinking, Clementine took out her revolver, aiming it at the gate behind them while urging the rest to get away as quickly as possible. "Go! If they get through, we'll hold'em off!"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Shit…" Lee took a few steps away from the gate. They were safely on the other side now, the barricade being the only thing separating the four of them, and the dozen or so bandits along with the turret on other other side itching to get in and murder all of them. He frantically looked around as he spotted the ladder. "Up there!"

He could feel his chest begin to pound. They didn't have a lot of time at all, and with his shoulder the way it was, he wouldn't be able to properly boost anyone. He would have better leverage to help pull the kids up if he was up top. He turned to Joel. "Think you can get me up there? Need to make sure it's safe. If it is, I'll help you get the kids up first from the top."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel nodded, looking at Lee and running towards the truck. He felt hot all over, adrenaline pumping through his veins and his heart beating away. He crouched down, placing his hands together, shaking with fear and anxiety. He looked up at Lee, panic washing over his face. "Come on, let's go!" He cried, hearing the engine of the truck revving up.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee, without hesitation, placed his boot in Joel's hands, the wound that Ellie had put in his shoulder beginning to burn as he pulled himself up onto the small ladder as it came within arm's reach. His hands firmly gripped it as he managed to get up on top of the truck. He looked over to the other side, the bridge in sight. "I can see it! Bridge is right there, and it's clear!" He told the rest before kneeling down by the top of the ladder, ready to help the rest up next as they were boosted up by Joel. "Alright, c'mon kids!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's eyes were torn towards the gate behind them as the truck began revving. "Shit, shit, shit…" As Lee called out for them to climb the truck, Ellie returned her attention to the man atop the vehicle, who'd knelt down by the top of the ladder.

Cursing under her breath, she took a few steps back, before getting a running start. She was hoping her momentum would make it easier to bridge the gap between the bottom rung of the ladder and herself. As her foot made contact with the side of the truck, she pushed upwards, hoping that it'd carry her the rest of the way to the ladder. Luckily, her hands managed to find the bottom rung, clasping the bar for dear life. Pulling herself up, she reached out for Lee's hand, before being pulled up alongside him.

Letting out a breath of relief, she kneeled down next to him, preparing herself to help lift Clementine up. The faster they get this done, the better. That truck would be ramming the gate at any moment.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine holstered her revolver, thankful beyond measure not to have been forced to use it again. _Here goes nothing... you can do it, c'mon. _Carefully backing away beforehand, Clem sprinted towards the broken truck, propelling herself upwards and just barely latching on to the lowest step. _Got it!_

Before her hand slipped, Joel gave her a tiny bit of support, holding her in place before someone on top of the truck pulled her up. Finally, in an almost sadistic twist of fate, Clem had to rely on Ellie for the second time in a row, firmly grabbing her hand as the girl helped her up once again. With the three of them atop the truck, only Joel remained, and Clementine was thoroughly ready to help him however she could, assuming he even needed her help.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The small ladder managed to hold the weight of the three, before the curse of wear and tear arrived to claim it. Just as Clementine reached the top, the last push from her leg caused the ladder to give way, snapping off the truck and falling to the ground down below, effectively trapping Joel by himself down at the bottom. The turret truck continued to ram away at the gate.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked up, seeing the ladder fall to the ground with a clang against the sidewalk. The doors shook again, booming like a terrific thunderstorm. Joel knew he couldn't make the jump; there was no way possible. He looked up at Lee, fear in his eyes. "Grab me when I try to make the jump!" He yelled, talking a few steps back. His own back was up against the wall of a nearby building as he prepared to make a running leap.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As the ladder snapped, Lee cursed, watching it tumble down to the ground. "Jesus!" He hissed as he gritted his teeth, taking a step back as he looked at the stranded man below. "Uh… we can…" he muttered, trying to find something, anything , to help get the man up there. The sound of a truck ramming against the gate pierced the air... any minute they would be through. Joel proposed a leap, and Lee figured it was worth a shot… the look that Joel was giving him, something told him that Joel knew he couldn't make it. And so did Lee.

"Alright, Alright, just hurry!" He leaned down even further, but with Joel's wounded leg, he wasn't sure. He waited for Joel to make a running jump, but as predicted, he fell short, tumbling back down to the ground below. "Fuck!" Lee yelled, getting back to his feet, pacing back and forth before he finally looked to the gate. He looked down below to Joel, regret in his eyes; Clementine was in danger, and they couldn't risk staying here any longer.

"Oh god, t—there's no time...! I—We... we gotta go! **I'm sorry!**" he spoke painfully as he began to take a few steps back, gripping Clem by the forearm as the turret began firing bullets at the gate, pulling her along with him.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Lee hauled Clementine away from the scene, Ellie looked towards them with bewilderment. "Jesus, what the fuck, Lee?!"

Cursing under her breath, she returned her gaze to Joel down below. Without another thought, she sat on the edge of the truck, and hopped off, bending her knees to dissipate the brunt of the fall. She landed next to Joel, brushing herself off, before letting out a frustrated sigh. After everything they'd been through today, that asshole really just left them? **_Really?_**

She glanced towards Joel, the anger she was holding towards Lee evident on her face. "We stick together." She finally spoke. No way was she going to go with Lee and Clementine if Joel wasn't coming too. Her eyes darted towards the gate as bullets began to fly through it. The bandits were getting desperate. Her eyes focused on the far wall, a closed metal gate coming into focus. "C'mon, maybe we can get through there!"

Without waiting for Joel to follow, she rushed towards the gate. They didn't have time to linger.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He had left him behind; Lee was gone in an instant with a hasty apology, and Joel's jaw dropped. He said nothing, only watching as Lee dragged Clementine away and out of sight. _That bastard. _Joel sneered, glancing back up and seeing Ellie hopping down. " _We stick together. _" Joel looked at her, nodding, a lump forming in his throat. _She had come back. _He wanted to say thanks, but couldn't seem to get it out. Instead, he followed after her towards the metal gate, which she no doubt could not lift up on her own. Joel was still fuming about Lee's betrayal, his head and leg still creaking in pain. But there was no time. The truck was getting ready to ram again; and ram it did. It smashed against the gate, shaking the foundations and sending a crack through the barricade. _One last chance._

Joel pulled the metal gate up, the great agony in his leg drowning out the sounds of the gunfire. He held it up just enough for Ellie to go through. The truck was speeding forward; he heard its engine humming and purring and squealing. "Oh shit. C'mon, get into the building! Let's go!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie didn't waste any time ducking underneath the gate, cursing under her breath. "Okay... okay…" She grabbed a hold of the chains on the inside, before calling out to Joel. "Alright, go!"

As Joel ducked into the building, the chains began to slowly move, despite the amount of force she was using to keep it down. Finally, she let go of the chains, the gate closing in an instant as bullets began to ricochet off the metal. "Oh, fuck!" She breathed, leaning against the wall for a couple of seconds before turning her attention to Joel. "Agh, _shit _, how the fuck do we get out of here?!"

They appeared to be some sort of storage room, shelves lining the brick walls. The truck hummed in the distance, as voices cut through the hum. They were looking for another way in, which meant their window to get out of here was closing, fast.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

"Go around the other side!" Someone screamed from the other side of the metal door they had just closed, the men beginning to try and circle around to box them in. The storage room would then lead into some kind of large bar, the building stretched onwards, and they would noticed the building led out onto the street where the bridge was, but they would have to be quick. The bullets that fired on the metal door had ceased, and at the end of the building, there was a door that led out on the street. The bridge was visible from there, it was however chained up.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's eyes ran back and forth, scanning the area for any sign of escape. The bullets had nearly torn his head off; they had nearly ripped him apart. _That goddamn bastard..._Joel scowled, rushing towards the chained up door. First, he grabbed the cart and threw it to the side, then threw his body weight up against the door. He pushed up against it, moving the chain so that the door had just enough space for them to squeeze through. "Come on, hurry!" He called out to Ellie, waving her over.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Not wasting any time, Ellie rushed towards the door, trying to squeeze through. For a moment, she found herself stuck, her backpack keeping her in place. _Goddamn it! _Her eyes darted towards the locked gate across the way, the truck revving once again. _Shit shit shit shit, c'mon! _Finally, she managed to break herself free and get onto the street. She waited for Joel to join her on the street, before letting out a heavy sigh. In the distance, the bridge loomed, unobstructed, and the street was clear of bandits. They just had to start running, and maybe they'd get there before the truck managed to find its way in.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

As the two enter the street, the horrifying sound of an engine can be heard as it rammed the gate with force, attempting to corner the two survivors. "Over there! They're running to the bridge!" One man yelled as bullets from the turret began to fly their way, the car speeding after them, determined not to let them escape.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stumbled to the ground, his chin brushing the concrete and sending numbness through his face. He tasted pennies, his tongue hot and wet with blood now. Joel quickly scrambled back up, rushing after Ellie and past a group of cars. _We're almost to the bridge. Almost there now. _And almost there they were; Joel ran along the cars, where the truck couldn't chase them unless it decided to ram.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie kept running as the bullets grazed the wall next to her. _Oh fuck, oh fuck! _She'd never been shot at by a truck with a fucking machine gun on top of it, and it was safe to say she didn't like the experience _at all _. Her breathing was in rapid, quick successions, while the two of them barreled between a bus and a trailer, before jumping over a guardrail that'd been blocking off the only way through. On the other side, her breathing hitched, and her heart skipped a beat. Beyond the barricade lied... nothing. The bridge had collapsed, leaving no way out.

"Oh, fuck!" _Come the fuck on! _Her mind was screaming now, as she paced around the edge of the bridge, like a trapped animal. They had nowhere to go. Trapped between a rock and a hard place. She looked towards Joel desperately, hoping he knew what to do. They were out of options here, and she only saw one that would _probably _not result in death. It was safe to say that she didn't like the option.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

Realizing that they had the two tourists cornered, the truck began to repeatedly ram the vehicle in front of it in order to get to them. Time was running out.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel turned around, shifting impatiently and anxiously. "How many bullets do you have, Ellie?" He said, looking through his revolver. "We have to fight them off." His mind raced, looking for any way out. Ellie couldn't swim, they couldn't jump, he was sure that fall would kill them. It would kill them, it would kill them... Joel shuddered. This could be it... this was really looking like it. "Maybe I could... I could hoist you up, you could sneak around them."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie shook her head immediately, almost refusing to hear the words Joel was trying to say. "They're going to kill us," she snapped, indicating the truck with a wave of her arm. Her eyes returned to the dark river below them. It looked close enough... maybe. It was their only choice. It was either death by gunfire, or death by water. She wasn't sure which would she'd prefer. At this point, she refused to be gunned down, though. Not after everything they've been through. If there was a chance, they had to take it. "Joel, we need to jump. Y - You'll keep me afloat. We can do this!" She knew Joel wasn't going to agree to it, she could see it in his eyes. Before he could say anything, she shook her head, letting out a heavy breath. "No time to argue!" As the truck began to ram the overturned car again, Ellie turned around and ran towards the edge, making a leap of faith that could possibly kill her.

She wanted to convince herself that it wouldn't, and that Joel would be able to save them both. She wasn't able to do that, but that didn't stop her from jumping anyway.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"No! Goddammit Ellie-" Before he could stop her, she was already plummeting off of the bridge and towards the water below. "No!" Joel cried out, throwing his hand out to try and grab her, but it was, of course, no use. He looked back, the cars shaking as the truck rammed them again. Joel gritted his teeth together; but it was time to get this over with. He leapt off the side, falling, falling towards the ground at high speed. The winds tugged at the corners of his mouth, his shirt flapping. He closed his eyes.

And then he hit the water. _Hard._

Joel spun through the rushing water, the current much stronger than he had anticipated. He hadn't anticipated a lot today; the truck crashing, the hunters being so focused on pursuing them, these two new companions, two new companions who had betrayed them. Water rushed against his eyes, and he breathed some in through his nose. It burned immediately, and then Joel rose to the surface, dragged along with the current. He could see Ellie now, his nose still setting him alight with pain. He grabbed her, holding on as best as he could while they barreled towards the shore. _Come on, almost there, almost there... _But he couldn't stop what happened next; he saw the rock, jagged and sticking out of the water. He tried to move, but it was too late. He spun around, letting himself be thrown against the rock, hard. His vision went hazy for a moment as his limp body went rolling around the rock; and then he couldn't see a thing. He couldn't see anything at all. He figured he'd just go to sleep, just go to sleep for a while now... _Sleep. That sounded nice._

* * *

_3:54 AM - Fort Duquesne Bridge, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's breath came in small spurts, adrenaline demanding her to run, right then, as Lee tugged on her left arm. Everything took place in what felt like a split-second, a moment guided entirely by decisions and careless judgements made in the heat of the moment.

Decisions that weren't hers... that she had no say in. It all happened exactly like before... except Clem couldn't stop herself from looking back. She just couldn't run anymore...

She stopped moving, pulling her arm away from Lee in resentment and backing away in disbelief.

"Y - You... why would you...?" She tried, fought as hard as she could to say the words she so desperately wanted to say... but she couldn't make a sound. Clem stared at Lee wide-eyed, bewildered, as though waiting for him to say something... waiting for him to reassure her that he didn't just do what he did. Clementine's lower lip trembled in sorrow, her gaze falling to the metal bridge under her feet. All that waiting was pointless... at some point, the girl had to stop deluding herself. Clem's gaze fell back to Lee as her expression began to harden in anger.

"You left them. You fucking left them behind!" The girl shouted at him, losing every control of her emotions. "Say something…" Clementine pleaded, wanting Lee to defend himself, to tell her that it wasn't true. "Say something!" She asked again, on the verge of tears... Ellie and Joel were gone, and it was his fault. Lee left them to die.

"I'm going back…"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After finally getting a good distance away from the utter clusterfuck that whole situation turned out to be, Lee's breath was heavy as Clementine tugged her arm away from his, a frown evident on his face mixed with grief as he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose while he shook his head. What he had just done… it scared him, it wasn't like him to pull something like that… or was it? He didn't quite know anymore. He tried to push the thoughts aside, telling himself that they had a good chance of making it. _Maybe the gate ended up holding and they had time to get away? Maybe they found another way out? Maybe the kid did something to help him? _But calm thoughts couldn't push aside the gravity of the situation. It was a split-second choice, and now he had to live with it, regardless of the consequences.

Just as he regained his composure and looked back to her, low and behold… an aggressive tirade was there to greet him from an emotional Clementine. As she screamed at him, all he could do was occasionally look away until she was finished, already thinking of how he was going to explain this to her.

"_Say something!_" She screamed at him.

"There's nothing more I can say about it, Clementine… we tried, okay? There was no other choice… we were out of time. What did you expect me to do? Stay there and watch you get gunned down by some damned turret?" _Like hell I was going to put her at risk. _He had a hunch that Clementine knew this deep down. She had to.

"_I'm going back…_" she spoke, causing Lee to sternly take a step forward, there was no possible way he would be letting that happen. He had to snap her out of this.

"No, you're not… any second now that turret could be coming after us along with dozens of those thugs… we have to keep focused on our goal and keep a level head…" he emphasised as he pointed to the bridge right behind him while keeping his eyes dead-on Clementine.

"We can't do that by letting ourselves get emotional. I know it wasn't what either of us wanted to happen… no one asked for that ladder to break… but all we can do is keep moving forward. We _have _to."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine took another step back, shaking her head in dissension, listening as the sound of gunfire echoed behind them. "You didn't try…" She told Lee bitterly, unable to look at him in the eye. The gunfire ceased only a few moments after, causing her eyes to widen in dismay, her entire body shivering… Clem crossed her arms, hugging herself, as though seeking some kind of comfort, a shelter from the grim, dismal thoughts in the back of her mind. Clem couldn't move, she didn't want to.

It was just so unfair…

Clementine gave Lee an empty, cold look of utter resentment, before nodding falteringly. They had to keep going…they had to find a way to do it, somehow. Clem followed Lee away from that place, carrying within each and every step a devastating feeling of regret.


	6. Cornered, II

_4:17 AM - Along the Allegheny river, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After realizing that the bridge was not passable due to a massive gap right in the middle, the two opted instead to go under, heading for the beaches near the waterways as they drew further and further away from the large city. Not much had been said between the two since the 'incident'. Granted they hadn't known the two survivors for the longest, but they _did _seem like good people… or whatever passed as good these days, which made him feel even more awful about what happened back there.

Lee found it irritating trudging through all of this sand, trying to keep as much out of his shoes as he could, occasionally glancing back to see if Clementine was keeping up with him. If she was furious with him for however long because of what happened, then so be it, he'd rather her alive and angry than dead. He was certain that one day when she was older, she'd understand, but right now… pushing all of these thoughts aside… he had to keep his mind on the goal, and that was to keep heading west… where the Fireflies would be. For now, they travelled along the edge of the beach, keeping the water on their right. "We need to find a path that'll get us out of here. Keep your eyes peeled."

**Art [Clementine]**

Lifting and setting down each foot in slow succession, Clementine walked a few steps behind Lee through the sand-covered beach. Clem was stuck in her own head, thoughtful and unresponsive. Her eyes weren't set on Lee, or anything in front of her… not even the sand below which she angrily kicked once every few minutes. Clementine's gaze was empty, her chest aching in grief. She acted like such a massive jerk to Ellie… and she felt wholeheartedly sorry for it. Not that she'd ever be able to tell her… Clem would have to find a way to live with that. She couldn't stop thinking of ways she could've prevented it, and that train of thought only ever made her feel worse about what happened.

Ultimately, the entirety of her frustration was directed at Lee, who chose to leave them to die without a second thought. Clem wouldn't talk, or so much as look at him… wishing, probably for the first time since they met years ago, that she didn't have to be stuck with him. _Whatever… _Clementine thought in response to his request, crossing her arms to stay warm whilst facing the cold wind blowing in their direction.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

As the cold wind gushed across the dark beach, something unexpected was spotted from the land they were on. Out to their right, low and behold by some miracle, there were two figures afloat, being dragged down the river by the current. One smaller figure was flailing and struggling to stay afloat as it tried to keep the larger and more limp figure above water. They were a fair way out from the beach, the current making it even more dangerous.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

For a moment, Lee stopped in his tracks… as if he was simply gazing out to the water… but it wasn't to admire the view, he had spotted something out of the corner of his eye. At first glance, he was unable to deduce quite what the heck it was in the dark… rocks? Rubbish? An animal? Debris? It didn't take long to figure out that none of those things coughed and frantically flailed.. did they…?

It was at that moment when a certain realization struck Lee, his eyes widening as he realized what he was seeing. "Son of a bitch…" he mumbled under his breath at himself, barely audible. There was no denying what he was seeing… they had made it out of that clusterfuck. Somehow, they were alive, the both of them. He was in debt… big time, Joel looked out of it and Ellie didn't look like she could stay afloat much longer, they needed help…

"Clem!" he spoke with a sliver of hope, maybe a tinge of relief while pointing to the water at the other two survivors so she'd take notice too.

"Stay on the bank, I'm gonna go get them!" As soon as he spoke, Lee unstrapped his backpack, letting it fall to the ground, the current was strong, but he was confident that he'd be able to swim with it and get them both back in, he prepared himself to sprint and make a beeline into the dark muggy water.

* * *

**Dot [Ellie]**

Everything became a blur as the river continued to drag them onwards, _gladly _away from the bandits that'd been shooting at them relentlessly. After Joel hit the rock, Ellie had a hard time keeping him afloat. She had a hard time keeping _herself _afloat, but all she could do was _try _. Time dragged on for what felt like forever, and it seemed that they weren't getting any closer to land. She tried swimming towards the shore, to no avail. Even if she could swim, the current was too strong to fight. Occasionally, her mouth would go underneath the surface, and she'd flounder, trying to get back above and take in a deep breath. All she wanted was for Joel to wake up, but the rock had knocked him out cold.

As she continued to flail about, two figures on the shoreline caught her attention. For a moment, her anxious mind thought that the bandits had found them, but upon closer inspection, she realized that it was actually Lee and Clementine standing there. It seemed that Lee had seen them too, and was yelling something. For a moment, anger boiled beneath the surface of her skin, seeing him again after what he'd done, but the other half was desperate to get out of the water and onto dry land. Vendettas could wait.

Tugging at Joel to keep them both afloat, she managed to croak out the man's name, hoping that he would come and pull them out of the water. After everything that happened, they were owed that much. She coughed as more water managed to find its way into her mouth, before she tried desperately to swim towards the shore. It seemed useless, but if she could try and close the distance between her and Lee, maybe they'd make it out alright.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Without another word, Lee sprinted towards the water, not having time to do much else as his feet hit the cold, murky liquid, only diving in when he was waist-deep. The cold gust of the air combined with the freezing water chilled him to the core, but he powered on. Making his way towards the two of them that were caught in the rip, from what it looked like, she was trying to swim against that. If she was to keep doing that, she'd get weaker and lose the ability to tread water, that could only end in one way, and he didn't have time to think about that, they looked like they were starting to take in water.

He sped up his freestyle stroke, the two within arm's reach now as he tried to regulate his breathing so he wouldn't tire. "I got you," he called out as he took a hold of Ellie, keeping her afloat whilst also assisting her in keeping Joel's unconscious head above the water. The current began to pull all three of them. _Alright… Alright, you got this…_

"Don't try to swim against it, you'll just tire out… let the current sweep us out until we reach the end of it, then we'll swim back to the shore together. Okay?" He instructed, trying to keep her calm as he spoke through mouthfuls of water.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie just nodded to Lee's statement. At that moment, he could say that they'd start floating in mid-air or something, and she'd probably not question him. If doing what he said gets them out of the water, then she wouldn't argue. Doing as she was told, and focusing on calming herself down, they continued down the river a little ways, the current pulling them slowly towards the shore.

As the current slowed, she could slowly feel the riverbed rise up, her feet touching a mixture of sand and dirt. Her breathing slowed as the anxiety slowly dissipated, Lee helping her get Joel out of the water.

Once they were on the shore, laying Joel down just beyond the edge of the water, she collapsed onto the ground, facing the stars. She took in several deep breaths, as if she'd just finished running some sort of marathon. It was a stupid idea, but they made it. They actually made it. She let out a dry laugh, in disbelief. They actually fucking did it. Those words kept repeating in her head, a half-smile appearing on her face for a brief moment. Once she managed to regain her breath, she pulled herself up, sitting on the sandy shoreline. Her eyes focused on Lee nearby, her earlier hatred towards him nearly forgotten.

Her voice was a croak, everything they'd been through in that river making it hard to even get anything out. "Thanks."

She meant it, despite what had happened back at the bridge. Lee could've left them to float down-river and die, but he didn't. Maybe that was enough for her to forgive him. Maybe not. She'd always been naive, even when she knew she shouldn't be, but maybe… Maybe he wasn't an asshole - well, he definitely **was**, but not nearly as much as she'd given him credit for. That much she was willing to admit.

**Art [Clementine]**

Throughout that brief moment, as Ellie and Joel were slowly dragged out of the water, Clementine was frozen still. Seconds passed, her brain taking them in, struggling to process the fact that they weren't dead, that they were real. She couldn't formulate any thoughts, her body moving on it's own, running towards them as fast as it allowed her to.

Right then, her vision was like a blur… by the time the adrenaline had ceased to control her every action, she was already beside Joel, her two hands desperately pressing against his chest. "Y - You're okay… Joel?" She called for him frantically, water pouring out of his mouth in staggering fashion. "Please don't be dead… C'mon!"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As Lee dragged Joel's limp body to the shoreline, to his surprise he heard a '_ thanks _' come from the kid. He stood there for a moment, hunched over as he tried to catch his breath, sending a short nod her way, before turning his attention to Clem trying to resuscitate Joel. Lee hobbled over next to her, getting on his knees as he immediately placed two fingers under his neck, checking for a pulse. _He's still with us. _He breathed a sigh of relief… he leaned down, placing an ear to Joel's mouth, he had a steady normal breath, which meant he didn't have water blocking his airways or in his lungs, which meant he didn't need CPR. _Then how could he be unconscious? _Lee began to carefully check him over, his head specifically, until his fingers found the back of Joel's head, feeling an odd texture on his fingers he then looked at it… _blood _… Joel had sustained a small cut on the back of his head, probably taking a knock while he was in the water, which explained why he was unconscious. He hadn't drowned, which was a good sign.

"Clem, stop." He held out a hand to her. "He's fine. He doesn't need it. Just help me roll him over onto his side, he'll be fine," he spoke as he began to carefully attempt rolling Joel over into the recovery position so that any water that was still in his mouth would come out. Lee then looked over to Ellie. "We gotta wait for him to come to, did you see what he hit his head on?" He asked, hoping to get a good idea of how much head trauma he'd taken.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's eyes opened, and immediately his waterlogged throat gagged. Water flew from his mouth like spittle as he wheezed on the ground, rolling over to his side and bracing himself against the sand. He saw Ellie and Clementine first; both hovering with watchful eyes to see if he would make it or not. He did make it, he supposed. But Clementine's presence, surprising him somewhat, he found that there was somebody else nearby. _Lee._

"Get outta the way." He got up, moving past Clementine and Ellie with rage in his eyes. Lee had left him and Ellie to die. They both could have been torn apart by that truck had it not been for some significant luck, and Lee had left them to _die. _Even after Joel had helped him... and now Lee had saved him. But who was to say that he wouldn't leave Joel behind again? Leave Ellie, or his own girl behind again? He rushed towards Lee, in an attempt to push him to the ground and point the barrel of his gun in Lee's face.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Joel began to charge towards Lee, she called out his name, hoping to stop this before it was too late. He didn't listen though, and brought Lee down to his knees and put a gun in his face. She shouted at him, almost indignantly.

"Jesus, Joel!" She rushed towards him, half tempted to get in between him and Lee. She stood to the side, however, trying to get Joel to snap out of it. "Yeah, he's an asshole who left us behind, but he just saved us! We should at least give him another chance!"

She wasn't sure if he was listening to her, the rage he'd seen on him a few times before was very clearly evident on his face. She just wanted everyone to calm the fuck down, and they'll figure out what to do. Shooting Lee wasn't a good idea, no matter the situation. She wouldn't let him. "Joel, c'mon!"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Ellie approached, saying something that Joel couldn't even hear. She was standing just to the side, right next to him but not in front of him. But he couldn't even notice her; his mind was overtaken with anger, fury lashing out at the target: Lee.

But something rang through; he did hear Ellie's cry, part of it anyways, but he couldn't really comprehend it right now. His mind was focused on too much. "He left us to _die_out there!" Joel yelled, tightening his grip on the gun.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine crawled away from Joel in horror as he charged in Lee's direction, both overpowering and aiming a gun to his head in a matter of seconds. Clem didn't know what to do, panic taking over the entirety of her being as she reached for the revolver in her holster. _No, no, no…! _Joel's look of rage conveyed more than enough for the girl. She understood it, heck, _felt _those same emotions not that long ago, and part of her couldn't help but feel as though she should have somehow seen it coming. Clementine was sweating, every second wasted inducing Joel to move his finger closer to the trigger. Pointing her gun at him was hardly a conscious move, almost an automatic response to his threat as she laid on the ground, hands shaking.

"Get away…"

Clementine said in an equally aggressive, yet still somehow mellow tone. She didn't want that, none of it… Clem knew what would happen if she pulled that trigger, what would have to happen after, and even then, she didn't falter. Would Joel try to kill her next…? There was no time to think. She'd shoot him without hesitation if it came down to it… If it meant saving Lee.

"… or you die next."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee had been standing by in wait, keeping a watch on the beach. That's when the sound of coughing got his attention. It was Joel finally coming to, he took a few steps forward. "See, I told you he'd be fine," he spoke with a half-smile, which soon faded as he realized Joel wasn't coming to talk. The man suddenly charged. "What the fuck?!" Lee yelped as he felt a tremendous force knock him backwards onto his ass, initially surprised for a second before realizing what was going on.

Lee had to believe this was just a blind act of rage in the moment, so he decided to try and capitalize on what little he knew about Joel. Which was hopefully enough to know he wasn't going to do it. "Clementine, lower your gun, let's just settle down now..." he spoke as he outstretched his hand in a calm manner towards Clem, signaling her to back off.

He then turned his attention to Joel as he mentioned leaving them to die. Lee was calm but stern in the way he talked, his goal to deescalate this situation. "I had to do it! Otherwise..." He nudged his head over towards Clementine, hoping that if Joel had any control over his emotions right now, he especially should hopefully know where Lee was coming from.

"Look, I get that you're angry. Hell, you got every right to be." He frowned as he sat himself up a little. "Just remember, you're looking at the guy who's the reason why you're not at the bottom of the sea right now," he spoke again while raising his eyebrows, reiterating off of Ellie's point.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Joel, he's telling the truth," Ellie added, trying to drive home the fact that Lee was the sole reason they haven't drowned in the river. She didn't want this; she didn't want any of this. These people had been nice - more or less - to them since they met them, after their initial confrontation. She could count the amount of times that's happened since Tess easily. Zero. They shared a similar goal, and were nice; that made them okay in her book. Finally, as things seemed to escalate further, she managed to get between Joel and Lee. He wasn't going to shoot her, that much she was confident in. She just wasn't so sure about him not shooting Lee. "Joel, please," she begged, her voice tired after everything that's happened over the past day. "Let's not do this _again _."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stared down at Ellie, rolling his tongue around in his mouth. An annoyed sigh left his mouth; and then he holstered the gun. He supposed that they were right, and now with the other girl having a gun to him and Ellie getting in front of Lee, Joel wasn't quite sure if killing Lee was the right thing to do. He had left them behind; but Joel's mind drifted over that, and he saw himself leaving Lee and Clementine behind as he dragged Ellie off. Joel said nothing, no apologies. Pride was a dangerous thing; something that Joel hadn't had to deal with in a long time. He frowned, rubbing his face and wincing. "Fine." He finally spoke, a scowl on his face.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine let out a soft sigh of relief as Joel lowered his gun, doing the same in return. _Good… _Dusting off the sand covering her clothes, Clem gently stood up, crossing her arms and eyeing Joel remorselessly. "I guess we're even now." The girl concluded sourly, likewise refusing to apologize to Joel of all people. Not that the thought even occurred to her in the first place.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

All parties had luckily decided to put their guns away, which meant that at least some of what Lee had said went through to the man. He wasn't going to shoot… which meant he, at least, had to have a heart under there, somewhere. Here they all were… dirty… covered in muck and water… gone through hell and back just to get out of that damn city, but most importantly, still alive. It was obvious they weren't immediately going to trust each other after the incident, and Lee understood that… but the least they could do was be productive and work together in getting out of here.

The former professor slowly got to his feet, sighing a breath of slight relief as they all looked at each other with a certain sense of tension… there was so much of it you could cut it with a knife. After a brief moment of awkward silence he spoke up again.

"There's an abandoned radio tower in the town over. We get there, we're in the clear… so we need to get moving. Probably search the area, see how we can get to the other side of this cliff," he proposed as he looked towards their next obstacle.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked at Lee, eyebrow raised and hands at his sides. The other girl was glaring at him now, and he could feel several gazes on him. He wasn't sorry for what he did; he didn't want to take it back. It was over, and that was it. The back of his head began itching, his neck growing hot. "Alright. We'll split up, then." He turned to Ellie, swallowing. "Come on. Let's go check things out." He looked forward, glancing along the beach that they had been brought on.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Clementine and Lee walked away to search other parts of the beach, Ellie stuck close to Joel, her eyes darting between him and the river. Every part of her felt uncomfortable, her clothes soaked from the murky water. _Starting to wish we'd found a spare change of clothes. Oh, right. Backpack's soaked through too... _She didn't like the idea of going through her backpack; she knew what she was going to find. All of those comics she'd been hauling around, ruined, and probably some of their food too. There wasn't any time to check on that, though, so that'd have to wait until they were in the clear. For now, she just had to focus on the task at hand. She glanced towards Joel, letting out a small breath, which came out in a cloud of mist due to the cold morning air. "That was intense. You cool?"

After nearly killing Lee, he probably wasn't, but it was worth a shot. They had to work together, like it or not.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Clementine and Lee walked off to the side, leaving Ellie and Joel to their own devices. The water by the beach slid up the sand, taking minute grains along with it as it sank back into its depths. Joel's adam's apple bobbed up and down, himself keeping his expression deadpan. He followed her, though; keeping in time with her own steps as they waltzed down the beach.

"Yeah." His mind pondered for a moment; Lee and Clementine were gone now, just out of earshot. Joel turned his head, still walking, but staring into the foggy morning. "I almost… I almost shot him," he finally mumbled, regret sticking to him like the wet clothes on his back.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Well, he did _kinda _deserve it," Ellie replied, shrugging sheepishly. Of course, she wouldn't have let him do it, but that didn't mean she wasn't mad at him either. For her, it didn't make a lot of sense to abandon someone like that, even if it was to save someone else. They could've worked together, or something. Maybe. Not just... leave and hope for the best. Sighing, she gazed out towards the river, the fatigue starting to get to her. It'd been a long day, night, or whatever it's been. Running away from psychopaths with a truck and a machine gun turret wasn't exactly high on her list of expectations for when they got to Pittsburgh. Things spiraled out of control, and kept spiraling, until the instant they found this beach. Maybe now, things would calm down, at least… for a little while. Wouldn't want the journey to be boring, just… less dangerous? _That'd be nice._

The area around them was covered in dew and fog, both of which had a distinctive feeling to them. Didn't help that her clothes were barely any drier than they'd been than when they were in the river. Next chance she got, she'd find a new set of clothes, and wait for these to dry. Despite all of the moisture in the air, it felt almost… nice, here. It was still a riverside beach, but it wasn't too bad. Ahead of them, a boat was beached on the shore, leaning haphazardly a little to the right, on the opposite side of them. She scrutinized the vessel for a moment before turning towards Joel.

"We should probably check it out, see if the owner left anything behind?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Maybe." Joel told Ellie, her comment on Lee being the last spoken. He walked alongside of her, wet shoes leaving heavy footprints in the sand. The boat sat above them, its final resting place being this beach. "Yeah, let's go."

Joel led Ellie along, hopping over a fallen tree to get towards the boat. "Be careful. Might be infected hiding under it," he told Ellie before stepping up onto the deck of the old ship and peering off at the rising sun.

Broad daylight would be upon them soon, and Joel would like to be near the radio tower by that time. Hopefully it would be close; and hopefully nothing bad would happen to them until they got there. He gripped the door to the boat's cabin, twisting and turning the wheel before pushing it open, looking to see if anything was inside.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

Inside, Joel would find a box of ammunition for his pistol, with only about five bullets inside, along with a couple cans of unopened food. It is unclear if these cans of food are still good or not, but they may be worth keeping, just in case. There's also a comic lying open by the wheel, whoever had been driving the boat must've been reading it in his spare time.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Yeah, got it," Ellie replied to Joel's warning, nodding her head. She approached the boat alongside him, before climbing aboard. She'd never been on a boat before, and being on one now was a weird feeling. As Joel began to search the cabin of the boat, Ellie turned to glance towards him. "So, uh, did everyone own boats before?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Throwing his backpack onto the dash of the cabin, Joel poured the water out onto the ground and then pulled it back up, tossing the mystery cans into the pack. The five bullets for his revolver he quickly took out of the box, leaving the cardboard to sit and rot in this broken vessel. "Oh yeah. I had a sixty foot yacht." Joel called to Ellie, smirking as he picked up the comic book. _One of those comics. Ellie'd like this. _Savage Starlight plastered on the cover, Joel turned away from the cabin of the boat, having picked it dry.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Really?" Ellie asked, genuinely surprised for a moment. She wasn't sure if he was being serious or not, glancing towards him as he joined her on the deck of the boat once more. His face was hard to read, but she had a feeling he was fucking with her. Would be nice having a sxity foot yacht, though. From old advertisements she'd seen in magazines and shit, they looked _really _nice. Nicer than any place she'd ever stayed in. It was hard to imagine a time where people didn't have to sleep in crumbling buildings, with one eye open, in case infected showed up. The world before was so different, almost alien. _It'd be nice to be standing on a yacht right about now, though. _A small smile appeared on her face for a moment before she returned her attention to Joel. _Yep, he definitely has gotta be fucking with me. No way._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"No," Joel said abruptly, walking out back onto the deck, the comic book in his hands, pages shifting with the soft wind. Joel had never really been rich enough to afford any kind of boat; being the only member of his household who was providing - _other than Sarah's hardcore drug dealing _\- was a bit rough on the checking account. The thought of Sarah pained him for but a moment, before it drifted away on the wind. "Hey, found this comic for you. I think you'd like it." He handed the comic book to Ellie, limply hanging from his rough hands.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie let out a dry chuckle, nodding her head. _Yep, knew it. _"Sarcasm... making progress." As Joel handed her the comic he found, her smile widened. "Awesome. Thanks. I think all my others got ruined in the river. Gonna have to be careful with this one."

With the boat searched, Ellie hopped back to the ground, feeling her feet slowly sink a little into the sand. It was a strange feeling, one that she'd not get used to for a while. However, given that they'll be leaving soon, it would be short-lived. She looked back up towards Joel, swaying her arms back and forth idly. "So, uh, we should probably check on Lee and Clem. Maybe they've found us a way to that radio tower."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel smiled at the small laugh. It was a little something; but it was something. Some kind of pride fell in him as she thanked him for the comic, and he realized then that he didn't really mind Ellie that much. In fact, she wasn't a bad kid. Not a bad kid at all. He hopped off the boat after her, the familiar grains of sand brushing against his wet shoes. "Yeah, let's go." He told her, walking towards a little ridge they could climb to, the rest of the beach blocked off by rubble and fallen trees. "I think they're good to have around." Joel said, climbing up the small cliff.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"You think?" She was honestly surprised by the comment, almost expecting that she'd heard him wrong. Instead, he nodded, shrugging his shoulders.

"We'll just have to see how things go."

* * *

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine and Lee slowly made their way towards the west end of the vast, empty beach, sharing nothing more than uncomfortable glances with each other. Clem had a lot on her mind, especially now, yet… somehow she failed to find the right words for it. She felt bad for taking it out on Lee earlier, at least a little bit. It still didn't make what he did any less wrong, or at least, that's what the girl convinced herself of to counterbalance her disquietude. That was, however, only part of what kept the gear in Clementine's head running so restlessly. It was a multitude of things, really, and Clem wouldn't find it in her to rest easy until she managed to talk them out with Lee. For now though, she was content just listening to the sound of the waves splashing against the shore. _Just a little longer…_

The two would eventually run into a small abandoned cabin beside a few weirdly shaped rocks, taking the time to search it for the sake of being thorough. Inside, they'd find almost nothing of note. Surfboards, family photos… even fishing rods. _No time for that. _The girl thought with a smile, thinking back to her dad. Lee was busy looking through a chest looking _thing _, and for some reason or other, Clementine saw that as the time to sort things out, for better or worse.

"Can we talk?" She asked suddenly, though it was rhetorical for the most part. She'd talk regardless… and Lee would listen. This time, he would. "This isn't about what happened before, or, well… it _is _, but it's not just that." Clem started, already fumbling through her words in uneasy fashion. _Get it over with…_

"We're never on the same page about anything anymore. You just… do stuff, without even caring about what I think." She tried not to sound mad, in spite of her aggressive tone slipping out occasionally. "Like when you attacked Joel, and… told me to hide, like I'd just get in the way. When you let them come with us without _talking _to me first, or like when you... dragged me with you while you ran away." Her gaze fell as she went over the last part, visibly hurt over what happened. "We're supposed to be a team, but all you ever do is talk down to me like I can't think for myself." Clementine looked at Lee in the eye, confident on her next words.

"Stop treating me like a kid."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee sighed out when she stopped talking, those eyes of hers piercing him as he scratched the back of his head. He didn't know why it took him so long to realize - _teen phase is in full effect… wish it came with a manual _\- she was back chatting him, trying to pull away… wanting to do things by herself. It was all part of growing up and Lee told himself when she was younger to always be aware that this time would come and to be prepared for it… but he wasn't. He figured it would be a breeze but it was anything _but _ that. She wanted to be more useful, but she didn't want to be told what to do anymore. _The more I try to keep her in check, the more she'll try to pull away _.

When he had first met her, she'd always been sweet and soft spoken, maybe even a little bit quiet, but after all these years she had really grown into her own, and maybe a little bit of a temper along with it too. Regardless, he was still proud of the young woman she was growing up to be. He'd seen what the end of the world could bring out in most people, all he wanted was to try and raise Clementine to have a good head screwed on her shoulders, to have her wits about her, to survive… and most importantly… not lose the core of what made her human.

_You fucked up… your relationship with your wife… your parents... your brother… whatever you do... don't let the same happen with her… don't screw that up, too _.

In a way, it was a good sign that she was mad about what he'd done. The longer this whole thing went on… the harder it was to tell themselves otherwise that they weren't monsters, that they still had their wits and emotions intact. What made them human. Somewhere along the way of raising Clementine, Lee had changed, gone against his own code, and it showed when he wasn't willing to risk his life and trade Clementine's safety for Joel and Ellie, survivors he had only just met, but knew had to be somewhat decent people… and he didn't know how to feel about it. He wasn't all that good anymore… had done some questionable things, not to mention the other big secret he had still been keeping from her… it was wrong of him, and he knew one day he had to tell her.

He'd been so desperate to keep her alive, that maybe he had been a tad too overbearing these past few days, after she had killed one of those robbers he'd been more reluctant to give her more freedom, but he needed to allow her room to come into her own, part of this meant not ordering her around as much.

It was hard to admit that he was having trouble adjusting, taking care of her from when she was eight, but it was something he needed to do. "This whole town, it's just… put me on edge… we _are _a team, and I know I've probably been overbearing lately… I always care about what you think and I know you're capable… what I did was wrong… I'm sorry."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's expression softened exponentially in response to Lee's apology, she wasn't even sure how to react. Those feelings had been there for weeks now, repressed by her ever unbroken admiration and attachment to him… It took her a lot of courage to say it, but she couldn't be happier that she did, altogether powerless to stop the smile on her face. The girl scratched her nose awkwardly, trying to think up of some kind of way to display just how much she appreciated it. "You wanna... shake on it?" Clementine asked in a flustered tone, warmly, yet still clumsily extending her hand.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Her smile ultimately made him smile back. At the motor inn, after a long day of unsuccessful hunting with Kenny, he always dreaded coming back to everyone's faces, but Clementine's smile was always worth coming back to. He softly chuckled as she extended her hand, looking at it for a moment, then back to her. He was still knelt down, but somewhat knew what he wanted to do, feeling a sense of deja vu. He slowly leaned in and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug.

"Thank you," he spoke as he closed his eyes for a brief moment. The fact that she had forgiven him for recent events meant a lot, and from here on out, he'd strive to keep his promise. _Probably two more people I need to apologize to after this..._

**Art [Clementine]**

"H - Hey…" Clementine softly uttered as her body was pulled closer to Lee's, feeling his soft embrace envelop her wholly. Clem shyly lifted her shoulders, face reddening in embarrassment, though the girl's discomposure was quick to wear away once Lee spoke up again. They hadn't done _that _for what felt like months now… It made her feel cozy, safe, like nothing else ever could after she lost her parents. The best feeling in the world.

Clementine hugged him back without an ounce of hesitation, shutting her eyes in an effort to hold back the tears that followed. Her smile didn't fade away, not even for a second, as the sound of her voice became discernible once again. "I'm sorry for cussing you out earlier…" Clem said in a lighthearted tone, burying her face against his shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"It's okay." It took Lee a few moments before he finally let go, standing up and smiling down at her. "We're gonna work _together _to make sure we finally get out of here, I promise," he spoke confidently, assured that the worst was behind them now.

"Now, whaddaya say we figure out a way to get out of here, huh?" He grinned as he ruffled her hat slightly, moving on out of the cabin and spotting Joel and Ellie on an abandoned boat in the distance on the shoreline, making their way towards them. _Kenny would be all over that if he was here… _he thought for a brief moment, before climbing a few of the cliff faces.

As Lee examined the cliff face, he glanced towards Clementine. "So… what do you think of them?" He asked, curious to hear her opinion on the matter. It'd been so long since they had companions; the last person Clem was close to her age was Kenny's son, and Lee often felt bad for the way they travelled. It was pretty solitary; he wanted to encourage Clem to maybe get to know the other kid. Maybe it would be good for her.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem let out a laugh as Lee ran his hand through her hat, making sure to adjust it back before leaving the cabin. Joel and Ellie could just barely be seen in the distance, no thanks to the thick, downright eerie fog surrounding the beach. They were headed towards them, slowly making their way there with the aid of a pathway situated by a small cliff. Lee was the first one to speak up after they left the cabin, breaking the charming silence by asking her a question that, despite being a long time coming, she didn't really have an answer to. Not just yet, anyhow.

"I dunno," Clementine said with a shrug, looking overly pensive. It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that she didn't really find the pair as hateful as perhaps maybe she _should _, but those were her real feelings, and no amount of hiding them could change that. Joel was kind of a violent asshole, maybe, but he didn't strike Clem as a bad person. He even reminded her of Lee in a lot of ways… for better or worse. Her and Ellie were on shaky ground at best, but… Clementine genuinely wanted to give it a shot, a real attempt at making it work… at making a friend. She owed Ellie that much at least, after ditching her back on the bridge. **_If_**_she doesn't hate me…_

Clem stayed silent for a while, thinking hard about what to say next. "We could at least try. We haven't been in a group since… Rebecca passed." Clementine briefly recalled, feeling horrified just thinking about it. They were all gunned down, the large majority of them. Whoever managed to escape died from the cold, desperately trying to cross North Carolina… trying to get away from Carver. The lucky ones ended up starving to death, one by one… everyone except for her and Lee. The girl shook the thought away, feeling her hands quiver in despair. Clem suddenly didn't really feel like talking anymore…

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee tilted his head the other way as the painful memories came back from the winter a few years back, the one that nearly drove them all to death. Trying to avert the memories and focus on the task at hand, Lee managed to huff out a "Yeah..." as a response. He wasn't sure if Joel and Ellie were going to be sticking around after all was said and done, and he wouldn't blame Joel if he wanted to part ways with them. They'd just have to keep on with the goal and see what would happen along the way.

Lee had previously offered Joel to join them in finding the Fireflies, and he recalled the man telling him he'd ask Ellie about it, but after the incident at the checkpoint, he wouldn't be surprised if they were reconsidering, or already had, to sum up his thoughts on the matter he just didn't know.

From the corner of his eye he, spotted something, some sort of drainage pipe… with a grate over it. "Check this out," he murmured as he approached it, attempting to lift it up, the grate budging slightly. It was definitely movable.

"Hey, found something!" He waved over Joel and Ellie, stepping aside to show the drain, which had water seeping out of it. "This should lead right through to the other side."

**Art [Clementine]**

As she stared intently at the drainage pipe, Clementine's expression gradually warped itself into one of disgust, her face twisting in revulsion, and the smell making the girl feel sick to her stomach. She crossed her arms, sharing an uneasy look with Lee before returning her gaze to the drain in front of them, the sight sending her a feeling of apprehension stronger than any walker or clicker could ever hope to achieve. "Do we have to…?" Clem asked hesitantly, the grip on her shoulders tightening in discomfort. Dirt, blood, and now sewage… As that terrible week continued to unfold, Clementine couldn't imagine her hair would ever smell the same way again.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel finally climbed up to the top, sniffling when his hand brushed against tall grass sticking out from under a rock. He looked at Lee, who was waving him and Ellie to him and Clementine already. He followed Lee's gaze, sight now upon the drain grate, water pouring out in a minute waterfall below it.

He looked at Clementine. "Yeah, we have to. Rubble's blocked the way on the rest of the beach, no way we'll make it that way." He walked up to the pipe, grabbing the rusting grate and straining to open it. It budged; but only slightly. "Lee, c'mere and give me a hand with this." He waved Lee to him, intending to lift it up for the kids first.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The only memories that Lee had of sewers were ones he intended to forget, nonetheless there really was no other choice here. It was the only way to get out of here without risking running into more of that group. Hopefully, they'd left them behind along with that bridge. Lee nodded in the direction of Joel before joining him in lifting up the grate. It was heavy, but with their combined effort they were able to lift it so there was a large enough gap for the them to go in. "Alright, go on through," he spoke with a huff as he held it open for them. "Sooner we go in, sooner we get out."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's nose wrinkled at the smell emanating from the drainage pipe, finding herself begrudgingly remembering the sewers they traversed in Pittsburgh to escape the turret truck before they met Lee and Clementine. The idea of going back into one was not a pleasant one, and worries that they'd find these 'stalkers' again rose in the back of her mind, like a gnawing thought that wouldn't go away. As Joel and Lee lift the grate for her and Clementine, she squeezed through, her hand instinctively going to her pocket for her knife, just in case something lurked in the darkness within. She squinted to see further down the pipe, but couldn't see anything. She turned back towards Lee and Joel, helping to hold up the grate for Clementine, and then for Joel and Lee after that. The sooner they got out of this sewer, the better, just like Lee said.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine pinched the bridge of her nose, dreading what would soon follow with every fiber of her being. Clem rancorously followed behind Ellie, crouching down as she tried, to no avail, to avoid soaking her boots in sewage. As expected, it was painfully dark in there, almost as much as it was disgusting… she couldn't see a fucking thing, and it was freaking her out. _Flashlight, flashlight… _Clementine nervously reached for her backpack, squinting her eyes in an effort to somehow see the contents of which she fumbled through. _Got it!_

Frantically flicking its switch, Clem turned it on, sighing in relief upon being greeted with a visible pathway. "Where to?" She asked, hoping for directions. Not that she expected anyone to know exactly where to go.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked at Lee, nodding to him. The smell of shit and pisswater hit him like a sack of bricks, the stench swimming up into his nostrils and swirling around his brain. "Hold the grate for me." He said, moving up into the sewer after letting go. He trusted Lee enough; with this, at least. With his life? Joel wasn't quite sure yet. He supposed he had a fifty-fifty chance that Lee would leave him behind and another that he'd save him. Whichever, it wasn't going to be a talking point for right now. Joel grabbed the grate, holding it up for Lee now. "Alright, come on." He grunted, cold water streaming over his shoes.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The trickling of water echoed through the sewers as the flashlights of the survivors were the only thing lighting up the path ahead of them. Moss and plant growth scoured the sewers, and there seemed to be one defining path that led through the tunnel, with a few paths that deviated into different rooms. The water down the tunnel would be around ankle-deep to walk in. So far, other than their voices and the sound of water, it was dead silent.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Resisting the urge to cover his nose and gag at the putrid smell, Lee let out a soft groan of dismay as he regretted coming in here for a split-moment, flicking on his own flashlight so they would be able to see better. The water was ankle deep and Lee was wary of anything under it that he may trip on. Last thing he wanted to do was get his clothes to smell like crap if he tripped and got more on him. "Watch your footing around here…" he spoke as he moved forward. "Lets see where this path leads."


	7. Trapped, I

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The group of four would eventually reach the end of the pathway, coming to an area where the water filtration seemed to be cleaner. Rainwater seeped in through a large hole in the ceiling as the faint sunlight shone through. Once they reached the end of the pathway, they would notice a massive gap between the place they were standing on and the other end, separated by deep water that went several feet down… the only way across seemed to be that they would have to swim for at least sixty-five feet to get to the other side.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As they entered the room within the sewer, Ellie's eyes focused on the pool of water in the middle of the room. It mostly looked _clean _, at least. Well, as clean as sewage water can get. Probably still smelled like shit, though. Sighing, she realized that they were probably going to have to cross the pool to the other side, which meant…

"Uh, figured I should mention it, but… I can't swim. Just… throwing that out there." Ellie's voice was one of embarrassment, having to share that tidbit with Clementine and Lee was more than she wanted to do, but hardly had a choice at the time. Her gaze focused on Joel, hoping he had some kind of plan for what to do from here.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine stopped dead on her tracks, extending her arm in order to prevent Lee from accidentally pushing her towards the large gap in front of them. It went down pretty far from what it looked like, not that she could see much in the first place. As if being ankle deep in sewer water wasn't enough, now they had to swim through it. Clementine waited, hoping someone _sensible _would suggest turning back, but that moment never came. She sighed softly, nervously anticipating the jump, before Ellie said something Clem couldn't have predicted, much less believe after she heard it. _Oh… great._

Ellie didn't know how to swim. That explained it, Yeah. Clementine scratched her head, trying to help Joel think of something. After that sudden disclosure, they were in desperate need of a plan. "Maybe we just... carry you?" Clementine threw the idea up in the air, utterly lost. It sounded like a terrible one after saying it aloud, but she was sure Joel could pull it off. Heck, she could do it if it came down it. _At least we'd… drown together, I guess._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_Jesus… this is just great _, Lee thought as he leaned over to examine the water that was separating them from the other side. To his surprise, Ellie spoke up as he glanced over to her, trying not to make an expression in an attempt not to make her feel bad about it. _Must be a Quarantine Zone kid if she doesn't know how to swim… _the thought made Lee wonder why she was out here instead of back at the Zone if she was supposedly living there before coming to Pittsburgh. There must've been a good reason for it… He turned back as he looked at the water.

"There's no other way around, we're gonna have to swim…" he admitted as he prepared himself, the burning sensation, although much less now, still lingered in his shoulder. He'd have to be careful… if anything gnarly from that water got into his wound, he'd have a hell of an infection to deal with.

"Joel uh, you're a pretty strong guy right…?" He spoke awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head. It looked like Ellie was going to have to get a piggyback from someone, and it was best they figured that out now before going forward. In hindsight, he didn't really need to ask him that, his bruises already knew.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel glanced down into the murky water, his hand shooting out instinctively to prevent anyone behind him from walking too far. It rippled along, something pushing it along from being completely stagnant. He briefly wondered if Clementine could swim; he guessed it most likely. He didn't suppose that she grew up in Quarantine Zone, judging by her juxtaposition towards Ellie's more sociable attitude. Joel bit at his upper lip, swirling his tongue around in his mouth. It was dry and hot; gums quivering with thought.

"Alright." He bent his knees slightly, just enough for Ellie to hop on. "Hop on my back, I can get you across." He pursed his lips, staring at the other side. Hopefully there wasn't anything waiting for them in those murky depths… he was certain that infected couldn't stay under lest they drown, and the walkers or lurkers or whatever they were called would have floated up by now.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"For the record, I don't think this is a good idea," Ellie muttered, glancing between Joel, Lee, and Clementine, before finally letting out a sigh. Guess there wasn't any other way around this. She trusted Joel, but it still scared her... a little. Their experience in the river hardly made things better, with her having to keep both herself and Joel afloat while the river carried them along. At least here, there wasn't a current to pull them away. She took a step back, preparing herself to get on Joel's back. This wasn't something they'd really done before. She just hoped that she wouldn't drag Joel down with her weight, not that she weighed that much. She quickly strode towards Joel, hopping onto his back, wrapping her legs around him to ensure that she wouldn't fall off. _Now or never, I guess._

"Alright," she breathed, feeling anything but ready at that moment. "L - Let's go."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine swallowed anxiously, handing Lee the flashlight before doing anything else. They were pretty high up in relation to the water, and taking that first step took every bit of courage she had.

"If it's too deep, you'll help... right?" Clem asked Lee restlessly, trying not to stare down for too long. She knew how to swim, owing that fact entirely to her father's persistence back when they used to live on the farm, but she wasn't particularly good at it. Drowning in sewage was probably the worst way to go out and the mere thought sent chills down her spine. _Just pretend you're with dad… in the riverbank _. Clementine did her earnest to keep breathing steadily, shutting her eyes before jumping down into the water below.

A loud _splash _echoed through the sewers, soon replaced by the sounds of softer splashes caused by Clem's excessive leg movement. The girl lifted her backpack over her head hoping, at the very least, that neither _it _or her hat became soaked in that crap. The awful smell and thick water texture eventually caught up to her, nearly causing Clem to whimper in disgust. _Gross, gross...! I hate this so fucking much._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"I'll be right next to you, don't worry," he spoke calmly. Lee half contemplated trying to throw his bag across to the other side first, but deemed it was too risky. If he missed and his bag sunk down below, no way in hell was he diving down to get it. As opposed to jumping in, he sat on the edge first and looked into the murky muck. _Well shit… here goes nothing. _He slowly lowered himself in, a chill going up his spine as he went deeper until he was neck-deep in it, treading towards where Clementine was, making sure to stay near in case anything would happen.

"You guys good?" He asked the other two, wanting to be sure they had it under control before they all started swimming across, they hadn't come this far to drown.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel let Ellie climb up onto his back, staring into the watery grave they would soon enter. She was heavier than he had anticipated, straining his back. Perhaps it was the combined weight of her wet clothes and backpack hurting him right now; he didn't imagine she actually weighed that much. Joel trudged down into the water, before eventually, it was up to his neck, stomping through mud and the disgusting sewer water.

Eventually, he found himself weightless. The floor of the pool disappeared, Joel floating with Ellie on his back. He moved slowly, shuddering at the reintroduction to cold water. He looked at Lee, just a tad bit behind them. "Yeah, I think so. Ellie, are you good?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Y - Yeah, I'm good," Ellie replied, feeling anything but. The smell intensified as soon as they hit the water. She tried to not think about the potential of her falling off of Joel. This wasn't like the river; if she needed help, Joel would be able to make sure she doesn't drown. She had to repeat that in her head several times, like a mantra, as they crossed the room, silently hoping it'd all be over soon.

**Art [Clementine]**

The water moved faintly around Clem's shoulders, the girl struggling to stay afloat whilst keeping her backpack above her head. Every few seconds her head would sink just under eye level, causing her to hastily move her legs in an attempt to swim back to surface.

"This sucks," Clementine pointed out in an unnerved manner, starting to wear out about halfway across the waterway. In one of those instances, Clem's head sunk deeper than usual, catching her off-guard and filling her mouth and nostrils with water. Clementine's head perked up in one sudden movement, tortuously choking on the water and having an exponentially difficult time staying adrift.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Picking up on the fact that Clementine didn't sound quite right, he turned around, realizing that she was starting to tire out and have trouble with it. _Shit… _He had to think quickly. She needed help. Even if she wasn't going to actively ask for it, he could see it. Lee quickly unstrapped his own backpack, his legs working double time to keep him afloat while he placed the bag high above his head, throwing it across to the other side of the platform so he could take Clem's. As fast as his legs could carry him, he paddled over to where Clementine was struggling.

"I got you, let me get the bag," he spoke as he grabbed her, assisting her in keeping her head above water whilst he attempted to get the bag off her, he quickly placed the bag onto his shoulders, his legs once again working double time as he did so, she was tired from all the treading evidently, so Lee did his best to guide her the rest of the way. As they finally reached the end of the platform, Lee assisted Clem in giving her a boost up, before climbing up himself, taking the bag off his shoulders and placing it on the ground. _Made it…_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel struggled after them, his legs and arms turning into jelly. Cold slaps of water clawed at his cheeks, swimming around his throat with cutting bites. He sank for a moment, water flowing into his nose and mouth. His head rose again, spitting out water and his nose burning like fire. He finally made it to the platform, gripping on to the sure with both hands. "Alright, you climb up first, Ellie." He strained to say, pained breaths leaving his mouth between every word.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie did as she was told, Joel lifting her above the water, and within reach of the ledge of the platform. Pulling herself up, she bent down to help Joel up. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to lift Joel on her own, but with Lee's help, maybe. For now, she reached out her hand, waiting for him. "Alright, c'mon." Her nose wrinkled as the smell of her clothes started to hit her. She'd smell like this until she found another set of clothes, and that thought alone was enough to make her cringe.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

As the four made it across to the other side of the platform, the sounds of the squelching of boots and the dripping of water evident, they would notice another pathway that led onwards as the path elevated, showing signs that they were slowly travelling higher in the sewers, a direct indication that they were getting closer to reaching the top.

Suddenly however, a disturbing yet familiar sound echoed from down the hall.

Two clickers had been attracted by the noise of the swimming, shuffling their way towards the four survivors as they croaked, using their echolocation to attempt to pinpoint the source of the noise. The only way forward for the survivors was past the infected, behind them being only the deep sewer water. They had not been located yet by the creatures, but they were getting closer as they stumbled their way towards them from down the hall.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine couldn't possibly forget that gruesome sound, almost as though it had been engraved in her mind. The girl held back her coughing, wide-eyed, shooting a nervous glance towards Lee, Joel and Ellie to ensure that the four of them were all in the same page. They only had so much time to stand around in shock before the clickers, as Joel notably called them earlier, were able to track them down. Clem's mind raced with no sign of stopping, trying to somehow pinpoint how many there were, though that effort turned out to be fruitless. Though they did not have the luxury of being able to form a plan through the form of speech, there was only one implicit course of action to take upon hearing the disturbing sounds of the infected in the distance: hide, and wait.

In front of them were multiple cramped spaces, possibly leading into different sections of the sewer path, extending all the way to the very depths of the underground infrastructure. They weren't perfect hiding spots by any means, but given their shortage of time, anything seemed better than lumping together with the water behind them. The four quietly spread out, trying to stay relatively near each other whilst remaining out of sight. Clementine crouched over to the corner in her immediate right after taking hold of her backpack once again, leaning her hands against the cold wall in order to guide herself through the nightmarishly dark pathway.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

In the depths of one of the paths that led into a dead end, something vile hid in wait as it spotted four unsuspecting meals emerge from the water, keeping quiet from a distance as it waited for the right time to attack. The four survivors dispersed, and one of them was in close proximity, just down the hall, hiding.

The creature had fungal like calamities protruding through one side of its head, though evidently not as severe as the clickers.

The stalker emitted a short, soft croak in an attempt to echolocate exactly where the prey was hiding in the dark, upon picking up its exact location, it suddenly jumped out from around the corner, emitting a long horrid-like croak as it charged in full sprint at Clementine.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem could distinctly make out the strange croaking somewhere nearby, her eyes desperately scanning her surroundings to no avail. _Don't panic… Don't… _If she made a sound, any sound, the clickers would likely find her first. That couldn't happen, no matter what. The girl felt a drop of sweat run down her forehead as the crooked sounding footsteps became louder, clearer… Clementine instinctively unsheathed her knife, defensively and almost anxiously holding it directly in front of her face so that she could see it clearly amidst the dark encompassing her.

A split-second. Less, maybe... that was all it took.

The infected charged in her direction, emitting a ferocious, painful cry. Clem did the extent of what she _could _do, almost powerless to stop it. The girl aimed her knife straight forward towards the general direction in which the infected charged her from, hoping for the best. The knife went straight through its stomach, keeping it just inches away from her for an indefinite amount of time as his hands crawled through her shirt. Clementine let out a soft cry of horror, using all of her strength to push him back with the knife, knowing it was only a matter of time until the Stalker completely overpowered her.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The distinct, horrid clicking sounds were nightmare fuel to say the least, much worse than he had experienced from any walker he had ever seen. It was something he didn't think he was ever going to get used to. However, to his absolute dismay, he heard another noise around where Clementine was hiding, something he hadn't heard before._What the fuck did we stumble into? _His breathing became heavy as he tried to remain still, from his first encounter he remembered that these things couldn't see unlike walkers, so all they had to do was keep quiet and move slowly.

That was until…

His eyes widened as he looked across the dingy abyss of one of the pathways leading to an apparent dead-end… his heart almost jumped out of his chest, some sort of… creature… began sprinting towards Clementine… croaking… running at full speed, pouncing on top of her, and Lee was too far to do anything… not before it would sink its teeth into her, that was when he almost lost it.

"Clementine!" He screamed out, immediately taking his rifle and pulling it out, aiming at the unknown infected as the two struggled. His hands were shaking and his breath was heavy, he had to place this shot well, or it would be all over. He aimed slightly around the vicinity of the croaking abomination's head, fear being the first thing that struck him when he got a good look at it, more fear at the fact that it was attacking Clem than anything else. He calmed his breath, fully evident of the clickers that were being attracted, but he didn't care, not at that moment. He followed his own advice, the same advice he gave her all those years ago on that train, he slowly pressed his finger down onto the trigger, and fired.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The bullet flew with lucky precision as it pierced the stalker's head, just in the nick of time before it could sink its teeth into the girl. The stalker dropped to the ground, a mere lifeless corpse. The shot, however, did not go unpunished. The other two clickers were fully aware as they screeched at the noise, pinpointing the location of their prey as they began to get slightly faster, arms flailing aggressively as they charged forward in the direction of the noise, only a matter of a dozen feet away now.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The two clickers were running for them now; Joel barely had any time to try and grab the stalker, or just get Lee to sink his hatchet into its neck. It was too late though; the loud crack of the rifle echoing through the sewers, bouncing off walls like a ricocheting bullet. Joel pulled his own revolver out, unsure if he should fire lest more clickers run at them. One of them reached him first; he grabbed it by its arms, sharp teeth snapping at his throat, hands flailing about.

And then, he pushed it back.

It hit the other clicker, the other one losing its footing and falling to the stone ground. The one Joel launched hit the side of the sewer wall; _hard _too, a chunk of its fungal sheath shattering and falling to the ground.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Once the stalker had dropped, to his relief Clementine gave him the thumbs up, signalling she was okay, as to which he responded with a quick nod before placing the rifle onto his back. The shot had caused the two clickers to charge forwards, ganging up on Joel, Lee felt for his belt as he withdrew the hatchet Joel had lent him, jogging over to help him out. With all the strength he could muster he plunged the axe into the clicker's head multiple times, hacking at it until it fell to the ground, lifeless, the second one getting back up fast.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel grabbed the second one by its shirt, shoving it into a wall and feeling blood squeezing onto his fingers. He continued shoving the clicker up against the wall, again and again, its head flying into the concrete wall until he heard a thick squish of brain turning into mush. When it was finally over, he tossed the clicker to the ground, victorious.

"Let's get going."

* * *

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

As the four survivors progressed through the sewers, they stumbled across a double door. Oddly enough, there seemed to be chalk and childrens' drawings on the sides of the walls. As the door was opened, some sort of trap was set off, a string attached to a bucket of sorts that dropped some glass bottles. They shattered on the floor, signs of some kind of sound trap. It was evident that there were signs of human activity inside these sewers, whether it was still active remained a mystery. There, however, seemed to be boxes and other items lying around, signs of a community.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Jesus!" Lee jumped back as the trap was set off, luckily enough all that happened was a few glass bottles smashed on the floor, echoing through the hallway. He stopped for a moment, deadly still as he expected to hear one of things things get attracted. However… nothing came, silence radiating through the sewer.

"I think this is old… someone must've lived here… don't think those things are on the way." He commented as he looked at the surroundings of the sewer. _Who would even want to?_

Since they were down here, he was kicking himself for not asking this sooner. Since these guys seemed familiar with these types of infected, it was worth a shot, if it meant they could be better prepared. "Look uh, we ran into one of those things yesterday before we ran into you guys... clickers, right? Why are they like that?" He asked, referring to their grotesque appearance, he had heard of the cordyceps in the early days of the outbreak, and plenty more from what the officials in the zone used to talk about, but he hadn't had the pleasure of ever running into one that was passed stage one since he had mainly stuck to one part of the country all these years.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stumbled backwards, the splattering of bottles on the floor shaking his mind of itself. He grimaced, looking at the remains of the DIY trap, which sat there, almost mocking him. He looked at Lee, eyebrow raised at his question. _He's only seen one of the infected... how could that even be? Those goddamn things were everywhere, so how could he have never seen any? _Joel thought of the northern part of the US then, or, the Northeast at least. There were only walkers around there, he supposed. He looked at Lee, and began to spoke. "They've been infected for a long time, probably about four years. Cordyceps, that's the fungus, took over their brains entirely and has grown over their - their heads. They're blind, so they use echolocation to see. That's why they click, and there's the name." He looked at Lee, hoping he was able to process all of that.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Joel explained to Lee and Clementine about what the Clickers were, Ellie peered around the room, taking in the dark and dingy atmosphere this place had. It still reeked of piss and feces in here, leaving her to wonder how these people managed to live down here at all. On the other side of the room, a board was posted, with the label 'class rules'. She gazed at it momentarily, scrutinizing it. She thought that living in the quarantine zones were bad, but this was _worse _. The sooner they got out of here, the better.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine took off her backpack, laying it on the floor and crouching down along with it in order to ruffle through its contents, listening intently to Joel as she did. Taking a rapid glance inside the girl's backpack, a sensible person would be very likely to call its contents idiotic and impractical. Some surely had during her time spent surviving in the outside world, amidst the dozens of other people her and Lee had met throughout the years, though Clem could hardly care whenever a circumstance such as that presented itself in front of her. What she carried with her every day had a larger purpose, things that kept her going even when her own legs refused to move, something an extra canned meal or a larger water canteen couldn't ever compete with.

Clementine carried with her various books her mom used to read to her when she was little, the only things she had to remember her by. Clem would read them over and over again whenever she had the chance, usually long after Lee, or everyone else had fallen asleep. Needless to say, the girl wasn't comfortable with anyone knowing she read books for little children, actively making an effort to hide the fact as much as she possibly could. Lee himself knew about the books, at least early on. Sometimes she wondered if he had any idea of the fact that she still had them with her, all those years later. Only he knew for sure, and Clem didn't intend to ask.

Her favorite one was titled _Where The Wild Things Are _, written by someone named _Maurice Sendak _… Clem never knew for sure how to pronounce his name, but she loved the book and its illustrations, and so did her mom. Clementine didn't have all that many resources to hide her personal junk, left with little more than a zipper standing between her books and a pair of curious eyes. The girl's method of prevention soon became the fact that she wouldn't let anyone touch her things, no matter what, guarding her backpack the same way a mother bear watched over her cubs.

Aside from her personal things, inside Clementine's backpack was also stored her not-so-secret stash of food, which was simply what the girl had named the less healthy stuff Lee would let her keep. There wasn't a ton left out in the road… what hadn't expired by then had long vanished under crumbled stores and warehouses. Luckily, the art of baking sweets hadn't been lost to the old world, thriving especially in larger communities. Lee didn't like those all that much, but the two of them would still run into people who _did _fairly often. Just last month, they had found an abandoned car chock-full of homemade chocolate bars, probably being transported somewhere before the driver turned into a walker. Lee said they could take _one _box, but Clem sneakily took two boxes worth of candy instead, lasting all the way until… now. There was only one left. Clementine cursed under her breath, deeply saddened by the fact. _Back to apples, I guess…_

The fact that she only had one candy bar left only made what followed even more excruciating for Clem, but the girl figured the sacrifice was for a good cause. Clementine grabbed the candy bar from inside the backpack, extending her hand towards Ellie whilst calling for her. "Want one?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie was taken aback by Clementine suddenly talking to her, and offering what appeared to be some sort of chocolate bar. She was starting to think that this journey was just going to be one long, awkward road trip to find the Fireflies, but maybe that was all about to change. Hopefully. Ellie still regretted what happened the day before, the way everyone overreacted and nearly killed each other. She didn't want things to turn out the way they did, not with people that were seemingly good. Maybe this was her chance to make things right, or fuck it up more...

A small smile appeared on her lips briefly as she approached the girl, looking towards the offered candy bar with a growling stomach. She slowly took the candy from Clementine, before glancing towards the girl. "Thanks. You, uh... got any more of these?"

It was less to do about the fact Ellie was hungry, and more to do with the fact that she knew resources were limited - they always were - and Ellie didn't want to take away the girl's last candy bar if that was indeed the case. The girl was lucky that she hadn't taken a dip in the river, everything she had would be ruined too.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem held her tongue, having a small hunch of what that question was really about. If Ellie knew it was the last one, she'd just feel shitty, right? Clementine looked away briefly, taking a moment to think over her answer before replying to her. _Why do I care…? _Clem couldn't help but wonder, as her knees faced against the wretched sewer floor. Those thoughts however, were little more than a pretense… It didn't matter how much she tried to hide it, or pretend otherwise. All Clem wanted was a friend.

"Yeah, sure." Clementine lied, her gaze facing downwards in contempt. It was, admittedly, a shallow attempt at making amends, especially after all the crap she put Ellie through. Nevertheless, it was amidst the very little the girl had to offer, other than… an apology. _Right. _Clementine bit her lower lip, zipping the backpack shut before saying the line she had practiced before on her lonesome. "I'm sorry for yesterday, and… for being such a dick." Clementine told Ellie, hoping, maybe, that she'd forgive her and Lee.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Well, we were _all _being dicks," Ellie replied with a half-chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "So... I'm sorry, too."

Finally, Ellie accepted the candy bar from Clementine, glancing towards it for a half-second, then towards Joel and Lee on the other side of the room, still discussing the infected that they've met so far. She was glad that things worked out between the two groups. It was nice to not be on her own with Joel anymore, even though Joel probably didn't think that way. He probably disliked other people, and didn't trust anyone. _Sounds like him, anyway. _But Ellie, despite how naive it probably was, wanted to trust people she thought were good people. Clementine and Lee have showed signs of being as such, even with Lee leaving them behind at the bridge. Maybe all she wanted was a friend; she didn't have many of them back in Boston, and it was kind of difficult to call Joel a 'friend' when his primary reason for being around was to deliver her to the Fireflies. Professional relationship, as it were. Maybe she'd finally find that friendship, though, in Clementine. At least, for however long they managed to survive together.

With that thought, she took the candy bar and split it in half, extending one half back to Clementine. To explain herself, she spoke in a light tone. "To make your candy stash last longer."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine was surprised by the gesture, pleasantly so. For a few lingering seconds, the girl had no idea how to respond to that, staring at Ellie's hand in near awe. "You don't… have to." Clementine insisted, shaking her head with a tender expression. Still, after Ellie clarified herself, Clem couldn't find it in her to refuse it, swayed by the girl's altruism. Clementine reached for Ellie's hand, taking the half extended to her with a smile she simply couldn't hold back. _All is forgiven. _Clementine thought lightheartedly before shoving the sweet in her mouth, savoring the chocolate as though it was the last on earth, though it might as well have been all things considered.

All that made her somehow feel _less _terrible about being stuck with two strangers in a sewer, with her hair and clothes reeking of crap. It sucked… it sucked _hard _, but at least it wasn't just her and Lee anymore. She missed that feeling, probably more so than she would have cared to admit. Maybe it was too optimistic to imagine Ellie becoming her friend over something as dumb as a chocolate bar, but that's precisely what the essence of being a kid was… being hopeful, something Clem hadn't sincerely been for a long time.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee could only begin to shake his head as Joel explained the concept behind these... _clickers _, these abominations were something he was hoping never to find this far across the country, but here they were. He looked down at the corpses with pity. "Well shit…" he murmured with a tinge of grief.

He had heard of the Cordyceps before, for the total of the eight years he spent in the FEDRA safezone, there were plenty of rumors around of a more vile type of strain out in the west… he recalled the runners from back in the day… brief memories that he hardly remembered when he was heading to the zone with his wife. Compared to walkers, they were quicker and maybe even smarter… but they went down easier, and obviously didn't have the luxury of sight, this would be something to take note of in the future when they came across more. He knew how to deal with walkers inside and out… but learning to deal with these was definitely going to be a learning process.

"The Fireflies gave up on the walkers a long while back… but rumors are they're still trying to do something about the Cordyceps… you buy it?" He spoke with a tinge of caution, mentioning the rumoured research into the cure for the Cordyceps strain as he looked back at Joel.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He glanced at Lee, refusing eye contact upon mention of the cure. _You buy it? _The words rang through Joel's mind, and his adam's apple bobbed up and down in his throat. He supposed he did buy it; in fact, he knew it. His eyes fell on Ellie, who was conversing with Clementine at the time. Joel blinked, sighing. "No, I don't buy it. Everyone's always talking about a cure, doesn't mean one's actually out there, or one's bein' made."

That was that. Lie after lie after lie; it was better that way. Should Lee and Clementine prove to come with them all the way, Joel could tell him he lied to protect Ellie. And if they didn't, or if they died on the way there? He'd keep the secret to their graves. Joel didn't want their deaths to come; swift as a thief in the night, taking two more souls from this world. But Joel would have to let it happen, if it did; his priority was him and Ellie's survival, and that was that. He looked up at Lee, waiting for a response.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie didn't remember the last time she had chocolate, or if she ever _had _, for that matter. She spent the majority of her life beyond the expiration date of most foods made before the apocalypse, beyond those things that last literally forever. It was not as sweet as she imagined, although still just as delicious. As she finished her half of the candy bar, she glanced back towards Clementine. " _Man _, where did you get these? I thought all this stuff would've expired ages ago." She imagined that she must've gotten them handmade, which explained why they were still _fresh _.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine tried to find somewhere cozy to recharge while Lee and Joel talked things out with one another, settling for one of the wooden tables scattered around the presumed underground camp. After merrily sitting atop the counter nearby, Ellie followed, doing the same before asking her a fairly reasonable question. "We found a car last month _packed _with chocolate." Clem began to explain, extending her arms in dramatic fashion to try and describe just how much of it there was. "Lee said they were probably transporting it to some community nearby, but…" The girl paused briefly, trying, to no avail, to find a way to word her next comment differently. "...The driver was dead, so we took it? It sounds kinda bad when you say it like that…" She rubbed her other arm uncomfortably, feeling the worn-out cloth over the bullet graze from yesterday around her fingers. "It's probably not candy from, y'know, before. Mom used to bake stuff like this all the time."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie simply nodded, already understanding the predicament Clementine had found herself in when she found that abandoned car. Her and Joel have done some stuff since they left Boston, some of them not _great _, but she supposed that there's no one to miss supplies when they were dead. Better to use them than let them go to waste, right? Her ears had perked up when Clementine had mentioned her mother, but couldn't work up the courage to say anything about it. If Lee wasn't her dad, and her mom wasn't around, then they were probably dead, right? She didn't want to bring up that pain with her, not when she'd only just gotten the girl to open up. It wasn't any of her business anyway, and maybe it was best that way.

She decided to lay down on the table, looking up at the dirty ceiling of the sewer. The smell still invaded her senses, but not quite as bad it had done before. She took in a deep breath, before letting it out. It was noticeably cooler in here than it was outside. With no sunlight, and the winter months just coming to a close, there was barely any warmth to be retained within the confined spaces in the sewer system. A small shiver went down her spine, but she ignored it. While Joel and Lee talked, she was taking this moment to relax while she still could. Finally, glancing over towards the girl next to her, still sitting up, her feet in a seat in front of her. She decided to ask another question, something that'd been bouncing around her head since they'd first met.

"So... when did you meet Lee? You two seem… close. Couple years, or something?"

**Art [Clementine]**

"Couple years," Clementine confirmed with a soft smile, though at this point, the girl couldn't say for sure how many. Her and Lee had been together since what felt like forever. They lived through so much in such a short amount of time, it was almost difficult to think back to a time when he wasn't there. "Lee found me on my own when I was eight years old, and he took care of me ever since." She continued, wanting to keep the story short for her own sake. One question was sure to arise from that statement however, and Clem made sure to bring it up, even if just for the sake of laying it all on the table.

"My parents…" Clementine opened up with next before leaning back against the wall, knowing Ellie wouldn't be gutsy enough to ask it herself. "We used to live on a farm near Atlanta. One day they told me to run as far away as I could, and that was that. I never saw them again."

"We tried looking for them… _I tried _looking for them." Clem quickly corrected herself, though she didn't mean to go over anything else regarding Savannah, let alone what preceded it. Those were just… terrible memories she wished she could erase entirely. "It wasn't just us at first. We had a group… a few of them, but… they're all gone now." Clementine, again, settled for the short version, hoping Ellie would be kind enough to understand. She let out a soft sigh, shifting her gaze back to Ellie after figuring she had gone on about herself for long enough.

"Your turn." She told her in a playful tone, attempting to salvage the mood after the sob story. Ellie and Joel had this really mysterious air about them, probably more so than anyone they'd ever met out in the road. Why were those two together? Looking for the Fireflies, no less… It was hard to contain her curiosity on the matter, but now seemed like as good a time as any to ask about their history together.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie pulled herself back up into a sitting position, listening to the girl's tale of how she met Lee with interest. She'd been through a _lot _, even though some of the details were obviously left out. She wasn't going to start digging where she shouldn't, though. They were probably memories she didn't _want _to remember. It seemed that she was holding onto the hope that her parents were still alive, somewhere, not that she could really blame her. When she asked about her, Ellie was taken aback for a moment, not really sure _what _to say. She had to keep quiet about the fact she was immune, at all costs. She was beginning to trust Lee and Clementine, but Joel was right.

"_Don't tell anybody about your… condition. They'll either think you're crazy, or try to kill you."_

_Hopefully it'd be neither, but… yeah._

"Um, well," she stammered, tapping her finger on the wooden table she was sitting on for a moment before continuing. "Grew up in the Boston quarantine zone. They had me in this military school there. It wasn't the _greatest _, but… I mean, I guess it prepared me for out here. Had a friend there, though she's… gone, now." It took a lot of concentration not to think about Riley, and what'd happened back at that mall. Everything she said, regretted saying, regretted _not _saying… Riley wasn't the one that deserved that. It was fucked up to think about, but she would trade places with her, if she could. Maybe that was her naivety again, or maybe… maybe she just wanted someone else to live for a change, and not end up alone _again and again _. Like how Marlene dumped her off on Joel. She still hoped that she was okay, and was on her way to the Firefly base as well, but there was no real way in knowing that.

"I met Joel a couple weeks after my friend died. I was trying to find a way out of Boston with a group, looking for the Fireflies," Ellie continued, excluding the part where she was being _smuggled _out of Boston, or _anything _about Tess. She couldn't do that to Joel, not with the way he reacted after she brought him up the last time. "We traveled together for a while, and the rest of our group died off…" _It was just one person. _"…but we kept going. Up until we found you two, we hadn't really found anyone who's friendly." _Bill definitely doesn't count. _"It's been… a hell of a ride so far," she finished, trying to put on a smile. They still had a journey ahead of them, but at least they weren't doing it alone anymore. And hopefully, without those assholes in Pittsburgh around, maybe they'll finally be able to relax a little, just for a little while.

They all deserved a rest.


	8. Trapped, II

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

Taking a moment to recuperate, talk, and rest after the infected had ambushed them, the four hopeful survivors with trust beginning to somewhat form between them trudged onwards throughout the sewers, hoping to reach the exit sometime soon and get out of the ditch they were forced to travel through. It did seem likely that some sort of community or group had lived underground in the sewers, but it had all seemed abandoned, whoever had lived here previously was long gone, but seemings as there were stage three infected, the community may have fallen approximately two to three years ago.

As the next door was reached, Joel began to open it, an odd sound radiating throughout the sewers, something that sounds like a rope snapping… another untriggered trap left behind by the community… neither of the kids fast enough to react as suddenly a large man-made metal wall slides down, essentially cutting the two groups off from each other. However, Joel and Clementine were trapped on one side of the wall whilst Lee and Ellie were trapped on the other, the large metal wall wouldn't budge. There was a tiny gap that allowed them to see each other on their respective sides, but not large enough to get through by any means.

It seemed like the wall was built as some sort of failsafe in case infected got inside, if they triggered the rope, the wall would come down and block them from entering the community, however it had all but made things more difficult for the four survivors

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

To Lee's dismay, a loud noise boomed throughout the sewer, echoing throughout the tunnels. It took a split second for the former history teacher to understand what's unfolding, his eyes widen as he heard Joel yell something. The effort proved futile as the wall slammed down with force before he could get a chance to react. Making a noise... a very loud noise that any potential infected around could hear…

"Holy hell…" he muttered as he approached the wall, glancing towards Ellie, only now realizing that they were essentially trapped from reaching each other. He walked up to the wall, his immediate thoughts were to try and figure out a way to open it. "What the hell happened?" He asked through the gap, relieved to see Clementine was okay, but not within reach.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine jumped backwards in shock as the colossal wall came tumbling down in front of her, feeling her head connect to Joel's thorax with force. One second too late, and that thing would have probably crushed her into tiny bits. _Could haves _were, however, at the very bottom of the girl's list of concerns, as she desperately scanned the wall for any sort of breach.

"We're stuck." She uttered in dread, kicking the metal wall in frustration, to no avail. There was a small gap, enough to see Lee and Ellie on the other side, but not much else. "You guys okay?" Clem asked, peeking through the breach, hoping they were doing better than her and Joel. _This sucks… Come on, there's gotta be a way through! This thing's so damn heavy…_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The gate came crashing down, making Joel step back into the young Clementine before she stumbled under the gate's massive weight. He placed his hands on the metal, pushing on the gate, but giving up upon its steadfast refusal to budge. _We're trapped. _He thought, Joel's eyes widening with anxiety. "No, dammit!" He banged on the door with a heavy fist, gritting his teeth. This was not how things were supposed to go... but they could make do, regardless. He looked through the gap in the gate with Clementine. "That was me. I must have triggered some sort of safety gate or somethin'. Lee, see if we can lift this." He continued, reaching down towards the bottom of the gate, trying to get a good grip under it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As the wall separated them from Clementine and Joel, Ellie looked through the gap with wide eyes. _Shit. This - This isn't good. _There wasn't any way she could help lift the thing, it looked heavy enough to be a problem for the two guys, it'd probably be impossible for her. Her eyes darted towards Lee, cursing under her breath. "C - Can we get to them from here? If we can't lift it?" Maybe there was another way around it, like a side passage or something, who the the fuck knew. Getting split up in a place like this was the last thing on her list of things to do, and without Joel around, she wasn't sure if she liked their odds. Surely, Lee could handle himself, but if they couldn't find each other again… _don't think about that, Ellie. _She focused on Lee, hoping he'd have an answer, or that the two of them could lift the gate.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

Clickers could be heard, _a lot _of them, echoing through the halls. It would only be a matter of seconds before they would reach Ellie and Lee, drawn by the noise of the metal wall.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"We'll figure out something," he responded to Ellie before he knelt down, just as he attempted to pull upwards on the gate. His head tilted to the side, hearing those horrid sounds he had gotten to know ever since they came to this godforsaken town. "God dammit!" He got back up, peeking through the opening with a worried gaze. "They're coming… just go… we'll find a way to meet back up!" He turned to his left, seeing what almost looked like a horde of them almost here now. Clem and Joel would be safe behind the wall if they just stayed quiet. He trusted that they were both capable enough to look out for each other. There was little time to debate it now, they had been spotted. "Come on," Lee called out to Ellie before they both ran off, disappearing down a different path.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

About ten clickers could be seen charging towards the pair as they disappeared around the corner, glimpses of them through the wall as the infected ran after the pair. Once they were gone... it was dead silent.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel watched them, his heart pumping as the clickers ran after them screaming and croaking and jittering about as the monsters did. He clamped his mouth shut. _Ellie. _She watched her run off with Lee, worry already swarming his head. Of course it would be. It would be insane to not be worried after this display of terror and fright. He bit at his upper lip, turning to Clementine. Ellie would be fine. She had Lee with her; Lee was a good guy, to an extent. And as much as Joel would never admit it, Ellie could handle herself well. She had saved him back in Pittsburgh before he drowned, and he supposed he'd already come to terms with that. Hell, he gave her a gun of all things. "We're gonna be fine." He told Clementine, leading her deeper into the sewer compound.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem leaned against the large metal door, her ear likewise pressed against it in a futile effort to make out what happened beyond it. There were just growls, really... until everything went quiet. The girl waited, frozen in place, whilst Lee's last words echoed incessantly through her head.

_Just go..._

She banged her head against the metal standing before her in rage, powerless to do anything, and too weak to let out a sound. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck… _They were still alive, they_had _to be. Clementine refused to think otherwise… there was no way they were dead… no way in hell. Gradually recomposing herself, the girl looked back at Joel, who she struggled not to feel contempt for given the fact that _he _was the one who triggered the trap. It was a shitty situation to be in, but they had to somehow make the best of it. The only way out of that shithole was to work together. '

"You heard him," Clem said coldly, crossing her arms as she faced away from the metal wall. "We have to find a way out of here." She ended it there, not saying another word as she followed Joel to wherever he intended to lead them.

* * *

_5:15 AM_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The clickers were hot on their tails. It was a lie to say that hearing them so close behind, giving chase, wasn't the least bit terrifying. At least, with walkers, they were easy to outrun, part of living in the east was not having to deal with this shit daily. He didn't know how Joel and Ellie kept this up.

As the both of them ran, Lee spotted a dead end, immediate panic setting in before seeing a ladder on a ledge up top. They didn't have much time until they reached them. He placed his back up against the wall while putting his hands together, getting ready to lift her up by the boot. "Alright, I'll boost you up and you kick down the ladder," he quickly spat out the plan, trying to keep calm and collected.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie simply nodded, climbing the wall with Lee's help, gripping the bottom rungs of the ladder for dear life. As she climbed up the rungs, she kicked the ladder, the metal contraption opening and sliding to the ground with a screech. As she took a moment to catch her breath, she turned to watch Lee, pulling out her pistol just in case a clicker got too close, which, in the end, the first one rounded the corner and darted towards Lee. Taking in a breath, she pulled back the trigger, the bullet grazing the hard shell of the clicker's head, but not killing it. However, it was thrown back by the force, buying Lee enough time to finishing climbing the ladder before it could get within range of grabbing him.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee let out a pained, withheld yelp as he gritted his teeth, her boot pushed down on his injured shoulder, funnily enough committed by the same little girl he was helping right now. He pulled out his rifle, deeming it unrealistic to deal with ten of those things with just his hatchet; he would be swarmed. He aimed his rifle at one of the clickers that was closest, firing off a shot as he downed one of them, watching its fungal plates splatter, whilst he was reloading, the second clicker pounded on him, he tried using his rifle to force it back, but it was strong. An unidentified shot pierced its skull, not killing it, but stunning it. He smashed the butt of his rifle against it to push it even further back, and before the rest of them came, he quickly darted up the ladder, kicking away at the clickers that had assembled below. He climbed up quickly, kicking down the ladder on to them. He placed the rifle on his back, his hands on his knees as he hunched over, catching his breath. "Thanks…" he huffed out.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"No problem," Ellie replied with a heavy breath, watching as the rest of the clickers filled the space beneath them like rabid wolves. They needed to leave, _now _. They might not be able to get to them from up here, but they were still a threat, if one of them started spewing spores.

As they began to back away from the ledge, Ellie spoke, adding this little tidbit in. It was important for him to know, if they ran into spores on their way to find Joel and Clementine. "Oh, and by the way, these things… they make some sort of spores. They infect you if you breathe them. Y - You don't happen to have a gas mask, do you?" She was thinking he probably didn't, not since he hardly knew anything about the infected anyway. They'd need something to protect them if that eventuality happened, at least to make sure he doesn't get infected, and she doesn't blow her cover.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee stood up, taking the girl's advice, which he was more than happy to agree with. _Getting the hell out of here… _he was beginning to grow tired of these sewers, and now that they were separated, that made it even harder. He spoke as he began to walk, keeping his voice relatively low in case any more of those things were roaming around. "Joel mentioned spores earlier…" he admitted, before noting that he didn't have a damn gas mask. "No, I don't…" he sighed out. "I'm sure you'll notice the spores if we come across them, we'll just have to avoid them if that's the case." The soldiers back in the zone had plenty, but if this was the case, he'd need to find a way to make an improvised one. He was certain he lacked the materials however. "Lets keep moving, we'll try to listen out for the others." These sewers were like a maze, but noise travelled through them rather easily, maybe they could pick up on something.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The two continued to travel through the sewer, Ellie's heart beating at a pace that probably wasn't healthy. The situation was so, _completely shit _, like… it couldn't be shittier even if they managed to find a pool of literal shit in here. Joel and Clem were lost somewhere in this place, and she was stuck with the guy she still hadn't quite forgiven yet for leaving them at the bridge. Maybe that was just her being stubborn; she wanted things to be okay between them and her and Joel, but she couldn't stop thinking about what Lee could do if it meant life and death. Would he leave her if it meant surviving, and finding Clem again? Her face scrunched up at the thought. _No. _Lee left them at the bridge because he had Clem with him, and the odds of her and Joel escaping together was higher, and the fact Ellie had been on top of the trailer when they escaped. Lee wouldn't leave her behind, it seemed… uncharacteristic of him. At least, she hoped.

As they passed by another 'river' of sewage flowing down a small incline, she glanced towards the man, wondering what was going through his head. Was he worried about Clem? Thinking about how her and Clem should've been in different spots, so he could be with her? Maybe he wasn't thinking about her at all. In some ways, he was still a mystery, just as much as Joel was sometimes. Survived for so long in this world, they keep most of themselves hidden away, tucked beneath their survival instincts. After what felt like an eternity of silence, she interrupted it, her voice barely audible, to ensure they weren't heard by infected.

"What happens if we can't find them?"

She merely wanted to know what he'd say, curious as to how he would respond. She hardly wanted to think about them not finding the others, but that possibility still remained. Surely, if they both managed to find an exit to this place, they could meet back up above ground, but there was a million ways it could go wrong. Too many to count, and too many to account for.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee wouldn't allow the possibility of not finding them as an option, in his mind he _had _to, was _going _to. Every minute that Clementine wasn't in his sights he could feel himself getting sick with anxiety, he often wondered if this type of feeling was normal… if he should even be worrying for her at all. He knew she was capable enough without him, she _ always _was, even when she was only eight years old. He deduced that this feeling must have been common with any parent not knowing where their kids were. Although he knew he wasn't her father, she was the closest thing to a kid he ever had, he had never gotten to start a family before the outbreak, but with Clementine he figured it was at least some semblance of what having a kid felt like. As long as he was around, he was going to protect her no matter what, but he couldn't do that trapped and wandering in these damn sewers.

"We _will _find them, not much else we can do other than keep it together and do the best we can with the situation." He knew that they were smart enough to head for the high ground, and with the bulk of those clickers deciding to come after himself and Ellie, hopefully it had left an opening for them to keep going on safely.

Lee gave his watch a quick glance, shining his flashlight on it. "They'll be heading for high ground, same as us, there's gotta be a way out up there. Sun's up, so we just need to look out for any light, that'll be our exit." He spoke with confidence. Traversing the sewers was confusing, but taking the tunnels that led upwards wasn't too hard to figure out, he just needed to follow the inclined surface, and that's what they were doing now.

A few more moments of silence passed between the two, and Lee couldn't convince himself to hold his tongue about it any longer. "Look, about what happened back on the bridge…" He was well aware of how hard talking to teenagers could be, but he owed the apology. "Leaving Joel behind... It was a split-second decision… and it wasn't the right one," He admitted, wishing he could change what he did. "I'm sorry about what happened."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie didn't expect him to bring up the bridge, her eyes narrowing for a couple of seconds, before finally realizing what he was saying. It was reassuring, but only slightly so. She didn't question that his decision had some merit to it, even though it _did _make him a huge dick. _At least he regrets it, right? _She could barely make him out in the darkened tunnel, but it was enough to see that look of guilt on his face.

Finally, she let out a sigh, before continuing up the incline, past him. Her voice was dismissive, but warmer than it might've been if they were having this conversation back on the beach. "You did what you thought would save Clem. I get it."

She was close to forgiving him, but not quite yet. Trust was something earned; if she'd learned anything on this journey, it was that.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"I guess I did…" he spoke softly, regret scattered all over his tone. There was more he could have done to help in that situation, he knew it deep down, but it was just another thing he'd have to live with. He didn't want to stray too far from the task at hand, but he felt like he owed the apology to the kid at least. It was a slight weight off of his shoulders, even if he knew it wouldn't fix things right away. The way this kid acted around others along with a few other things that were dead giveaways, he was pretty sure she must have been a quarantine zone kid, which made him all the more curious as to why she was out here with her 'friend'. After a moment of silence, he spoke again "Joel mentioned you guys were looking for the Fireflies too… it must be pretty important if you guys came all the way out here."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie didn't bother looking back at Lee as he talked about her and Joel trying to find the Fireflies. She knew that he was only fishing for information, hoping to get more of a reason as to why they were looking for the Fireflies. As they continued through the sewers, she kept ahead of him, trying to think of something to say to his question. After about twenty seconds had gone by, she managed to find one thing to say.

"For the same reasons you are. Safety. I also had some... friends, who were Fireflies. It seemed safer to join them than to just sit around in Boston." She shrugged her shoulders, glancing back towards him in the darkness. "Maybe it's dumb, but I'd rather hope for a better tomorrow than to sit around on my ass in a quarantine zone. If the Fireflies are looking for a cure, maybe they'll find it first." She threw in that last sentence after a moment's hesitation, returning her attention to the concrete floor ahead of her.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"It's not dumb at all. That's all we can do sometimes, just hope for the best… not many other options these days," he deadpanned, his eyes ahead, still keeping a lookout for any movement in the dark. He could tell Ellie was a bright kid; a lot of optimism; an upside of living in the zone was that the kids were well-socialized, at least. Lee often wondered if what he was doing with Clementine was the right thing… would she be better off in a FEDRA safe-zone? They had schools and safety at least, a semblance of order… but they were heartless… training the kids to be pawns and soldiers… Clementine deserved so much more than living her life in solitude and on the run… she deserved a proper education, friends, safety… a proper go at life. This was something he hoped the Fireflies would finally be able to provide. He often missed the times of the motor inn, granted there was a lot of internal discord… but that came with every type of family, even the extended family he considered everyone at the motor inn to be… at least everyone was together back then, but just like all groups… they fell apart.

Lee still couldn't shake the feeling that something seemed quite odd about the whole ordeal… _how could one kid and one guy get out of a FEDRA safe-zone? _He pondered, the security was usually locked down tight at those communities from what he remembered, and none of the residents were ever allowed to stray outside… something wasn't really adding up… there was definitely more to her story, but then again, it wasn't really his business, or really worth worrying about. There were far more important issues at hand, like finally getting out of here for one.

They finally reached the end of the long pathway, the only source of light being their flashlights, they turned the corner as the lights shined down the new path they intended to take, Lee extended his hand, signaling for Ellie to remain still.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The flashlights would shine upon a horrifying sight: a horde of clickers. However, they didn't attack, their sense of sight so deteriorated that they did not pick up on the flashlights. They stood there, clustered in a big group, huddled together, all of them just standing still and looking at the ground… twitching slightly in a sort of slumber and relaxed state of hibernation. The cluster of clickers were at least twenty in number, and blocked off that part of the tunnel. It was uncertain if even the slightest of noise would set them off.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As they rounded the corner and found the hoard of clickers sitting in the middle of the tunnel, Ellie stopped dead in her tracks. _**Jesus**__… _She stayed completely still as she glanced towards Lee, hoping he would figure out a way for them to get out of this mess. There were other tunnels they could take, surely, they just had to… get by these things undetected.

Another tunnel branched off the intersection they were on. She wasn't sure where it'd lead, but it was their best bet. Gesturing for Lee to follow her, she took several quiet steps towards the empty tunnel, hoping that her footsteps are quiet enough to not be heard by the clickers. Luckily, it seemed that they haven't noticed her. Maybe being short and light wasn't such a bad thing after all.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee silently took a few steps back as he went the same way Ellie did, not daring to turn his back on the horde just yet. It was a frightening sight, but one they could avoid if they could just stay silent. He turned around as he crept along, trying to make a minimal splashing sound as his boots squelched against the water.

"Alright, we need to-" his speech was cut off as suddenly something rose up out of the water, grabbing onto Lee as it screeched and wailed, the sound echoing through the walls. His eyes widened as it pushed him backwards, onto the ground, falling on his back. His injured shoulder felt the brutal impact as he let out a yelp, pain shooting down his shoulder. Beginning to kick at the aggressive clicker, he reached for his axe, pulling it out and plunging it through its head, killing it.

As he pushed the corpse off of him, his eyes widened as he realized a hornets' nest had been stirred. At least twenty infected were running their way, drawn by the noise of the other solitary one. There was no time to waste, he turned to Ellie, the severity of the situation ridden on his face.

"Run!"

* * *

**Art [Clementine]**

Joel and Clementine tried multiple different paths deep within the sewer's all-encompassing darkness… some were blocked off, while others were straight up dead-ends. After minutes of non-stop backtracking, the two eventually found a pathway through the cracks near one of the tunnels, following it into the unknown.

They came to a stop upon noticing the ground under them wasn't the same a few steps ahead, barely able to recognize what it was thanks to how dark it was down there. The floor was replaced by rusty, crumbling grates, the only thing standing between them and the other side. It looked marginally safe to walk through, but any extra weight would likely cause the whole thing to crumble to hell. Under those grates, only a few feet below, was a strong current of water that would surely carry someone… nowhere good, one could safely assume. Clementine stared bewildered at Joel, unsure of how to proceed, seeking his guidance on the matter. "What do you think?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stared into the water, the heavy flow pouring under the grate. His chest sank, nose wrinkling with wonder and trepidation. He was… worried, perhaps. Worried about Ellie. To an extent, he was worried about Lee. He also took a moment, however brief it was, to worry about himself and the other girl. He considered her a bit of a problem child; a little girl with an attitude and a tough disposition on life in general. Clementine was protective, cold-hearted, eyes without mercy, and most of all, she was dangerous. Joel guessed she scared some people; she did not scare him.

In a way, the man respected her. Not in the same way he respected Ellie, of course, but he did respect this little girl. She had adapted quickly; perhaps too quickly to the harsh world. Joel looked at her, then back to the weakened grates. "You should go first. If I go across, the platform's more likely to fall in, and then you're stuck over here." He looked at Clementine. "Stay along the walls, too. That way you have more footing if it does fall." He adjusted the strap of his backpack, grimacing. "And I'll be right here. If it falls, I'll grab you. Okay?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine nodded in agreement, setting her uneasiness aside in order to take the first step forward. The girl struggled in her own thoughts, trying to determine whether or not to trust that guy, or perhaps even more remarkably, whether the amount of trust she had _already _placed in Joel had been far too excessive. He would've shot Lee… he_wanted to _… that wasn't something Clem was willing to forget, let alone forgive anytime soon, as though the image of Joel's rage-filled eyes were engraved in her mind.

The most skeptical side of her shouted at the top of its imaginary lungs, yelling in an attempt to reach her, to _stop _her before it was too late. Was the fact that the steel wall split them into two really just a mere coincidence? If so, would Joel and Ellie take advantage of that fact…? Those thoughts plagued her endlessly, torturing her, causing the girl to grimace in concern. What were the odds that Joel would push her into the water the moment he had the chance? There was, unfortunately, only one way to find out.

The grate played its melody the moment the sole of Clem's boot came in contact with its dilapidated structure, sending a cold chill down her spine. _You're not gonna fall. You're not gonna fall. You're not gonna… _Clementine took the second step, and then the third, following Joel's advice and sticking close to the walls. Some parts felt looser than others, but nevertheless, she slowly made her way through the immensely unsafe path. _'I'll be right here. If it falls, I'll grab you.' _She didn't expect it, not from him, but hearing that helped a little. It sounded almost like dad back when he taught her how to swim, though why on Earth she'd get such a feeling from _Joel _of all people would escape her at the time. Nearing the tunnel's end, Clem could barely keep breathing steady, trying her best to keep a slow pace.

It hardly mattered, in the end.

The metal under her made a terrifying sound as her left foot fell through the grates, causing the girl to let out a soft shriek. It was only a small crack brought about by the combination of the floor's weak structure and her weight, and luckily, that same floor continued to stand below her in spite of what had transpired. The girl's problems didn't end there unfortunately, as things would prove to be not so simple.

"I'm - I'm stuck…" She told Joel, attempting to keep a level head despite her situation. No matter how much Clementine pulled, her left leg refused to move, stuck beneath the grates. It took her a second to realize the reason why, but she did so with rather ease upon taking a closer inspection. The sharp metal had cut through her pants, leaving minor lacerations on her leg, and the torn fabric blocking its passage. As if that wasn't enough, Clem's boot was much too large to fit through the hole after going through it the first time, leaving her with very few options. "It's okay, I'm alright… I just need a sec." Clementine insisted, trying to think of a way out. "Don't come too close, okay? Or we're both gonna fall." Clem's biggest concern was the possibility of the rest of the grates collapsing… every move had to be made with utmost caution. They had to be careful.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

In a way, he felt a sense of obligation to help Clementine across. He wasn't sure what this obligation was; whether it was one to Lee, who had saved him and Ellie from the torrential waves, or rather a more paternal instinct. Either way, his entire body tensed up the second Clementine fell through the grate. Joel reached out, but his hand caught air. His other one managed to catch the wall, before his feet could go stumbling over the weakened grate. He looked at the girl, her boot stuck in between the metal.

"Listen, it'll be alright, okay?" Joel took off his pack, hoping to lessen the weight. He threw it across, the backpack hitting the concrete rather than smashing into the grate and sending Clementine down into the rushing water. Joel swallowed hard, licking his lips nervously. "Don't move."

He spread his weight, stepping onto the grate slowly and carefully. It shifted, and he paused, sweat running down his brow. _What if the grate gives? _He considered, and that was an issue he'd have to take into account. He was close enough that if the grate fell, he could grab her, protect them both. And that was only a given if the water led them to a safe place. What if it didn't? What if the tunnel below only got smaller and smaller, until they both drowned or starved or were left in a room full of the hideous infected? What _then?_

Joel crouched down, his careful steps finally bringing him to the girl. "Alright, now let's take it slow. I'm gonna grab your boot, try and get it out, okay?" The grate groaned again, and Joel winced. Regardless, he grabbed Clementine's boot and began to pull. The grate creaked in disapproval, Joel's throat clenching now. They weren't going to fall, they weren't going to fall… they _were _going to fall, they were going to fall and that was that and this is the end and-

Clementine's boot popped free.

**Art [Clementine]**

By the time Joel approached her, Clem had already been hard at work at forcing her way out. Using her knife to pry open the rust-covered metal over her leg, the girl struggled with no sign of stopping until the moment Joel told her to. It was a shot in the dark at best… but the two weren't left with many options. Trying to get the leg out on her own wouldn't work, all thanks to the sharp metal encompassing it. Regardless of what her stance was on it, Clementine _needed _the help, and that's all there was to it. "...Be careful." The girl told him softly, facing away.

Joel pulled, using his two hands to delicately move her leg into the proper position, before yanking it out with force, effectively getting the girl out of her predicament. He thus helped her make it across the rest of the way, safely reaching the other side, though not without a few bruises to keep them company. Upon resting on the concrete floor, Clementine's first order of business was to take care of the mess she had made of her leg. It wasn't as bad as it looked, nor did it hurt more than any other ordinary cut... All it took was a tiny wrapping. Clem didn't have any bandages left, not after the utter shitshow those last twenty-four hours had been, so the girl settled for slicing off her left sleeve. _This should work..._

They were okay now… hopefully Lee and Ellie were too. Clementine hugged both of her knees, letting out a sigh of relief. The girl then looked at Joel, disquieted, facing away once again before speaking up. "Thanks for the help…" It came out less encouraging than intended, though that could easily be attributed to how grim their situation was at the time. _Please be okay. _Clem was tired, just... tired. Leaning her head back against the wall, all she wished for in the world was for a moment of rest. Just a second of being able to... not worry about anything at all.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

And the whole ordeal was over before it had even really started. They had made it across, the grate unceasing in its grip above the underbelly of the sewer. Joel and Clementine had just managed to escape, not by the skin of their teeth, but rather by a wide margin. A danger with little room for error had been escaped; and Joel felt pride in that. Pride in himself, and some misplaced pride for the girl. She had done well, as well as she could have in her position. And not just with bandaging herself up, and listening to reason on the grate. Her plan of pushing the body onto the car was not something he liked; even now, after its success. But she had given it a go, and she had said it with no doubts, and Joel admired that. It reminded him of Ellie, in her ways of taking charge, and that tiny bit of pent-up anger in both of them; more so in Clementine he found - and deeply resented - but that angst was in both of them nonetheless. It reminded him as well of _Sarah _…

It reminded him _especially _of Sarah.

Joel rubbed the back of his neck, listening to her thanks to him. "Yeah." He muttered, looking down the sewer with his flashlight. "Come on, we gotta keep moving." He said to her, the girl still hugging her knees.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

At that moment, something could be heard radiating through the sewers as the sound got closer. _Screeching, screaming… both? _It was a mixture of sounds that was tough to comprehend in the murky haze of the sewer. None other than Lee and Ellie darted around the corner, their flashlights evident as they shone towards Joel and Clementine.

Pure adrenaline was keeping Lee going at this point, making sure Ellie stayed in front of him and didn't fall as they ran, as that would mean certain death. It was at that moment he saw Joel and Clementine in the distance, a brief sense of relief washing over his face, although too brief, as the dozen or so clickers turned the corner with them, following behind as they had not given up chase yet. One of them sounded horrifying enough, but there were several, each one eager to rip them to shreds. "Clem!" he shouted, being able to make out her figure sitting down, huddled up, along with Joel, who was the first to seemingly spot them.

They were close enough that their flashlights could see the whites of Joel and Clementine's eyes. Just as they were about to run up to both of them, by chance he shone his flashlight to the ground, his heart skipping a beat as he halted himself, outstretching his arm to Ellie to stop her from going any further, slightly wobbling as he almost fell in himself. "Shit…"

He took a few steps back, analysing the scene, the grates had tumbled down and had left a gap, underneath that gap a dangerous combo of flowing water, muck, filth and god knows what was down there, the current evidently strong. To put it simply, it looked like a death trap should they fall in.

"We got company! Any safe way across?!" He shouted to the two on the opposite end as he shone his flashlight on the grates.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine turned her head towards the sound of Lee's voice, her eyes scanning the dark void in front of her in hopes that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. "Lee!" The girl shouted back, likewise being able to recognize his figure, as well as Ellie's in the distance. The flashlight blinded Clem momentarily, though it didn't keep her from standing up as soon as her body would allow her to. Lee's statement and the question that followed it both caught her off guard, her eyes widening in panic. As hard as it was to say it, judging from Lee's tone, they couldn't afford to waste a second.

"There's no other way…!" Clementine told him, the fear in her eyes slowly becoming more apparent. "You can make it… you can! Just take it slow!" The girl took a few steps forward, her hands slightly extended in apprehensive fashion. "I'll help you. Hurry!" They didn't have time to say anything else, to come up with a better plan. If things went south, they'd just have to make a run for it. In the midst of that, Clem was determined to help however she could, pulling out her revolver to provide cover for Lee and Ellie in case the clickers caught up to them. _Don't let them fall… Don't lose them again…_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie turned to glance behind her, the sound of clickers getting louder and louder. They weren't going to have much time, not enough to slowly walk across the sides of it. Gulping, she looked to the other side, to where Joel and Clementine were at, and silently hoped she'd make it across. The muddy mess below what used to be the grates were enough to dissuade her from ever falling in.

"Alright, _shit _, I'm coming across!" She called to the others, sweat already covering her body, mostly due to the exhausting run they endured to get here. She took a single step towards the broken floor. There was just enough left over on the side that she could hug the wall and shimmy across; the real question was if it'd support her weight._Guess I'll find out._

She took a step, then another, then another, hugging the wall with palms flat on the concrete. So far, so good. By the time she was halfway across, the clickers had gone from a distant drone to a uproarious threat, as if they'd come around the corner at any second. She let out a yelp as one of the grates buckled underneath her weight, forcing her to step over it and onto the next one. Cursing under her breath, she kept going, getting closer to the other side. Finally, she was close enough to reach Clementine's hand if she reached out far enough. The worst was over.

As the girl reached out to help her onto the other side, the remainder of the grates fell from beneath her, straight into the flowing river of sewage below. With the floor gone in an instant, Ellie's eyes went wide, and she frantically reached out for Clementine's hands, grabbing onto them at the last minute. By the time the girl managed to grab ahold of Clem's hands, though, her momentum was far too great for Clementine to keep both of them above the gap.

With a shocked yelp, the pair fell into the river below, Ellie's mouth being filled with sewage, which she coughed up in revulsion as she managed to keep her head above the water. She could hear Clementine thrashing somewhere nearby, as the gap disappeared and they were in pitch darkness. She fought against the current, to no avail. Finally, she managed to keep her mouth above water long enough to shout out. "Shit, Clem! Clem, you okay?!" Her entire body shook with disgust as the taste of sewage remained in her mouth, like a bad aftertaste. With nowhere to go but along the current, they were going to have to wait until they reached the end, or somewhere they can grab onto something, before they can get out of this.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

They were trapped; trapped by the clickers, and trapped by the water. Joel had been delighted to see Ellie - and to an extent, Lee - again, but his regreetings had been lost the second Lee spoke. They were in danger; real heavy danger.

"You can go along the sides! Come on!" Joel called to them, hoisting his backpack up onto his shoulders. He held his revolver in his hands, able to hear the moans of clickers and infected in the darkness, running towards them. Joel sucked in a breath; Ellie was going first. That was good. He feared for her; she was risking her life, but Clementine was designated to catching her, as Joel was the better shot. Joel should have known that Ellie was clumsy; it was an endearing trait, but it was their downfall at this moment.

She fell, grabbing Clementine's hands and sending them into the rushing water below. All that him and Clementine had done; for nothing. "No!" He threw a hand out, trying to grab hold of them, but they had already been taken by the steady stream. He fell to his hands and knees, peering into the darkness. His flashlight could only reveal water, enduring and eternal. Joel stood up, shock in his eyes. "Goddammit…" He muttered, taking a few steps back. "Come on, jump!" He yelled at Lee, before he himself hopped off into the sewer water below.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

His rifle was out, his intention purely to give proper time for Ellie to cross over first, but he heard a noise, and his eyes widened as he turned around.

"Oh, fu-!" Lee watched in horror as the whole grate mechanism caved in, Clementine and Ellie tumbling down into the muck and water, the strong current pulling them off. With the clickers right behind him and the possibility of jumping across next to zero now. There was only one thing Lee could do, and it was what Joel was already in the process of doing, there was no other option, they were _going after _them. Ellie couldn't swim and he didn't know if Clem had gotten hurt falling down there. Nevertheless, he wasted no time as he nodded.

"Hang on! We're coming!" He yelled out as he hurled himself into the murky water below without a second thought, leaving the clickers behind. He felt the current tugging him and Joel along as they fought against it; it had already pulled Clem and Ellie further up as they desperately tried to pursue them.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem breathed slowly and firmly, preparing to take out the incoming clickers one at a time with Joel's aid. Ellie went first, taking it slow, just like she was asked to. Everything was going perfectly, and once Ellie was close enough, Clementine reached for her hand in order to pull her to safety.

The expression on Ellie's face… the eerie sound of the metal falling apart under her… It all gave it away long before the fact. "Ellie!" Clementine rushed forward, brimming with adrenaline, catching the girl's hand in the nick of time. From Clem's perspective, the moment that followed lasted an eternity… She tried, tried as hard as she possibly could to pull Ellie back, feeling the muscles in her arms give in until her body plunged forward. "No, no, no…!" Clementine fell head-first into the water, any sounds meaning to exit her lips instantaneously silenced by it.

Suddenly, it all went quiet… almost peacefully so. Ellie tried to speak, to call for her, but there was no one who could hear. It was dark, just as it was silent. Clem felt her body being dragged by the current, and nothing more. The girl didn't struggle against it, nor did she call for help… she couldn't possibly do so, as she achingly choked in sewage, legs violently moving back and forth and eyes widened in despair. Her vision faded, her senses dissipated… Clementine lost consciousness whilst submerged in the water.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

As the four survivors were carried off through the sewers, the strong current thrashes them around without remorse. Unfortunately, a separate pipe came into view, and before Joel and Lee can reach the two teenagers, they are pulled into a separate current into a different pipe system, ultimately getting separated as their attempts to resist the current proved futile.


	9. Lost, I

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie coughed violently as she crawled away from the river of sewage still flowing out of the sewer. She felt slimy, and gross, and the aftertaste of shit seemed impossible to get rid of. She managed to lift her head to examine where they'd ended up, only to be met with some sort of drainage ditch. The water had deposited them along the bank of the ditch, where Ellie now laid her back against the warm concrete. The sun beamed onto her from above, and the wind rustled through the overgrown trees surrounding the ditch, along with the soft melody of birds chirping in the distance. Nearby, Clementine was also laying on her back, eyes closed. Her hat had fallen off in the fall, leaving her tangled locks of hair an utter mess, and had washed up near Ellie. Cursing under her breath, she grabbed the hat, pulling herself up into a sitting position on the incline. Her eyes immediately went to some sort of writing on the wall next to an entrance into the sewers, where they likely would've ended up if the grate hadn't had other plans.

**WARNING, INFECTED INSIDE. DO NOT OPEN.**

_Yeah, no shit._

She took a glance around them, but found no sign of Lee or Joel. She thought she heard them in the tunnel, from behind, but they disappeared after that. They were alone. Panic rose in her chest, her breathing hitching with heaving breaths in between. She hadn't been this far away from Joel, or any adult, since… well, Boston. At least she had Clem with her. The girl was more than capable of defending herself, and Ellie wasn't so bad either, so together… maybe they had a chance to escape and find Joel and Lee.

She turned back towards Clementine, calling out the girl's name, but she received no response, the girl's eyes still closed. _Shit… please don't have a concussion or something. Please please please…_

She crawled towards the girl, pulling her away from the stream of flowing sewage at the bottom of the ditch. Her eyes went to the drainage pipe, a sense of fear washing over her. What if the clickers followed them down here? They couldn't stay here, not with that danger lurking. Cursing once more, she continued to pull the girl away from the ditch, up to the top of the incline and onto flat land. She didn't have time to try and wake Clementine up, not yet… not with the clickers possibly following them down here.

" _Please _don't be heavy," she muttered to herself, hoping the girl wouldn't hear her in her unconscious state. She managed to get the girl up, wrapping her arm around herself, before dragging her away from the ditch. Nearby, a two-story house sat on the other side of the street. _It'll do._

Wasting no time, her energy reserves running on fumes with her having to make sure Clementine wouldn't fall over, she made her way towards the house. She tried the door, and to her relief, it wasn't locked. Pushing it open, she carried Clem inside, laying her down on a couch in the living room before rushing back towards the door, locking it. She let out a heavy breath before turning back towards the living room. Sitting down on the coffee table next to Clem's couch, she laid her hat on it before gently tapping the unconscious girl with the palm of her hand. "Clem? Clem, c'mon, wake up!" There was a hint of desperation in her voice, like a little kid lost at an amusement park. Being on her own wasn't something she wanted. At least, she had Clementine there, but that's only if she managed to wake up. They couldn't stay here forever, either, and if she had a concussion, they might end up having to stay for a longer than she was comfortable with.

Time they didn't have, but it wasn't like they had a choice.

After a couple tries, she finally gave up, slouching as she continued to sit across from the girl. She didn't know what to do, and that anxiety showed itself in every movement she made, her hands shaking violently. She quickly leaned over Clementine, putting her ear over the girl's mouth. She was still breathing, so… she wasn't dead, at least? Also meant that her lungs weren't full of water, which would've been another problem entirely. Sighing, Ellie pushed herself to her feet.

_Guess I'll just have to wait until you wake up, which hopefully… will be soon. Please?_

Her attention then focused on the room around her. Obvious signs of decay littered the room, from rotted floorboards to torn wallpaper. This place hasn't been lived in, not for at least a decade, which… surprisingly made her feel safer. The thought of stumbling across those bandits from Pittsburgh had her feeling anxious, so at least she knew she hadn't found herself taking refuge in one of their outposts, or something. The decor reminded her of those old-timey movies she'd 'borrow' from her drill instructor, taking place in the nineteen-thirties or forties. Expensive-looking furniture with ornate designs on them littered the room, and faded but equally gaudy portraits and landscapes hung on the walls. Whoever had lived here before lived a life she could barely comprehend, and she wasn't sure if she envied or pitied them.

Either way, she hoped they left something useful behind for them to use. Clementine had a gnarly gash on her forehead, which oozed blood at - luckily - a slow rate, so she needed to tend to that as soon as possible. She climbed the stairs leading to the second floor, deciding to search through the bathroom first, hoping to come across _any_medical supplies, a first aid kit or something, but found nothing beyond a half-used roll of toilet paper and a long-since-expired tube of toothpaste.

"**Fuck** , c'mon… gimme _something _here."

She pushed a small tub filled with empty ointment tubes away from her, letting out a frustrated sigh. With the bathroom a bust, she moved on to the bedroom, although she doubted her luck would change. She managed to find a couple shirts that'd been left behind in the evacuation, but they were way too big to even wear. _Smelling like shit is starting to get __**really**__fucking old. _She clasped the bundle of clothes in her hand, dumping them on the coffee table downstairs. At least they'd make for decent temporary bandages, but she still had to find something to use as disinfectant.

Finally, she stepped into the kitchen, searching the cabinets for anything still edible. All of her food would undoubtedly be ruined, and she could already feel the faint pang of hunger deep within her stomach. Almost everything that had been left behind passed their expiration date over a decade ago, though, and the only useful thing left was half a bottle of vodka. _Guess I could use this as disinfectant._ _We've __**both**__ got shit to clean out…_ She ran her finger along a cut on her right arm, which had been left by the serrated edge of what remained of the sewer pipe's grate, leaving her sleeve torn. It wasn't deep, from what she could tell, or bled too much, but the likelihood of infection from the rust and shit was more than enough to worry her. _One_ infection was enough.

She unscrewed the cap on the bottle, gently pouring the foul-smelling liquid over the cut, grimacing as pain shot through her body. Hissing in her breath, she took the bottle back to the living room, sitting back down in her spot on the coffee table, grabbing one of the shirts and cutting off a small section of it with her knife before dousing it in the alcohol.

"Alright…" she breathed, looking towards Clementine's unconscious form tentatively. "This might sting a bit, so don't like… wake up and shoot me, okay?"

_Guess there's only one way to find out…_

She slowly lifted the soaked piece of fabric, gently dabbing the wound on the girl's forehead as she wiped away the dirt and shit off of it. She winced with every movement, expecting the girl to wake up and attack her at any moment, but that moment never came. Once the wound and the surrounding area was clean, she set down the dirty fabric, cutting off a longer piece of the plaid shirt, wrapping it around the girl's head and tying it off in the back.

"Okay… see? All done. That wasn't so bad, right?" She let out a sigh, shaking her head. "Way to go, Ellie. You're talking to someone who can't even hear you."

Pushing herself to her feet, she laid down on the other couch across the room, her eyes focused on the stained-white ceiling above her. With Clementine out of commission, there wasn't much else she could really… do, besides go through what would undoubtedly be an absolute mess inside her backpack. She put off that task for as long as she could, the seconds turning into minutes, before half an hour had already flown by. Sighing, she finally lifted herself from the couch, slumping onto the ground next to her backpack, and unzipping it.

The sight that met her was more than enough to make her heart ache. Pretty much _everything _was ruined. No food survived, just like she'd expected, and all of her comics were ruined even further, including the one Joel had found her on the beach, along with everything else she carried along with her. All she had left was her pistol, ammunition, and her butterfly knife. Her stomach continued to growl softly, but loud enough to pose a serious problem. Without any food, how were they even going to survive on their own? She should've gone out looking for food. She should've done _anything _else but lay on that fucking couch for half an hour, with one eye focused on Clementine, in hopes that the girl would _eventually _wake up. There were dozens of reasons why she didn't, though. For one, she didn't want to leave Clementine on her own, at the mercy of the infected, and she wasn't really… sure that the girl was going to be okay. There could be a hundred different injuries that she wasn't even aware of, but that head gash had definitely taken priority. Lastly, she didn't want to stray too far from the house, just in case Joel and Lee had come out nearby, and they tried to find them by the sewage pipe they'd come out of. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, and all she was left with was that uncomfortable silence for what felt like an eternity.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's eyes very falteringly shot open, being met with the sight of a blank white ceiling. From head to toe, everything felt sore, aching like her limbs didn't belong to her. The heavy-eyed girl sat up, lifting her head from the worn-out pillow under it… She couldn't remember much. Heck, Clem didn't really remember anything. Her coat and hat were lying elsewhere, distant from her, both drenched in sewage. Her hair was in ruins, fallen atop her face and just as soggy as her clothes… and the smell… Clementine winced, the stench of gutter practically engraved into her nostrils. _Never again. Never._

Her head hurt like hell, in what felt like a twisted combo of stress and physical pain, each hammering down on her from two different sides. In spite of that, bit by bit, things started coming back to her: the sewers, Joel, and how both her and Ellie fell into the water earlier. _Where am I? _The girl couldn't help but wonder in confusion, pressing her hand against her head in an effort to appease the killer headache she felt. "Ellie…?" Clementine uttered, calling for her in hopes that she'd be there to answer. Ellie _was _there, thankfully, in that very same room. Did she carry her there? Clementine had nothing short of dozens of questions at the time, yet she settled for just one. Her voice sounded raspy, exhausted… as though there wasn't a single bit of force behind it.

"What happened?"

It soon came to her attention, as it would with time, that Lee and Joel weren't there, not at all, and that realization came with nothing less than a surge of panic. Clementine's entire body began to shake, only partly because of the cold… her heart hitting her chest hard enough to bust through her ribcage. She'd frantically await Ellie's answer, furrowing her brows in concern. _Tell me they're okay…_

Dot [Ellie]

Clementine's sudden question jolted Ellie out of her reverie, the young girl having been going through the sludgy mess that was her backpack. With a sigh of relief, she dropped the comic she'd gotten from Joel on the ground next to her backpack, open to a page that was nearly unreadable due to the brown gunk soaked into it. She approached the girl quickly, before sitting down on the coffee table once more, like she'd done when she first dragged Clementine here.

"Y - You alright?" She immediately asked, taking a moment to look over the girl, as if she may have gotten new wounds while she was busying herself with her backpack. Sighing, she averted her gaze, biting her lip. After everything that happened, where would she start? "Well... _shit _... you and I fell into the pipe. Joel and Lee followed us in, I think. I heard them, then... t - then they were gone. The pipe split off at one point, t - they might've been pushed down... that one." Her voice was shaky, the mixture of fear and worry and uncertainty mixing together in one dangerous concoction, like a molotov ready to explode. "I haven't seen them since, but I think they made it out, too. Had to."

She paused for a couple seconds, her breath hitching. "We, uh... came out by the suburbs. Couldn't exactly stay by the pipe, in case those clickers followed us, so I carried you here." She took in a deep breath, picking up the girl's hat that she'd placed down on the coffee table earlier, when they first arrived. "Checked the house out while you were out, found a bunch of clothes, but nothing our size. Used one to bandage up your wound there," she indicated the girl's temple, where a plaid piece of fabric had been wrapped around the girl's head multiple times. "Whoever lived here left half a bottle of vodka in the fridge. Used that to disinfect it. For once, growing up in a military school's coming in handy." She let out a dry laugh, which came out more awkward than she'd intended. Finally, as her eyes averted to the hat she'd been spinning with her hand, she extended it out towards the girl. "Saved this for you too. Did the best I could to clean it."

_Still smells like sewage though, but... no getting around that, right now._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem sat with both her legs crossed, finding it increasingly more difficult to look Ellie in the eye as she went over what happened. _How long was I out? She was taking care of me that whole time…? _Clementine looked up again, appearing somewhat disconcerted. It sucked to act like such a hindrance at a time like this, but she was grateful to Ellie nonetheless, almost taken aback by what lengths she went through for her. Clem picked up the hat from Ellie with both hands, holding it slightly above her lap as she reflected on what their next move should be. Amongst the many things in the girl's mind, Lee's whereabouts toppled them all. They had to be close, they _had to be _... "I owe you big time," Clementine told Ellie with a faint smile, doing her earnest to hide how frightened she really was by the news.

_My backpack…! _The girl suddenly recalled in dismay, carefully standing up from the couch before rushing to its side near the coffee table. It was gone… everything was gone… her mom's books were totalled beyond repair. _Fuck, no, no… _The sight was crushing for the girl, who was forced to hold back her tears due to Ellie's presence. Clementine had no other choice besides throwing them out, reluctantly leaving them on the floor to rot away in that abandoned house. Through a stroke of luck, while running her hands through the inside of her backpack, Clem would find one of the books intact, and that alone meant the world to her. _Thank you, thank you, thank you!_

Everything else was likewise done for good, from the three apples she carried with her all the way to the Starbucks spread she took from the coffee shop. All gone. At that point, Clementine found it best to start talking to bury away her heartbreak.

"We need to look for food before sundown, and we _need _to find Lee and Joel. They can't be that far." The girl guesstimated with the intent of keeping Ellie, and mostly herself, confident on their goal. "If we can't find them today, we'll wait in one of the houses and try again tomorrow, _maybe _make a fire… I don't know." Clementine admitted, lastly, what had been haunting her ever since she learned the two of them were separated from Joel and Lee… she was lost, unsure of what to do. _We'll find them. We have to._

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie simply nodded to Clementine's statement; this wasn't a moment to feel proud of taking care of the girl, they hardly had the time for that. She was glad that the girl was finally starting to open up, though, like back at that old classroom in the sewers. As the girl picked herself up and started rummaging through her backpack, probably as dismayed as she was to find her things completely destroyed. _My fault, too. _After digging out a bunch of books, she'd found one that wasn't completely covered in muck, and seemed relieved. Questions burned in her mind, namely why she carried so many books around with her, but she kept them to herself. She was more worried about Clementine overexerting herself than anything. She'd been out for an hour and a half, so the likelihood she had a concussion was pretty damn high. Too high.

As the girl rummaged through the rest of her belongings, she spoke to Ellie, talking about needing to find food soon, which Ellie agreed with. There were a lot of obstacles in the way, but that didn't make the fact they needed to find food any less important.

She let out a sigh, before laying the cards on the table. Clementine, at least, had to know what they were getting themselves into before they left. "Clem, you were out for an hour and a half. You've probably got a pretty _bad _concussion, and I don't exactly know… _how _to help with that." She let out another sigh, realizing how overbearing she was sounding in that moment. Maybe it was because she didn't want to see her newfound friend die just because she decided she didn't want to rest. That was probably what was going to happen, though, so all Ellie could do was make sure she _doesn't _die.

"Yes, we need to find food, but we gotta be careful." After a brief pause, which would surely be followed up with Clementine denying that she was in any pain, and felt fine, Ellie continued, hoping to avoid that conversation. "Lee mentioned a radio tower before, when we were at the beach. Might be best to head towards that. Wherever it is. We can find food along the way, maybe some more supplies. They'll probably head there, hoping that we'd find our way there too." _That's if we can find the damned thing. _The area was so covered in brush and trees that it was impossible to see the rest of the town nearby. They'd have to find high ground, figure out where they were, and make a move from there.

**Art [Clementine]**

"I'm not passing out again." Clementine said with a chuckle, ruffling through her backpack one final time before closing it shut. _Hopefully… right? Not like I've ever hit my head this bad before. _The girl stood up with conviction, picking up her baseball cap from the couch and putting it on without further ado. "Don't worry about me, I'm peachy." She insisted, lying to a degree. Clem didn't really feel solid as a rock, but she'd put on an effort to get over it. For Ellie's sake, Lee's and her own.

"Radio tower… okay." Clementine uttered to herself, trying to come up with a plan to get them there. Finding something to eat along the way to the tower _did _seem more productive than straight out going out of their way to find food. They had a few options, ranging from plants to smaller animals… fishing if they had the time and resources, and insects if they were desperate. They had time, surely they'd run into something.

"If Joel and Lee aren't there by the time we reach the tower, we might have to spend the night…" Clem pointed out in a disheartened tone. "That would suck… but it might happen. We need to be ready for anything." _We're gonna make it, Lee. All of us._

"Let's start with the stuff we have,"' Clementine said, laying her backpack on the coffee table and separating every noteworthy item she had in her possession. "I got… a gun. Six rounds. Half empty box of band-aids. Old, _really _old chewing gum, and... my knife." _A lot less than I thought. Shit… _"What about you?" Clem turned to Ellie, hopeful, though admittedly, not expecting much.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie didn't believe Clementine at all when she said she was fine, but she didn't make a fuss out of it. If they were anything alike, then she would be too proud - or headstrong - to admit that she might not be at one hundred percent. It was obvious that their best bet was to get to the radio tower; it'd be where Joel and Lee would head. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to wait too long for them to find the place too, if they got there first.

Ellie's frown deepened as Clementine listed what little supplies she had left, already compiling the list of her own stuff in her head. It was easy to list, given how short it was. "I've got one bullet left, in the chamber," she started, a worried tone evident in her voice. "Pretty much all my food was ruined, so I've got nothing there. All I had left was those comics, and even those were ruined. I do have that bottle of vodka, though." _Wonder what it tastes like? ...No, Ellie, save it... we'll need it as a disinfectant. _"And some of those clothes I found upstairs. They're clean enough to keep using for bandages, for now."

_I've got pretty much __**nothing**__, really._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine awkwardly rubbed her nose, deep in her own thoughts. _Damn it… _No food, the bare minimum of medical supplies at best, and useless junk at worst. Only seven bullets total and... alcohol. Simply put, they were fucked, totally fucked. The girl took a deep breath, crossing her arms as she sought a way to make the most out of what little they had.

"No guns until we get there, okay? Unless we absolutely have to." Clem requested. "We're both running low… and we're gonna need everything we can spare. There's the noise too." Amongst the girl's biggest concerns was the possibility of leading any walkers to the radio tower, or even worse, the guys from the bridge. They had to be careful.

"We might not find any food on the way… but _don't _freak out if we don't. I'll keep an eye out, just don't get your hopes up." She warned Ellie preemptively, praying that the circumstance in question wouldn't have to be the case, yet still ensuring the other girl would keep her cool if the two of them were forced to spend the night without eating. It would be awful for sure, but they'd just have to suck it up. "Stay close, and if we get split up, we meet back in the tower. Got it?" Clementine finished, giving Elie a confident smile. It felt weird to act so bossy now that Lee wasn't around, yet still, in a way it felt sort of neat too. The entire situation was scary, yet oddly exciting all at the same time.

Clem packed up her things before walking up to the doorstep, waiting patiently for Ellie in case she had anything to say or do before they left. _The sooner we leave the better. _

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Clementine detailed out their plan, Ellie had to resist the urge to retort. She knew better than to waste her last bullet, of course, and having no food wasn't the _worst_thing. They had time, and that's all she needed to know. Of course, she understood why Clementine was saying this, more so to make sure they were both on the same page rather than trying to boss her around. At least, she hoped. Right now, there wasn't any room for bickering, not when they were on their own. Packing up the bottle of vodka, and the clothes she'd gathered, she slipped her backpack on and followed Clementine towards the door. As much as she didn't like the idea of Clementine going out there in the state she was in, she knew that she couldn't stop her, and they _had _to get moving. Waiting was out of the question.

"We should head for high ground, see if we can figure out where we are, and where the radio tower is," Ellie suggested, following the girl outside. The street was empty, thankfully, grass covering most of the concrete. Dilapidated cars lined the road, too rusted and old to even be worth checking for supplies. The sun was rising higher in the sky, turning what was originally a darkened grey sky into a mixture of yellow and orange, which would soon be followed with sky blue. There was no cloud in the sky, leading to the air slowly warming up, not that Ellie would complain. After the past few months they've spent on the road, warm days were a blessing she'd hardly refuse.

**Art [Clementine]**

"How about over there?" Clementine asked, pointing over her right shoulder with her thumb. That way, next to the suburban homes, lied a green grass hill and a winding road that overlooked a large portion of the city, certainly enough to get a better view of the radio tower. "Looks climbable, right?" The easiest and fastest way to get atop the hill would be by using one of the abandoned houses situated beside it, climbing to the roof and making their way from there.

And so they did, slowly and carefully making their way to the house. The silence made for a rather peaceful walk, even with the morning heat crashing down upon them. The two girls seemed perhaps too agitated to say anything, which was something perfectly understandable under the presented circumstances. Once Ellie and Clementine reached the house, the latter began to formulate a plan to get to its roof without much hardship. The front door was locked, as they'd quickly find out, therefore that route was out of the question. _Not worth the noise. What to do…? _In the road, and near the house respectively, was a small two seater car. Clem stared at it for a good few seconds, her face lighting up like a christmas tree. It looked light enough to push, and tall enough to use as a ploy to reach the roof. _Perfect. _"Hey, Ellie." Clementine exclaimed excitedly, walking promptly towards the back of the two seater. "Give me a hand."

With Ellie's help, Clem pushed the car with her back against it, using every ounce of her strength. The girl's hair fell on her face once again, covering her eyes with no remorse. It had been, what, three, maybe four years since she let it grow that long? It was almost kind of embarrassing, though at the time, she didn't really have the time or means to tie it up, or anything of the sort. Clem was weirdly self-conscious about her hair, especially around another girl… and the way it smelled didn't help. They had a few more feet to go, and for some reason or other, Clementine felt like that was the right time to break the ice.

"You wanna… play a game?" The girl asked, already breathing heavily from the exertion. "I ask you a question, and you _have _to answer it. If you do, you can ask me anything. We take turns," Clem explained as they finally got the car in position. "First one to chicken out loses." The girl finished with a mischievous smile, right before climbing on top of the two seater. "It'll be fun, promise. Here…" _Better start simple, right? _"...How old are you?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Ellie and Clementine finished pushing the car next to the house, the other girl had decided to break the ice, the nature of Clementine's request surprising her. For some reason, she didn't really see her as the 'game' type, a bit too serious for her age, although that was mostly due to her experiences, she was sure. As Ellie joined the girl on top of the car, she couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle.

"A game, huh? Like truth or dare, but it's all truth?" She joked, waiting for Clementine to jump and climb onto the roof of the building. "Guess that's a start then," she continued, talking about Clementine's first question. "Fourteen. What about you?" She scrutinized the girl for a moment, already having a rough estimate in her head. She was either thirteen or fourteen, as much as she could gather, maybe fifteen, though she doubted that. At the least, starting off with bouncing the question back will leave her a bit more to work with later, get the simple things out of the way first.

**Art [Clementine]**

_Older than me? Come on… _"Thirteen." Clementine admitted with a pout, stretching her arms whilst standing atop the roof. There was no particular reason for her to feel so thwarted aside from sheer competitiveness. After all, the title of _littlest _girl was par for the course with being the youngest of the two…

_She looks fourteen, I guess._

Next up was a short jump to the grass surface, couldn't be more than sixteen meters. It was a drop of about 10 feet, and below was little more than mud and dirt. Nothing one would really pay much mind to, all things considered, and that's mostly how things ensued for Clem.

The girl took a few steps back, letting out a sigh before leaping from the roof, landing smoothly on the grassy terrain. The girl didn't really pay much attention to the jump in question, or even the possible danger she'd be in were she to fail it. Her mind was wholeheartedly focused on the next question she intended to ask Ellie. The idea was to lift the mood a bit, hopefully have some fun, so she'd avoid asking anything too personal for now. The whole thing was like crossing a minefield, there was no being too careful. Clementine spoke up eventually, sounding somewhat upset due to the nature of the question.

"Did you have a lot of friends in Boston?" That question, like most of them, had an ulterior purpose…

It wasn't particularly hard to come to a conclusion like that solely based on the way she acted around others, but Clementine didn't have a lot of friends. That is to say… she never really had the chance to. Growing up on a farm, away from everything… it was lonely. Duck was her first ever friend, and probably the only real connection she ever had with someone her age. That loneliness brought her all kinds of social hardships… a severe shyness that eventually developed into... whatever you could call the moody personality she had now. Ellie was so… different. In a lot of ways, Clem was jealous of her, of the life she had, or rather, assumed she had. Maybe the real reason she asked that was out of bitterness, really. Even Clementine couldn't say for sure…

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie watched as Clementine jumped off the roof, landing safely on the ground below. It was graceful, almost choreographed. _Probably jumped off plenty of roofs before. Guess you get used to it. _She followed in her footsteps, taking a couple steps back, before taking the plunge, bending her knees to take the brunt of the shock. As Clementine asked her question, Ellie's mind went back to that horrible night in the mall, filled with water soakers and broken arcade machines, and death. Where she watched her best friend turn right in front of her, while she lived to tell the tale. Those memories were a mixed blessing, the last one she had of Riley, filled with excitement, tension, disappointment, horror, and remorse.

_Ellie was suddenly awakened by a hissing sound, the feeling of teeth against her skin. The instant whatever it was made contact, Ellie had instantly moved into action, forcing what she thought to be an infected off of her. She grabbed her knife, and flicked the blade out, readying herself to kill it when she –_

_It wasn't an infected._

_Her voice was one of bewilderment and relief, the sight of her best friend being one that was both unexpected and welcome. "Riley?" After the girl had disappeared, she wasn't sure what to to think, but here she was, on the ground in her quarters, holding a hand up in order to stop her from plunging a blade into her._

_Riley simply let out a groan of pain, before pulling herself back to her feet, her tone light and drenched in pain. "Owww... I landed on my hip..."_

"_What the hell?" Ellie let out a breath of relief, rubbing her neck where Riley had pretended to bite her. "Thought I was bitten."_

_Riley giggled, nodding her head. "I know. It was kind of awesome."_

She shook away the memory, forcing herself to focus on the question she'd been given. Riley was gone, a memory of a time when her life had been so much simpler, times she would never get back. Maybe she was right in thinking that the memories were a blessing and a curse.

Finally, she replied to the girl's question, her voice nonchalant, although she was unsure if that was because of the memory, or the fact she didn't have too much of an answer for Clementine. "Not really. I knew people, sure, but... I only had one... _real _friend. Riley. I told you about her, back in the sewer. There was a woman named Marlene, too, but she sorta just… watched over me, really. And… I met Joel, just before I left Boston, so I don't think he really _counts _." She took in a deep breath, trying to reign in the emotions bubbling to the surface of her mind. _Focus, Ellie. You've still got a long road ahead._

As they ascended the hill, Ellie thought up another question, mulling over several ideas in her head, before finally settling on one. "You and Lee have been on the road awhile, right? Been to any cool places?" _Paris would be cool. Wonder if the Eiffel Tower is still standing after all these years? _She'd seen pictures of the French city in magazines. It seemed so vastly different to the world she grew up in that it was almost... alien. Foreign, definitely. In another life, maybe she would've gotten to go. She'll never get that chance now.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine remained silent, feeling a weird itch in the back of her ear, only to learn it was a nosy fly. _It doesn't smell that bad, does it? _The girl pondered with a frown, hastily swatting it away. _Shoo! _They had a long climb ahead of them, and an ever longer _road _ahead of them afterwards. Clem had so much in her mind, too much to concentrate on anything in front of her. She only hoped Lee and Joel were better off.

Listening to Ellie's response didn't exactly cheer her up… now Clem just felt shitty for asking. _That was bad, right? Crap. Bad question. _Even so, Clementine couldn't stop thinking about this Riley girl. What she looked like, what she sounded like… what _happened _to her… _Another terrible question, dumbass. _"That's, ah… cool." Clementine stated aimlessly, trying her earnest to lighten up the mood. _You made it worse. Just shut up. _It was her turn to answer, and judging by Ellie's question, it didn't look like she'd have an easy time doing so. _Cool places…? _Clem pulled her fingers up, counting them as if crossing out potential locations. _The motel sucked. Savannah blows. I guess the cabin wasn't that bad..._

Eventually, Clem's eyes widened in excitement. She knew exactly what to say.

"A ski resort!" The girl exclaimed with confidence, now dead-set on cheering Ellie up with her answer. "You know what those are? Lee told me people used to pay to ride in these lifts, get all the way to the top of a mountain, then slide down with these board thingies." Clementine explained, mimicking some of the motions to give Ellie a better idea. "There was a lodge there. They had music, a fireplace... food wasn't all that, but they had a _christmas tree _with lights and everything! They got the power from a wind turbine. It was so awesome."

It certainly was… until a group of soldiers came, gunned down the owners of the place and took everyone captive. Ellie didn't have to know about that part. "It, uh... we didn't stay there long. You know how it is, life on the road." Clementine shrugged, not really having the strength to put on a smile as she went over the last bit. "Anyway. Your turn."

"This one's big, so think hard before you answer. If you could go anywhere, do whatever you wanted, no strings attached. What would you do?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie scrunched her nose at the question, a small, amused smile on her face. "Hypotheticals, huh?"

Truth was, she really didn't have any idea what she would do or where she'd go. She's barely experienced the world as it was. She remembered when they had been trying to find Bill, and found themselves in a forest, and she'd been so fascinated by nature, because she'd seen nothing like that, not with her own eyes. The world was a mystery, so much bigger than she could possibly imagine, and yet, fourteen years ago, it might've felt small. Born too late to explore the world, but born just in time to scavenge in the wastelands. She knew which one she'd prefer.

"Well, uh…" She mulled over a few potential ideas in her head, thinking of all the places she'd learned about through those geography and travel magazines she used to read back in Boston. Paris was nice, but one place stuck out to her like a sore thumb, a place so different to anything she'd ever seen. "Maybe... travel to Norway? Read about it once... lots of mountains, and winding roads, and something called fords or something. It looked so awesome in the pictures, it almost seemed... unreal, you know? Maybe I'd learn how to ski." She inwardly laughed at the comment, everything coming full circle to Clementine's ski resort answer. If it wasn't so impossible, maybe they could've learned together, and traveled to Norway, but Europe might as well have been on another planet, or something.

"Alright then, hypotheticals... I can work with that…" she said aloud, trying to think up something to ask Clementine. The hill continued to become steeper and steeper, leading to them slowing down a bit.

She snapped her fingers after a moment, a question coming to mind. She wasn't sure if Clementine would _have _an answer, but she was simply curious. "You... ever have a crush on someone?"

She remembered Clementine mentioning something about being with a group before, but nothing specific. First time Ellie ever had _those _kinds of feelings for someone had been with Riley, and she still didn't quite understand them to this day. 'Butterflies' and nervousness, things that hardly plagued her before, but had made things all that much more confusing when her friend had been around. Maybe it was just her who felt that way, or maybe that was normal. Whatever normal was these days…

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's soft expression took a sudden one-eighty, her mouth hanging open for a few seconds until she clumsily choked on her own saliva. Ellie's question didn't just catch her off guard, it sucker-punched her right between the teeth. _The fuck kind of question is that? _Clem made a sudden stop, turning back to look at Ellie, face flushed red and helpless to mask the shakiness in her voice.

"What? No, no way!" She desperately protested, embarrassed by the mere implication that she could have. Amidst the numerous shortcomings of the girl's social skills, displays of affection proudly stood atop them all as her biggest affliction. Did she have a crush on Duck? The question popped up in her mind almost instantly, and vanished just as quickly. Nobody who saw them together could tell for sure, not even her, really, but the girl would surely deny it with all her tenacity to anyone daring to ask. Clem began walking again, eyes set on the winding road ahead of them, plotting her revenge.

_I'll teach you for asking weird stuff…_

"What about this, then…" Clementine stopped dead on her tracks once again, this time without facing Ellie. "Have you ever... kissed someone before?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Uh huh. Sure. _Ellie found herself thinking with a small smirk as the girl denied that she ever had a crush on someone. The fact she'd been so defensive about it already led her to believe the contrary, which she mentally noted as Clementine began walking again. She half-expected the question Clementine then asked, but wished that she hadn't. Those thoughts about Riley and the mall came rushing back like a runaway freight train, forcing her to look away from the girl's back as she tried to block them out, but was unable to do so.

_The two girls danced on top of a glass cabinet to some song Ellie didn't recognize; it had a nice beat, a smooth, jazzy tone. It was fun, that's the best she could describe it. As Riley danced away, Ellie slowly began to stop, watching the girl for a moment. Her confession earlier repeated in her mind. Riley was joining the Fireflies... Marlene's group... to say that Ellie was crushed was an understatement. Her friend disappeared for weeks, and when she came back into her life, she did so to tell her that she was leaving the city? It wasn't fair, none of it, but in some weird, fucked up way, Ellie was also proud of her. She was doing something she believed in. Ellie couldn't really... say the same._

_After a moment, Riley noticed her standing there, a small giggle escaping her lips as she grabbed onto Ellie's hands, preparing for the two to dance together, until she noticed Ellie's dejected, yet __**trying**__to be happy expression. "What is it?" Maybe it was how hurt she felt, or abandoned, or well... just about... anything, but Ellie couldn't just watch her go, not like this._

_Her voice was soft, almost pleading, "Don't go."_

_Several expressions that Ellie couldn't quite decipher flashed across Riley's face, indecision maybe? Hesistance? Something... else? After a couple seconds of eye contact, the girl grabbed a hold of her Firefly chain, ripping it off and tossing it to the floor._

_A wave of emotion washed over Ellie like a tsunami, feelings she didn't know the name of, and ones that she did, all coalescing together into one super feeling, almost too much to bear. She moved closer to Riley without really meaning to, her lips connecting with Riley's in one smooth motion. Her heart was in her throat, beating so fast she thought it might explode. Once the realization kicked in, she pulled away, opening her eyes again, expecting to find her best friend looking back at her with disgust, but that look was nowhere in sight._

_Ellie could feel the embarrassed smile creeping across her face, her face flushed red, as if she'd been caught doing some horrible act, but it wasn't enough to stop the feeling of butterflies in her stomach._

"_Sorry…" Her voice was a whisper as she apologized, worried about what her friend might say, that nagging feeling in the back of her head continuing to get louder and louder, like the approach of a storm._

"_For what?"_

Her heart still ached thinking about that moment, thoughts about how fucked up it was that her best friend would die not soon after that kiss swirling in her mind like a tornado. Had Clementine been looking towards her, the pain would be clearly evident in her face. She was lucky that she hadn't bothered to glance back at her.

Clearing her throat, she tried to speak calmly, but her voice had become just as shaky as Clementine's had before. "I have. Once." She didn't want to elaborate further, although she was sure the girl would eventually ask about it. Explaining what happened with Riley later, though, that was something she didn't want to do. She couldn't allow herself to hint at her immunity, even for something as casual as a game.

She let a smirk cross her face as she decided to try to lighten the mood. "I'm guessing you haven't, then, since you haven't had a crush before." She took in a deep breath, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. "Alright, your turn then." She took a moment to think, glancing towards the hat Clementine still wore on her head. It was clear that she treasured it, the only time it ever left her head was when they fell down the sewer pipe. "Alright, I gotta know. Who gave you the hat?"

**Art [Clementine]**

_Don't gotta rub it in… _Clementine thought with a smile, rolling her eyes. Her plan to make Ellie uncomfortable gloriously backfiring. There was a thought lingering in the back of her mind, to ask who it was that Ellie kissed when it was her turn next, but Clem dropped the idea rather quickly. She was certain it'd be enough to get Ellie to give up, but that really wasn't the point of the game, at least not for Clementine. Ellie answered the question and stood her ground, pushing her further just felt like a petty thing to do.

Nevertheless, it _was _sort of impressive how smoothly she pulled it off. Talking about kisses and boys was totally out of Clem's league, but for Ellie it was almost second nature, like she didn't have anything to hide. _She's the older one alright. _Clem still had vivid memories of playing that game with Sarah before she passed, of how she'd always give up after the first few turns. It was sweet in its own way, but things were different with Ellie. Everything about her was different in an awesome way.

_Please don't ask something gross. Please don't ask something gross._

Ellie's next question and the change of subject provoked a sigh of relief from Clem, who couldn't help but worry over the two of them going further down that rabbit hole. Sometimes Clementine had to wonder if people ever thought she looked freaky with a baseball cap on all the time. "I'll tell you when we reach the top." Clem said to Ellie, taking a break from the fun to focus on what they came there for. Upon taking their first steps over the road's concrete surface, the two girls walked over to the edge of the hill, taking the time to let the view sink in as they stared intently at the radio tower.

"That's _really _far." Clementine pointed out in awe. "I think we can get there before nightfall, but… I don't know." _That looks like it'd make a ten hour walk easily, maybe more… wish we got to see the sunset here._

"You asked about the hat, right?" The girl recalled. "Dad gave it to me. Birthday gift. Last birthday I ever got to spend with him."

Clem spoke up again shortly after, as though trying to make up for the morbid comment. "D - Don't feel bad, okay? I'm glad you asked. Seriously." _Way to ruin the game, Clem... _Clementine furrowed her brows, sitting down with her knees between her arms and using the scenery in front of them to cope with the silence that followed. "I'm still looking for them…" The girl said warmly, though she could not do so without showing glimpses of sorrow in her eyes. "They're still alive, and one day, I'm gonna find them. I know it."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie plopped down next to Clementine, looking over the city below. The sun wasn't all that high in the sky yet, but enough that the orange hue was gone, replaced by a soft blue. In the distance, she could see the radio tower, farther away than she'd imagined. It was going to be fun getting there. A whole lot could happen in that distance. To their left, the river ran through the valley, and further upstream, they could see the city they'd barely escaped from, looking incredibly small compared to when they were there earlier.

"I'm sure you will," Ellie replied, a smile on her face as she glanced towards the girl next to her. Go back to yesterday, and the fact they'd be sitting on this hill, and not at each other's throats, would've been too much for Ellie to believe. They started off on the wrong foot, but it seemed that maybe… maybe she finally found another friend.

She took in a deep breath, drinking in the view for a bit longer, almost mesmerized by the sheer beauty of it. The world was filled with the infected and the dead, but views like this still existed, which gave her all the more reason to enjoy the time she spent out here on the road. She wouldn't have seen anything like this in Boston, and she hoped she'd be able to see more in the future. They were on a mission, sure, but sometimes, you gotta stop to smell the roses. _That's the phrase… right?_

For once, the silence didn't feel like it was dragging, maybe it was because things were less awkward now than they had been, or perhaps the view was enough to leave them both in awe, she wasn't really sure. For a moment, what they were really doing here escaped her mind, too focused on what was in front of her. As she wrapped her arms around her legs, she glanced back towards Clementine.

"It's your turn, by the way," she spoke, chuckling. "To ask a question," she continued, clarifying what she'd meant. Honestly, she wouldn't mind just staying up here for a while. Maybe they'd see Lee and Joel from up here, who knows? It was a long walk to the radio tower either way, they had time to enjoy themselves.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Oh, right. My bad." Clementine told her with a soft smile, her gaze facing downwards as she pondered over what to ask her. It could have very well been a reaction brought about by the silence around them, the sight of the trees below… the sheer peacefulness of that moment, but for once, Clem stopped thinking about the game, about ways to cheer the two of them up… and decided to ask what she _really _wanted to know. Something that had been on her mind for longer than she'd like to admit.

"After we find the Fireflies… will you stick around? I mean, you and Joel?"

Clementine wasn't sure if any of the other three, with so many _crazy _things happening so quickly, had even the slightest chance to imagine a time that wasn't _right then _... that wasn't living in the constant fear of not having a tomorrow. A lot of it was fed by the people around her, by her own childlike imagination, but after so many years of non-stop running, Clem saw an end-goal with the Fireflies. Somewhere Lee and her had a chance of starting a real life. Ever since they first talked, really talked in the sewers, she wondered if Ellie thought the same thing, and maybe that was her own way of asking her that. Her own way of asking if, after all they were about to go through, that she'd still have a friend in the end of it all.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Hopefully," Ellie replied honestly, keeping out the part where her end-goal was to help the Fireflies get the cure out of her. It was a long journey to get to Tommy's, and then to the Fireflies from there, she'd hardly thought about what they'd do afterwards. "Whatever happens, it wouldn't be so bad sticking around with you and Lee," she continued, the statement being something she meant wholeheartedly. She let out a soft chuckle, a thought crossing her mind. "As long as we don't start stabbing each other again."

The more she thought about them traveling together long-term, the more her thoughts dwelled on her immunity. What if they found out they'd been hiding it from them? How long will they be traveling together before it's discovered? The words of confession were on the tip of her tongue, and remained there for a good long while, but they refused to come out. Whatever this was, whatever friendship they were forging, she didn't want to ruin it now. There would be a time and a place, if she could convince Joel to tell her and Lee. That time wasn't now.

* * *

_6:15 AM - The suburbs outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

On a separate side of the suburbs, the pipe system had thrown the two survivors out, spewing them out onto the street along with muck and rubbish. Their backpacks and clothes were drenched in it, and any valuables or edibles in their packs would be long contaminated by now. They had come close to escaping together, but had ultimately failed in doing so and losing the kids in the process. The sun was up, and would probably be alien to their eyes after being in the dark for so long. The noticeable object in the distance was the radio tower, where Lee had told everyone was the place to head to back on the beach before they went into the sewers, a burning question was now surrounding the duo's minds: what now?

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee's eyes fluttered open as he realized he was laying on his back, his eyes immediately resisting the urge to squint as the sun hit them… he felt a warmth surrounding his whole body, the dirt and muck beginning to dry on his clothes because of the heat. The sun had only just come up in time to greet them from their whole sewers dilemma. He slowly sat up, seeing the pipe where they had come out from… still flowing out sewer water. The smell of that, along with his clothes, made him want to retch. He looked around, spotting Joel washed up too… But…

"Goddamit!" His fist collided _hard _with the ground as muck went flying up into the air… realizing they were gone.

_No… _he stood up now, wobbling to his feet, frantically looking around, but he didn't see them… his memory quickly came back to him. Joel and Lee swimming after them… trying to catch up… before being pulled by the current out somewhere else… the horrifying thought of that being the last time he would see Clem stuck to him like glue, trying to press his mind off the matter. _She's okay… she's okay… they made it out _... He knew Joel must have been feeling the same. In a way, he figured this was his comeuppance for what he did back up on the bridge, the feeling of failure sinking in…

He placed his hands on his hips as he sighed out and stood there, closing his eyes as his head tilted to the floor in shame, his back faced away from Joel. _We gotta find em… we got to._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

There was a thick warmness now, a humidity filling the air. They had made it outside. Unfortunately, the "they" was just him and Lee; Ellie and Clementine washed away in the sewers. Water spilled from Joel's mouth as he began to get up, now on his hands and knees. They were _so _close. Joel could almost grab the back of Ellie's pack, pulling her and Clementine along with them. And then, they were gone. Joel finally stood, breathing heavy and eyes blinded by the sun. It looked over them, sarcastic in its lingering presence. "No…" Joel took both of his arms and brought them over his head, interlocking the wrists in worry. He didn't say a word, now only pacing back and forth with worry. _ We were so close._

He stared into the sewer drain now, hoping in all of his heart that Ellie would come spilling out, a joke readied and a furious Clementine behind her. But it was not to be; just more and more pisswater pouring from the drain. Joel observed Lee, who was now punching the ground in anger. He sucked in a deep breath; this was bad. They were alone God knows where, probably scared, maybe even dead. What if they were dead, _oh God _.

Joel pushed the thought from him. They'd be okay. They could handle themselves; somewhat. But they had to be found. "They probably came out of another drainage pipe, somewhere in the suburbs. We'll find them." He tried to reassure Lee, mostly reassuring himself in the process. Whether he was successful in his act of comfort was yet to be seen.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee opened his eyes as he thought about what Joel said… _maybe we can find where the pipe system took them… then go from there. _He nodded to himself as he picked up his bag and walked past Joel. "Then let's go," he spoke with a renewed sense of confidence. Now wasn't the time to be pulling stunts like he had back on the bridge, in that regard… Ellie didn't seem the type to abandon someone, and he knew Clementine wasn't like that either, so they _had _to be together, and hopefully looking out for each other._Probably doing the same as we are right now._

He glanced to his side to see Joel, the severity of the situation had removed any potential awkwardness he may have felt, after all… he was alone with a man he had gotten into several altercations with… and had left behind. Hopefully Joel wasn't the type of guy to throw any cheap shots, Lee couldn't be certain the man wouldn't do something… he just had to hope Ellie was more important to the southern man than getting even right now.

"I'm thinking we can try and see which pipe system they went through, maybe find some tracks or something that tells us they moved on." He paused, thinking about what he had said before heading into the sewers back on the beach. "If they're not there, they might be heading to the radio tower."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Lee seemed eager enough to get a move on, and Joel couldn't disagree with him. They needed to move; and despite the few differences they had, they needed to be put aside. There were more important things than petty revenge, Joel decided. Lee was a good guy, all things considered. Even if he had stabbed Joel in the back and left him behind back in Pittsburgh. They had made it out; him and Ellie had escaped mostly safe, and Joel supposed that was good enough. He followed Lee along, nodding to show he was listening.

"Yeah. They're smart enough. They've probably already started getting moving to the radio tower by now, but we can probably track them from there." He thought about this for a moment, then stopped. "What if they've already started movin' that way? We have no clue how far they might have gone in the water. They probably got spit out somewhere around here, but there isn't going to be any infected in these suburbs. It's too bright." He placed his hands on his hips, lost in thought. "Maybe we should head for the radio tower. They know where we were going. If they aren't there, then we should go searching for them." Joel knew they could take care of themselves; to an extent. They could hide from any men that showed up, maybe even shoot a few since both of them had a gun now.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The more Lee thought about it, the more Joel was right, knowing them they'd be on foot by now, hopefully in an attempt to find the radio tower, granted it wasn't very hard to miss if you were in the right part of town. Luckily enough, the sun was up, which would make it easier to spot from a distance. There was a degree of safety when it came to finally being out of those sewers; the plus side was no infected lurking around in open areas like this. Lee was feeling anxious, he needed confirmation that they had made it out of the sewers, but aimlessly wandering about the suburbs looking for pipes was just going to waste time. He had to trust that they were already on the move, but he still kept a lookout for any tracks or sewage gunk on the ground as they walked.

"Alright, radio tower it is, with luck… they're probably on the move towards there right now," he spoke as he glanced at the golden structure in the far distance. To a certain degree, Lee couldn't help but wonder how they would be handling themselves currently. Clementine was a team player, but she had a temper sometimes… as for Ellie, the wound in his shoulder from that knife told him all he needed to know about how riled up she could get. He just hoped they'd both be safe and work together until they were found.

"You think those two will be able to get along by themselves?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel kept on, eyes glancing about, just in case any infected had managed to slip outside. Or any less than friendly people decided to pop up around the corner and open fire on the pair. Fortunately, none of these relatively unwanted events occurred. They continued through the suburbs mostly unharmed, until Lee's question broke the silence. "Yeah. They have mutual interests, and they're similar, the two." He sniffled, wiping at the corners of his mouth. They _were _similar, and he figured Lee knew that too. Both taken care of by men they didn't know; both were around the same age, and both were just as impulsive and idealistic as the other. They were strong-willed; themselves strong, Joel thought not. "You and Clementine... you said you were with a group before. What was that like?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Hm." Lee kept his gaze forward, giving it some more thought "They really are similar… aren't they?" He admitted as a slight smile formed on his face… before the thought that came after caused him to almost frown. "I can only imagine how much of a relief it is for them to find someone their own age… especially in a world like this," he spoke grimly. He hoped a day would come where kids… could just be kids again, like how it was in the old days when his generation was growing up. Memories were all they had left, and so be it… it was just something they had to keep holding on to.

He glanced over as the gruff man asked about the previous group he and Clementine were in before all of this… the truth was… he'd give anything to be back in a functional group… to worry about simple things like rations and fixing the walls. Any worries that didn't involve being alone and chased by thugs and walkers through the streets. The immediate group he thought back to was the motor inn, which was the most stable group he was in for a while, the cabin group coming shortly after. The two groups shared one thing in common… they both fell. They had run into small groups of survivors since then here and there, but it was always short interactions. He believed that Clementine and himself had grown accustomed to not wanting to experience the horror of seeing a group filled with people you had come to care about fall apart.

"It was at a motor inn… functioned, for a while… just like any other household, we worked together to keep it running, but we also fought over what at the time seemed like things that were so _damn _important… and in the end, it eventually fell." He sighed out, eyebrows furrowing as he thought about all the friends lost along the way.

"I'd do anything to go back to arguing about fixing the wall or deciding who had night shift on watch," he admitted as he huffed out a scoff. The more he thought about it, the more stupid it was… they had everything they needed to make it work… but in the end, they just couldn't hold it together. Too much discord.

Deciding that maybe they needed to sway to a lighter topic, Lee gathered his thoughts as he cleared his throat after a brief moment of silence. "So, what were you up to before corpses started running around?" He spoke lightheartedly.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel listened as best as he could, taking in the motor inn and the other tales Lee wove. The idea of groups outside of the quarantine zones and Firefly encampments was a nice one. Of course, most of these outside groups were rapists, cannibals, or plain old bandits. It was surreal, almost, to hear about a relatively friendly group of folks outside. It was strange to hear about nice folks at all, from what Lee said. Joel figured that Tommy had joined up with one of these groups; Joel could only hope they were good people. "Hm. I guess that sounds nice. I doubt it'd last forever though, even with your... disagreements. The Fireflies and FEDRA are always out lookin' for folks to recruit. Or rough up." Joel resented Lee's optimism, he supposed. There was no way their group ever would have worked, and Lee should have known this much as anybody. "Might've worked out better out west. Not many Fireflies or military down that way."

Joel scratched his nose, then let his hand fall back to his side. Lee asked a question; a follow up to Joel's, who proceeded to grimace. "I used to be a carpenter." He swallowed, thinking of what else to add. There were some pains that were best left unthought and unsaid. Some quite bothersome thoughts. "Lived just outside of Austin." He gave a weak smile, looking at his feet. "I was about to be let go when all this happened." Joel scratched the back of his head, sighing. "How about yourself?" He asked, returning to the conversation.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee wasn't willing to go into details of things that _should've _or _could've _happened, he found himself slightly agitated at Joel's comments on the group… maybe it hit a little too close to home, or was a little too much of a pessimistic view for his taste, but what made it worse was that FEDRA or the Fireflies weren't the ones to take them down… in the end… the group took itself down, which made it all the more painful to discuss.

"Maybe," he simply responded before looking back ahead, feeling the heat in the air start to rise the longer they continued to walk.

"Carpentry, huh? Useful skill to have under your belt these days." Although there was no telling what job the man could have had before the outbreak before he decided to tell, he definitely did seem the type to be involved in construction. Lee wasn't sure if he could handle working on sites in the heat all day, back in the old days. It would surely have made him light-headed; the occupation definitely needed resilience and grit on those scorching days. Lee figured from the accent that he must have been from somewhere in the south, and Texas was the confirmation. He turned to Joel as he asked about his prior life.

"I taught history up at the University of Georgia. Was going on my sixth year when it happened." He purposely left out the part where he continued teaching in one of the FEDRA safe zones after the outbreak, not wanting to be questioned on that regard. "Grew up in Macon."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel supposed he agreed with he man; useful, to a degree. Of course, Joel hadn't used his previous skills at carpentry for… building. Rather, his strength and muscle had gone to slaughtering and stealing and scaring and all other manner of heinous acts. Maybe he could have done some building here and there; maybe that would have been nice. Joel looked at the decrepit houses sprawled about, crumbling away so quick. Maybe he could have gotten a job building for FEDRA. Maybe Tommy wouldn't have left him for those terrorist bastard Fireflies.

"You were a history teacher?" Joel's ears perked up, and he looked at Lee, amused. A history teacher. Lee might not have seemed the type, but it did make sense looking at him now. He wasn't as strong as Lee, wasn't as strong as most of the bandits in Pittsburgh. _History teacher from Macon. Wherever Macon was. _"So, you a big history buff then? And I haven't heard of Macon before, what's that like?" Joel was genuinely curious; he supposed he cared about Lee now, as best as he could, considering the circumstances of being left behind.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A slight chuckle escaped Lee as the man mentioned _history _... he could go on and on about it for hours at a time.

"Yeah, if you need a lecture on Union and Confederate Civil War history, I'm your guy," he half-joked, but it was true. He remembered trying to get his students to learn that the future was unknown, but the past had some of the best gems of human accomplishments and hardships. Delving into history used to be his passion, alongside many others that studied up at UGA, and sometimes he missed teaching it. He was briefly interrupted from his reminiscing as Joel asked about Macon.

"It was a small town right in the heart of Georgia. Growing up there was pretty much how you'd expect for a…" he paused for a moment, before choosing to slightly alter his choice of words. "Guy like me…" he spoke as he remembered the rough times of him and his brother having to avoid wandering into certain areas of the town. "Long story short, it was hard to stay out of trouble, but we managed… family stuck together and supported each other... It was all that mattered, and in the end, we grew really fond of the place. Still miss it."

It was nice to talk about something _normal _for once, or things that didn't involve survival. It was a distraction from the world they were living in now, but just like all distractions, they had to be dragged back to reality eventually. After they had finished talking, Lee decided to finally ask, unsure on Joel's intentions after they found Clem and Ellie.

"The Fireflies, I keep thinking to myself… how the hell Clem and I are going to find them… we know they're based out west somewhere… but it's not exactly strong information to go off. Regardless, I know we have a better chance of finding them if we do it together… after we find the kids… the offer's still there… if you want it." He asked, full well understanding if Joel didn't want to after he had left him behind… but he just hoped the Texan had some kind of lead that could help find them.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel smiled, an actual genuine smile. _This is nice. _And it was. It was so nice to just talk about life in general rather than how to prevent the end of life every second of the day. The former carpenter couldn't say he exactly missed the days of barely scrounging by in a dead-end job, but in a way, he did long for it again. So, he supposed he did miss it if that were the case. Joel's mind swirled, the concussion rising back with a headache having a bop in his skull. He pursed his lips, flinching but hiding the sharp pain as best as he could.

Lee was a good guy, he decided. Perhaps a little misguided at times, but his heart was in the right place. As long as he didn't leave Joel and Ellie behind again, he was okay in Joel's book.

"I understand," he said, referring to Lee's spiel of his time in Macon. Vague reminiscence rose in his mind, and his smile faltered. Tommy; Joel was his only role model, and not just in their childhood. He had led Tommy across America after the infected had took the world from them, doing all manner of horrors to survive. Joel didn't quite enjoy thinking about that, and as such, threw the idea away like a crumpled piece of notebook paper.

He looked at the professor upon his final proposal. It was tempting, though Lee had left him, it was probably best that him and Ellie have a few others to watch their backs. "I'll have to ask Ellie about it. But I like the idea." He paused, before adding on "I have a brother who used to be with the Fireflies, up in Wyoming. He should know where we can find them." He nodded to Lee, taking the lead in their walk.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The longer Lee continued his conversation with Joel, the more he ever so slightly began to trace back to the fond memories of what it was like having more people around when he was at the motor inn. As opposed to just himself and Clementine travelling alone…. having others around, it felt more right… more… _healthy? _Joel seemed like a no-nonsense and quiet kind of guy. He knew how to survive and that was clear as day, but more importantly, it seemed he had his head screwed on the right way. If they were going to be travelling together after this, it was going to be a big change… companionship, having others around. A part of him figured it would be good for Clem. Mentally, it was a big boost having people around that had the same goals.

For now, Joel and himself, their interests were aligned, and that was mainly the driving force behind finally getting to the other side of the country. Lee looked over at Joel as he suddenly blurted out he had a brother… giving him a surprised look, obviously he had refrained from mentioning him earlier for whatever reason. But it was a start, a lead… a connection that'd get them closer to where they intended to go if they decided to stick together after this, Wyoming was far… but it wasn't impossible to get to. However, he still was caught off guard at the mention of this brother.

"_Used _to be a Firefly? ...Did you ever consider joining up with him when he was?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

To this, Joel frowned. The question had struck loose quite a few memories, the sights flashing back to him now. Tommy leaving, the two on not just bad terms, but horrific ones. Perhaps Joel had taken it too far; but Tommy wanted to play the pissy little brother and ran off to Wyoming, so who was really in the right here? Joel doubted that it was himself, but pride took over, and he frowned. "No. We... disagreed about the Fireflies." And Joel felt himself through with the conversation, gritting his teeth with his family on the mind.

The houses before them continued getting worse and worse, some boarded up, most overgrown, a lot covered in graffiti and scorch marks. They might have something in them, but the girls were the priority right now. They had to get to the radio tower. They _had _to.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

In this world, family was a term that was hard to come by. There was barely any of it left and had been replaced with mostly strangers to rely on, at least this is what Lee figured the case was for most people out there. _They disagreed? _He shot Joel a glance but tried not to make it noticeable, the fact that his brother had joined the Fireflies and Joel hadn't must have meant he was a skeptic of them. He wasn't going to pry into the Texan's family business, he knew better than that, but it still didn't stop him from wondering why Joel wasn't with him up at Wyoming.

"Regardless of whatever you disagreed on… you're lucky to have a brother still around," he decided to nonchalantly bring up.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's throat clenched at Lee's implications. _"...a brother still around." _Joel opened his mouth, as if to say something, but nothing came out. He closed his mouth, gritting his teeth. Lee's brother was dead. The idea of Tommy dying, even despite their differences, was a hard pill to swallow. Lee had already experienced the absence of a brother; likely the rest of his family too. It became obvious then, that was part of the reason why Lee had become so attached to Clementine. He had nobody else.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, looking away before another thought sprung up. "You have kids, before?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"No, no kids…" he paused, before deciding to vaguely elaborate, "I figured I was ready to start a family here and there… but it just never seemed like the right time..." he spoke softly, perhaps a little bit soberly as he recalled all the hopeful times he discussed starting a family with his ex-wife, only to be shut down on that idea several times. It always seemed like that stage of his life was being put off for odd reasons… reasons he only found out about when it was too late. He wanted to bring up the fact that he had a wife… and that he was close to starting a family, but what would be the point of that? Just to be asked about her absence? And have to tell Joel things didn't work out and dodge the truth about his past? Those painful memories weren't something he was willing to share just yet.

"What about you? …any kids?" He spoke with a tinge of curiosity, since Joel enquired, it was a given at this point that he _had _to enquire back.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel grimaced. The words smacked him in the face, heavy punches bruising his cheeks over and over again. _"What about you? ...any kids?" _Joel frowned. His visions of Sarah he'd like to think were hazy. That maybe, in some way, he couldn't remember her that well anymore. Of course, he didn't. He had forgotten very inane characteristics of his ill-fated daughter in wholesale; what book she had been reading, the name of her best friend, the car she wanted when she turned sixteen, Joel taking great lengths to make sure she got something very similar to it, if a little cheaper. It hurt him, so bad. He could here the soft whimpering of his daughter in the wind, crying out for help, crying because she had been betrayed. Her father's arms were safety... they were cradling, always there and always of symbol of protection. And he had betrayed that deep trust, and she had died violently and in mind-numbing pain.

Joel paused, then sucked in a breath, getting another one out. "Yeah. Let's keep moving." He bit down with his eyelids, wincing rapidly.


	10. Lost, II

_4:26 PM - The suburbs outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Art [Clementine]**

Ellie and Clementine charged bravely into the unknown with nothing but prowess and luck to protect them. As sunlight gradually began to extinguish around them, the air became several degrees cooler, every step forward becoming increasingly demanding as the shivering in Clem's arms grew progressively more noticeable. There was no telling how much farther it was, or how long they'd have to keep walking. In such a hopeless situation, often the only thing that kept them going was each other.

On their frequent stops, the two girls would listen for signs of life, or lack thereof. When Lee was around, such a silence would feel tranquil, but out there on their own it felt more like the quiet of a graveyard. Moreover, their food situation had hardly improved since they left the house in which their journey started. Ellie and Clementine had by then tried a number of things, like trying out some of Clem's old chewing gum, something the both of them immediately regretted. Their bad luck would however eventually come to a pause the moment Clementine caught something of interest through the corner of her eyes.

"Ellie? Hang on a minute." Clem said in a hushed voice, extending her arm in order to get the girl's attention. Up on top of an electric pole was a bird's nest, possibly the two's big break. "You see that?" She asked. "There could be eggs there. Bird eggs. We can eat those." Clementine made sure to thoroughly explain, just in case. "You think we can climb up there somehow?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

A small part of Ellie felt a twinge of guilt about what Clementine was suggesting. They were just going to steal a bird's eggs? If she wasn't so hungry, she'd probably put up a fight about it. She looked up to the bird's nest, looking for any method they could maybe reach it. The pole stood close to a two-story house nearby, maybe close enough that they could reach for the nest, if they climbed out onto the small roof that extended out beneath the window. It'd be a difficult job, but it _could _be done.

She turned towards Clementine. "We can probably reach it from that window there," she pointed towards a window on the far-right corner of the home. "I could try and reach for it, and you make sure I don't fall?"

**Art [Clementine]**

"Deal," said Clementine, accepting of the suggestion. They could probably try and throw rocks at it if Ellie's plan didn't work, though Clem figured that should only be used as a last ditch effort. Thinking about it rationally, the entire thing seemed kind of reckless. They didn't even know if there really _were _eggs up there, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and waiting for a tasty deer to show up out of the blue seemed just as stupid at the time. "Lead the way." Clem told her, lastly. The smirk on her face making it seem more like she was daring Ellie to actually follow through with it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rolled her eyes at the smirk Clem was giving her, clearly waiting to see how this was going to go, or if Ellie would go through with it. As long as the chance of her falling was low enough, the risk was worth it. Ellie led the way to the house, climbing up the steps onto the porch before trying the door. Luckily, it wasn't locked. They stayed at the door as it creaked open, listening to any threats that might be in the house. She couldn't hear anything, but that didn't mean nothing was there. Looking around outside for a moment, she banged on the wall near the door, hoping that anything inside would come out if they heard it. Still nothing. _Good._

The two slip into the house, shutting the door behind them. The place seemed mostly intact, which was… surprising. As they ascended the stairs, she glanced back at Clementine. "We might want to check over the house too, see if we can't find anything useful. Maybe something to cook the eggs on. _Hopefully _a change of clothes."

As they reached the top of the stairs, Ellie's eyes focused on the window at the back of the upstairs hallway, overlooking the backyard of the home. A small stream ran through the woods behind the house. A few thoughts crossed her mind, mainly questioning if the water was drinkable, and maybe... maybe they'd finally get to wash all the sewage shit off of them. Take turns while they're cooking the eggs. Anything to get the smell off of them. _Wonder if this place has any soap. That'd be... _A small smile pursed her lips. _Awesome._

With the way the sun was starting to go down, it might've been an idea to rest for the night. They've been pushing themselves all day, with nearly no food or water, and their bodies had already seen the damage that had caused. She'd broker this to Clementine after they got the eggs, though. Something told her that she'd probably not want to stop, but… Ellie didn't like the idea of going out after dark, when the infected were at their peak.

Finally, they reach the room at the far side of the house. At first glance, it seemed that it used to be a girl's bedroom, dressers half-open to reveal left behind clothes, and a bunch of magazines. Fashion, celebrities, things that hardly mattered. _Were people really into that kind of stuff? _The fact there was some clothes left behind was good for them, though. Hopefully something their size.

"Alright," Ellie breathed, looking towards the window that was above the bed. A pink curtain was obscuring it, which she pulled back, before lifting the window open. She threw a sideways glance towards Clementine behind her, hoping her reflexes were as good as they seem, if Ellie managed to nearly fall. "You ready for this?"

**Art [Clementine]**

"Just about…" Clementine answered, wishing she had the confidence to sound less unsure. If Ellie… if she _fell _, what in the world were they gonna do? _I can't carry her there._It was a bothersome thought without a doubt. Clem followed Ellie to the small roof the girl had pointed to earlier, careful not to slip and hit her head for the second time that day. _Third time...? _She wasn't keeping track. "Okay, so what's the plan?" Clem asked in a worried tone, avoiding looking down at the street below as much as she possibly could. "You can't just... reach for the nest and _grab it _like that. You won't stretch that far." _What would Lee do? _"We could use a stick, or a broom... or, maybe I just hold your hand or something." _You're not gonna jump it are you? Tell me she's not jumping it._

**Dot [Ellie]**

"That might work," Ellie replied, nodding, before looking towards the nest atop the pole. Hopefully, this'll all be over in a matter of seconds. If possible, maybe she can just grab the whole nest. "Alright, c'mon," she extended out her hand, as she stood at the edge of the roof. Clementine grabbed her hand, before dangling her over the edge. Her breathing quickened, the thought of falling from this height leading to a sense of anxiety to rise in her stomach. That, or bile. One of the two. "I can... just about reach it," Ellie spoke, stretching her hand out towards the nest. "Don't let go, okay?" She called back, although that was more to reassure herself than to make sure the girl _wouldn't _let her go. She was confident that she wouldn't.

Fingers scratched at the nest, getting closer and closer to grabbing it. _What if the nest falls apart when I grab it? The eggs would... Just do it, Ellie. _Cursing under her breath, she reached out further, finally managing to grab onto the nest with her hand, before attempting to lift it. She couldn't see how many eggs were in the nest, but it seemed to weigh a _lot _. She slowly retracted her arm, hoping to whatever God that it wouldn't break and send the eggs falling to the ground below, and probably her with them. Her smile grew wider as she finally was able to get back onto solid ground, Clementine managing to hold onto her the whole time. _She's stronger than she looks. _She looked at the nest in her hands, six eggs sitting in the middle of it.

"Fuck yes!" She cheered, although quietly, as she let go of Clementine's hand, holding the nest with both hands. "We're eating good tonight, Clem."

**Art [Clementine]**

"Nice work!" Clementine said in delight, trying to sound composed in spite of the rumble in her stomach giving away her desperation. She hadn't eaten anything besides chocolate bars since Pittsburgh, and it showed in her expression as she first laid eyes on the nest.

Together, the two girls carried the egg-filled nest inside the house, setting it on top of a kitchen table downstairs. Clementine sat in one of the chairs, resting her head on her right hand as her mind went over their many possibilities for dinner. "So, how do you like 'em?" Clem asked suddenly with a sheepish smile, eager to get to work."'Hard boiled? Scrambled?"

"...Raw?" She added jokingly, though she'd find it perfectly reasonable if Ellie requested them that way. _Lots'a vitamins _, Clem vaguely remembered Luke saying once.

"Ask away."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Honestly, I've never eaten eggs before… so… chef's choice," Ellie replied through a half-smile, plopping herself down on one of the kitchen counters. She swung her legs back and forth idly, watching as the girl by the table considered how she was going to cook the eggs. Hopefully, they'd find something to cook the eggs with, and they'd probably have to gather wood to make a fire. They couldn't exactly expect the stove to work in this place, not after fourteen years.

The smell of sewage continued to permeate her nose, leading to an occasional nose scrunch from Ellie, before she pushed herself off the counter and back onto her feet.

"While you're cooking them, I'm gonna go through those clothes upstairs. Maybe find something that'd fit us. There's a stream out back too, could bottle some of it, and clean off. Take turns. I'd love to get this smell out of my hair," she smiled slightly, the joke not _great _, but she meant it nevertheless. Anything was better than smelling like literal shit. "Just call if you need me, or something," she finished, rolling her shoulders before heading towards the stairs, and back up to the girl's bedroom.

**Art [Clementine]**

_She's never had eggs…? _Clementine thought in a mixture of amusement and astonishment, realizing just how many simple things from her youth she had taken for granted until then. Ellie wouldn't have, obviously. Clem almost felt bad for asking. _I guess I could do mom's old recipe. Don't think I can find any fresh veggies lying around, so… soft-boiled it is. _Clementine had a dozen of things to take care of, and under the assumption that they were to get back on the road before nightfall, she couldn't waste a minute.

First came the easy part, getting rid of the nest in favor of an actual pot. The family that used to live there had a few in the kitchen cabinet, and so with relative haste the girl chose the biggest one for the boiling part. Next, Clem carried the pot all the way to the river stream behind the house, filling it with water, before walking all the way back to the kitchen. A tedious task for sure, but one she did without an ounce of discontent. After dropping the six eggs in the water filled bowl, it was time to go out looking for wood to make a fire. _Here goes nothing…_

* * *

_5:05 PM - Woods near the house in the suburbs_

**Art [Clementine]**

Without Lee's axe, Clementine had very little to rely on other than her luck, spending an embarrassing amount of time picking up fallen branches in the woods' pathway. "This should do." She muttered, heading back to the house in a hurry.

Spending another batch of minutes gathering everything she'd need, Clem was finally ready for the hardest part of the process, one that she was thankfully familiar with, perhaps too much so for her liking. Clementine also took the time to search the rest of the house for anything they could use, the stuff inside the living room's drawers in particular. Lo and behold, the one next to the couch had matches inside of it. Only four of them, but surely more than enough to be useful. _Rocks, dry wood, grass… the nest should help. All that's left is to burn everything._

Clementine lit one of the matches, laying it next to the spot she had prepared a few moments ago and later watching with enthusiasm as everything near it began to burst into flames. _Awesome. _Finally, Clem brought the pot from the kitchen all the way to the spot beside the house and let the eggs boil for the next few minutes, watching them closely as they did, and listening to the calm bubbling sounds _until _they did. Once the eggs were ready, all that was left was setting the table. _I hope they're good. I hope… Ellie likes 'em._

"Er-... Dinner's ready!" The girl shouted from the kitchen, hoping Ellie would hear it from wherever she was at the time.

**Dot [Ellie]**

While Clementine cooked the eggs they found, Ellie searched the house. She started with the dresser in the girl's room, rummaging through it for anything she liked, or fit her. Luckily, whoever lived here seemed to be about her size, and she'd put together a couple articles that she liked. A grey t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, a red and black plaid hoodie. She'd put together some clothes that seemed to be Clementine's size, leaving them on the kitchen table for the girl after she was done cooking.

After Clementine had gathered water from the stream, and went out looking for firewood, Ellie searched the bathroom, hoping to find some soap, which would make the process of getting cleaned up a bit easier, and less smelly. She was surprised to find both a bar of soap and a half-full bottle of shampoo left in the shower, which she quickly took.

The water in the stream was _ice cold _, but at least she was now clean, the girl having to make sure her friend wouldn't stumble up on her. The stream flowed at a rapid pace, making it easier to get rid of the sewage she'd been covered in. Once she was satisfied that she wasn't covered in filth anymore, she retreated from the stream, drying off using a towel that'd been left behind in the bathroom, before getting dressed in the clothes she'd found. Her hair was past her shoulders, the girl too lazy to put it back up in the pony tail, for now.

With the cool breeze, the hoodie was super comfortable, although she still shivered a bit from being in the ice-cold water earlier. Once she was fully dry, though, that feeling would hopefully fade away. She approached the house, her arms over her chest, to conserve warmth, before entering, going about searching again. By the time Clementine had called for her, Ellie had found herself in the garage of the house, looking towards a dart board that was hung on the far wall. She'd never played darts before, but it looked like it could be fun. _Wonder if Clementine has played?_

"_Dinner's ready!"_

Clementine's voice echoed through the house, loud enough to pull Ellie out of her reverie. She left the garage to join the girl in the kitchen, who was putting the eggs on a couple plates she'd found. The smell was enticing, especially to her stomach, and Ellie couldn't help but pick up the pace to the table.

"Damn, that smells good," she instinctively licked her lips, desperate to get any sort of food in her system, before she passed out from starvation. She'd probably eat anything at this point.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Eat up. I tried my best, but it's still just, y'know… _eggs _, so…" Clementine tried to articulate with her hands on her hips, feeling somewhat flattered by the comment, all things considered. She eagerly picked up one of the plates resting on the table, before sitting by the corner next to Ellie. _Whoa, she smells nice… _The girl thought, abashed. What had Ellie been doing while she was busting her ass off getting dinner ready? Clem would find out in a second, right after shoving those delicious eggs down her throat. The yolk was thick and runny, just how she liked it. It was undoubtedly the plainest egg she had ever tasted, yet given the circumstances, they were also _probably _the three best eggs she'd ever eaten in her whole life, the barely present flavors practically dancing in her mouth. That _eggcellent _moment was cut short, unfortunately, for there were only barely enough of those to keep them going for the night. _Oh well…_

Clem awkwardly scratched her gunk-ridden head, trying to find the right words to ask Ellie about the thing that had been bugging her ever since her nostrils were close enough to identify something was amiss. "Ssho…" Clem sputtered, still chewing on her last egg. The girl vigorously swallowed it, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "...Did you take a bath or something?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie took a cautious bite out of the first egg, before devouring the rest of it, and the other eggs. Had she not been so hungry, she probably wouldn't have liked the consistency they had, but it was enough to keep them going, hopefully. As she finished the last egg, Clementine had asked a question, something that she'd forgotten to tell her when she came back to the house.

"What? Oh. Right. Uhh…" she trailed off for a second, trying to gather her thoughts. Her stomach rumbled slightly, still craving more, although there was nothing more to have. "I found some clothes upstairs, and… you won't believe this, but… soap and shampoo. Went down to the stream and cleaned up. I left it all next to some clothes for you, in the living room." She hooked her thumb back towards the living room, where she'd moved the pile of clothes to earlier. "Since you were busy with the eggs, figured I would go first."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine smiled like an idiot the moment the words _'soap' _and _'shampoo' _were uttered, her eyes widening in wild excitement. "Oh…" was all the girl managed to blurt out, utterly speechless. _Holy smokes. _"Do you mind keeping a lookout while I… uhm, you know." Clem couldn't even wait for Ellie's response, standing up from the chair in one swift motion and rushing out the kitchen door, looking back at Ellie one last time as her hand leaned on the doorway. "Thanks." She quietly said, before blissfully making her way towards the living room. She'd forgotten how it felt like, to be able to pick your own clothes so carefreely. It was the absolute _best _kind of feeling.

Outside, things were quieter than ever. The sun had finally begun to set, and the only distinct sounds that could be heard anywhere close were of the crickets chirping. It was almost agonizing to think of how long she had gone without a bath, and thanks to that, Clem didn't hesitate a second to dip inside the stream, regardless of how excruciatingly cold the water was. There she stayed for a long while, washing her long curly hair repeatedly for at least ten minutes straight. It was relaxing as much as it was embarrassing, and as a result, the girl stayed submerged under eye level the entire time. Not that she expected anyone to be watching her, it just felt less uncomfortable in general.

Clem climbed out of the stream _eventually _, already wrapped in a towel, trying to put on her new set of clothes as quick as she could manage before she froze to death. The girl didn't really pick anything fancy, probably more out of force of habit than anything. Just a plain shirt along with whatever seemed more practical at first glance. Clementine carefully opened the back door, slowly making her way inside the house. The girl let out a serene yawn, that entire experience feeling just wholly invigorating. "Ellie?" Clem quietly called out upon walking up to the living room, looking for her so that the two of them could discuss what to do next. _It's almost nighttime…_

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Yeah, no problem," Ellie replied as the girl quickly rushed off. She didn't blame her, the prospect of being _clean _was one that was all too enticing. Who knew that not smelling like shit would be the best feeling they'd have today?

As the back door closed, Ellie decided to continue checking out the rest of the house, searching rooms they haven't touched yet. She stayed away from the windows, giving the girl outside her privacy.

As she slowly ascended the steps to the second floor, Ellie's thoughts dwelled on Clementine for a bit longer than she would've expected. It was nice to have her around, to have a friend around. That was something she missed, _a lot _, from when Riley was… still alive. Things were more confusing then, and Ellie still wasn't quite sure what to make of it all, that entire night they spent together in the mall, but… a small part of her, a nagging voice in the back of her head, kept repeating warnings to her. _Don't get attached. Everyone you care about… they all have either died, or left you. Don't let that happen again. _The voice was hard to ignore, but she tried her best to do so. She'd only known Clementine for a day, and yet, her presence made her feel a bit… happier? Someone her age that she could hang out with, someone who understood her, to a degree. She didn't have that with Joel.

She'd like to think that he wanted to stick around, after they met with the Fireflies, but it was hard to gauge what the man really felt. Maybe he'd leave the instant they found the Fireflies, his job fulfilled. She was surprised by how much that thought physically pained her. Maybe she'd grown to like both Joel and Clementine _too much _. She couldn't help it, that feeling of loneliness plagued her more times than she could count. She didn't want to be alone, couldn't bear it. After Riley, she had Marlene, and after Marlene, Joel. What happened if Joel left? Clementine and Lee? What happens when she ends up all alone? Every question continued to further her in a downward spiral, until Ellie finally managed to shake them away.

She couldn't worry about what-ifs, not right now. Things were fucked up as it was, without adding that to the mix. She could make sure she didn't end up alone again without pushing people away, that much she was sure of. _Hopefully._

She found herself standing near the doorway to what must've been the master bedroom, the door still closed shut. The upstairs had barely been explored, besides the room where they found all the clothes, so that meant there was a lot more to search. She opened the door slowly, the wood creaking eerily, before revealing the interior of the room. The smell hit her first, although it seemed much more faded than other scenes she'd come across similar to this. On the bed lied two bodies, rotted away, mostly bones left behind. Ellie grimaced at the sight, clenching her eyes shut for a couple of seconds, before forcing them open again.

Her eyes were drawn to the bigger figure's boney hand, a pistol clutched in his grip. It looked similar to the one she carried around, which had her crossing the room in a hurry. Maybe she'd find more ammunition for her gun, something she so desperately needed. She grabbed the weapon, pulling it out of the man's grip, before slipping the magazine out. Two bullets. _Damn. _She dumped the bullets into her hand, before slipping them into her back pocket. She'd load them into her pistol later.

"_Ellie?"_

Before she could continue inspecting the room, Clementine's voice emanated from downstairs, the girl presumably done with bathing in the stream. Ellie returned to the door, preparing herself to head downstairs. _Hope she put on clothes first, otherwise this'll be pretty freakin' awkward._

She headed downstairs two steps at a time, glancing towards the girl as she entered the living room. "Found some more ammo upstairs," she called as she reached the bottom. "Not much, but it's something. Feel better?" She half-chuckled, realizing that the girl looked much more… well, she didn't really have a word in mind, besides cleaner. Her hair was still a bit wet, the faint light of the candles Clementine lit with the fire she'd made reflecting off the girl's black hair, making it seem as if the hair itself had a clean sheen. With another awkward chuckle, she decided to add one more thing. "You don't look so bad when you're not covered in muck."

She immediately regretted that joke, grimacing slightly, but made no effort in correcting herself, hoping that the girl wouldn't take that the wrong way. _Way to fucking go, Ellie._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine raised an eyebrow, sincerely trying to figure out whether or not that was supposed to sound flattering. "I…" The girl stuttered, blurting out the only other thing that came to her mind, stifling a laugh. "Thanks…?" _I think._

Clem clumsily ran her hand through her hair, feeling a warm, comforting sensation between her fingers, one that she had dearly missed for the longest time. She felt awesome, no freaking doubt about it. To think that they'd have to keep walking for the rest of the day, only to end up having to sleep on muck again, that is, if they were lucky. They had beds there and a warm, _safe _place to spend the night… was it really smart to give it all up for the flimsy chance of finding Lee and Joel? Clementine, much like always, didn't have the answer, utterly lost. She obviously had to talk to Ellie about it, yet even so, she had no idea what to even say to her. _I should just be blunt about it._

"Hey, do you... want to spend the night here?" Clem asked her with one armed crossed, averting her gaze. "I thought about this a lot. Maybe we don't have to go _right now _... maybe we could stay for a bit." Clementine couldn't tell if she was acting selfish by asking something like that, ready to apologize and move on if Ellie were to shoot the idea down. _Maybe I shouldn't have asked…_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie couldn't find anything to say to Clementine's thanks, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly as the girl ran her hand through her hair. She was surprised to hear Clementine ask if she wanted to stay at the house for the night, she'd expected her to want to keep going, but maybe she knew the risks just as much as Ellie did. Going out meant having to deal with the infected.

"Yeah, uh," Ellie stuttered, letting out a half-chuckle, "that's probably… for the best. Infected are out at night. Would be safer if we stayed here, anyway." _Besides, we're still a good couple hours walk away from that tower, and I'm __**exhausted**__. _"So… you'll get no arguments from me," she finished, putting on a smile. The thought of sleeping in an_actual _bed was enough to have her dead-set on staying the night here. When will they get a chance like this again? On the road, there wasn't much of a choice beyond sleeping wherever you ended up. A forest floor, a gas station bathroom… just… wherever. Sleeping in a bed was about as luxurious as it got.

"And hey," she continued, hooking a thumb over her shoulder, pointing towards the garage door behind her. "If we get bored, there's a dart board in the garage. It's no truth or dare, but… y'know."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine smiled back, glad the two of them were on the same page. Clem felt bad about making a call like that, knowing for a fact it would slimmer their chances of finding Joel and Lee even further… but they didn't have much of a choice. Clem hid it the best she could, but she wasn't in any condition to keep going. Ever since the bridge, it felt like they hadn't stopped to do so little as breathe… maybe a bit of rest would be good, not just for her, but for Ellie too. "We'll be on the road as soon as we can." The girl assured regardless, the word _stubborn _perhaps being insufficient to describe it.

Ellie's following remark notably caught her attention, getting Clementine to tilt her head to the side. "Dart board?" The girl asked, uncertainty plaguing her voice. "What's that?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

She wasn't surprised to learn that Clementine had never heard of darts, after everything she'd learned about the girl. Growing up outside the quarantine zones, there wasn't much chance she'd learn about things like that unless her parents had one, which they didn't, apparently.

"Oh, uh, it's a game. You throw little... dart... _things _at this board on the wall, and it scores you based on how close you get to the target. I've seen them a few times back in Boston. I haven't played before, but I've seen others play. Wouldn't hurt to give it a try, right?" She had a sheepish smile on her face, thinking back to Clementine's game from earlier that day. They never really _finished _it, which meant there was no victor. Maybe... just maybe, she could beat the girl at darts.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Uh huh," Clem said with a nod, though being perfectly honest, Ellie's vague description only served to make the farm girl even more confused, and that was clear to see by the tone of her voice. Still, whatever it was Ellie was going on about sounded kinda fun. Any kind of insight into what life was like in the quarantine zones held her absolute attention. "Sure, why not." Clementine shrugged, eager to try out the _'Dart Game' _, or whatever. Before the two girls headed to the garage, Clem made sure to pick up her hat from the living room, wearing it with pride. _For luck._

Clem followed Ellie to the garage, her eyes immediately drawn to the dart board in the far wall. _That must be it. _The girl picked up one of the darts from the floor, the same ones Ellie mentioned before, presumably. She just kept staring at it in complete puzzlement, doing so with a smile as she wondered what to do with it. Clementine directed her gaze to Ellie with that same innocent, childlike smile. "Will you teach me?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Right, uh, yeah," Ellie replied, taking one of the darts from the metal table they'd been resting on not too far away from the dart board. Someone had painted a white line on the ground, presumably for making sure no one got too close to the board, and Ellie stood at the line.

"So, yeah, you take the dart, and you try and hit the 'bullseye' in the center of the board. The little black circle there, see it?" She pointed towards the board, before prepping herself to try and toss one of the darts. "Closer you get, the more points you get."

Her muscles tensed, and she had the dart ready to fly, taking in a deep breath, before letting it barrel towards the board. It landed about halfway between the bullseye and the edge of the board. _Not bad. _"Like that," she continued, although not _that _proud of her throw. For her first time, though, it wasn't so bad. "Alright, your turn, Baseball Cap."

**Art [Clementine]**

"Okay…" Clementine complied, timidly walking up to the white line. _Just like Ellie showed me. _Clem held the barrel of the dart with her thumb, forefinger and middle finger, raising it to eye level to align its tip to her target. The girl then pulled her hand back ever so slightly before sending the dart flying straight onward. It landed right next to Ellie's, just a tad closer to the center of the board.

"I got it!" Clementine exclaimed in content, her tender smile warping into a wicked one as her desire to gloat grew ever stronger, lightly nudging Ellie in the shoulder as she did. "Looks like your friends in Boston must've really sucked at darts."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed by Clementine's shot, although she couldn't mask the smile on her face. "Just beginner's luck," she taunted. _Two can play that game. _"Alright, bullseye, here I come."

She got into position, aiming the dart as if it was as important as making a shot on a guy across the city. Besides the fact it was _really _both their first times, she didn't want to be shown up by the girl that spent her entire life outside walls. She let the dart loose, cursing as it landed farther away from the center. " _Damn it. _" She took a step back, grabbing another dart from the pile, before handing it to Clementine. "Alright, Clem. Your turn." _Please miss, so I feel less bad about myself._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem playfully adjusted her hat, building up confidence for her next shot. _Here we go... _The girl once again held a tight grip on the dart, keeping her dominant foot forward, and maintaining her posture as straight as she could manage. After carefully aiming at her target, Clementine used the weight and momentum of her wrist to send the dart soaring forward, feeling the rush of excitement as it landed inches away from the bullseye.

"Yes!" She shouted in joy, followed by a chuckle she couldn't possibly hold back. "This is way easier than it looks like." Clem told Ellie enthusiastically, now hoping to give the girl a hand after basking in her own moment of glory.

"Here." She handed Ellie the next dart. "Don't put too much force into it, just use your wrist. Like this!" Clementine tried to explain through a variety of, frankly, complex and totally bewildering motions. It was clear for anyone to see that she didn't really have an actual functioning technique... Clementine had simply gotten lucky.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Although the urge to make an annoyed comment towards Clementine rose in her chest, she tried her best to keep her lips sealed. Clementine had gotten lucky, twice, and was absolutely showing her up, but she didn't want to ruin the moment by being a sore loser. The girl was trying to help, at least, maybe that made her a better friend than her. Maybe.

Letting out a half-sigh, she listened to what Clementine was telling her, maybe out of some misguided hope that whatever she was saying would help her. She didn't want to make a _complete _fool of herself. Finally, she pulled back her hand, before throwing it, silently willing it to land on the bullseye. Instead, it landed between where Clementine's two throws landed, but close enough to get her some solid points. Ellie grinned, before triumphantly cheering, "boosh!"

She glanced towards the girl next to her, the smile still on her face. "Not bad, Clem, not bad. Maybe you were a dart player in a past life, or something." She raised a fist towards Clementine, intending to fistbump the girl.

**Art [Clementine]**

"You're not so bad yourself, stupid," Clementine said with a grin, waving off the compliment. It was just so… amazing, the entire thing. For as brief as it lasted, she didn't have to think about how scared, or how hungry and tired she felt… It all faded away in a blink, with a look, a laugh. She hadn't felt that way in ages… genuinely happy. _For real _, happy. Everything just felt so surreal in the most awesome way possible.

When Ellie raised her fist, Clem did nothing but stand around looking confused. Was it some kind of hand gesture, or was Ellie just screwing with her? _Why's she standing there looking like a weirdo? _As those painfully awkward seconds flew by, Clem started to feel concerned, wondering if she was meant to be doing something. The girl raised her own fist, pressured by Ellie's weirdness, now trying to guess what the heck she was supposed to do with it. In the end, the answer never came, and now they were both standing there looking like huge weirdos.

_Is this a Boston thing?_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rolled her eyes, letting out a soft snort, before bumping her fist against Clementine's. "It's a fistbump, Clem." Her smile faded slightly, a twinge of guilt in the pit of her stomach. "Sorry, uh... I keep forgetting you didn't grow up in a QZ. It's like... a handshake, but cooler."

_And a bit more awkward when... you know, she doesn't know what the hell you're doing..._

"But, uh… yeah…" She continued, trying to disperse the awkward tension in the air. Probably not doing a good job at it, but at least she was trying. "Stupid, huh? Kinda hard to take a compliment seriously when you follow it up with that." She had a half-smirk on her face as the words escaped her lips, a small chuckle escaping along with it. "Baseball Cap, and Stupid? Great names. Easy to remember."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine broke into laughter herself, smiling sheepishly before giving Ellie's shoulder a another nudge. "You're the _stupidest _…" The girl playfully said before looking away, deep within her own thoughts.

_Wish we could stay here forever…_

Clem's eyes were beginning to feel groggy again, as though the past few days had finally caught up to her. It sucked to have to end things like that, but regardless of what she wanted or didn't want to do, the simple fact of the matter was she desperately needed to catch up on some sleep.

"So, ready to give up yet?" Clementine asked with one arm crossed, trying to play it cool in order to hide the fact that she was dead tired… and not particularly confident that it would work.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rubbed her shoulder instinctively as Clem nudged her, rolling her eyes at her comment. When the girl asked her if she's ready to give up, Ellie's smirk grew. No way was she letting her _destroy _her at darts. "One more throw," she replied in an equally playful voice, before grabbing another dart from the table.

_Alright, just like she told you._

She threw the dart, already expecting to miss like most of her other tries. The dart flew through the air, before landing directly in the center of the board, right on the bullseye. Ellie let out a triumphant cheer.

"Fuck yes!"

As much as she wanted to rub that one in Clementine's face, she decided against it, glancing back towards the girl. "Alright, Baseball Cap, I think you win. At least I was on the board, though," she laughed, walking over to the board and pulling the darts out, before laying them on the metal table. Her gaze fell on Clementine along the way, noticing just how tired she looked. They probably both looked that way, really.

_It was a good idea to stay here. No way we could've made it to the radio tower tonight..._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's eyes widened the moment Ellie's dart came in contact with the bullseye. "Oh shit." She uttered with a smile, awestruck by Ellie's shot. The fact that she still managed to win by the end of it only succeeding in surprising her further. "No way, you were awesome!" Clementine insisted wholeheartedly. In her eyes, Ellie was the clear winner after pulling that stunt. _I hope they have darts where we're going. Do the Fireflies play darts? Is that dumb?_

The girl stretched both her arms, letting out a soft yawn before rubbing her eyes in exhaustion. Thinking back to the last time she got to sleep _at all _making her head hurt. "I think I'm all drained for the night…" She admitted, sounding more let down than anything. In contrast, what followed sounded a lot quieter and timid, the girl's arms swinging back and forth as though trying to act all nonchalant about it, a telltale sign that Clem was struggling to express it. "I know we're _pretty much _stuck together, but... Thanks for, you know, hanging out with me. That was really cool of you." _There, I said it. Wasn't that hard._

Needless to say, Clementine didn't know what to follow that up with. Almost waiting for Ellie to say something herself so that she wouldn't have to. _Geez... _"So, uh…" Clem opened up with shortly after, desperately trying to change the subject. "...There's a room upstairs, right?" She asked disconcerted, more so she could get Ellie to talk.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie had a dumb smile on her face as Clementine complimented her once again, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. It didn't take a genius to figure out the girl was absolutely pooped, even before she mentioned it. Her statement afterwards though had caught her by surprise, although she wasn't really sure why. Part of it was due to the fact that not twenty-four hours ago, this girl had hardly said two words to her, and tried to kill her. They've come a long way since then. As she was about to answer, Clementine changed the subject, asking about the room upstairs. Ellie nodded, clearing her throat.

"Uh, yeah, that girl's room. The one we climbed out the window of. The other one is... uh... occupied," she mumbled the last word. She was sure Clementine was going to ask questions, so she simply continued, answering them before it could be asked. "People who owned the place, I think. They're dead. But... yeah, you can take the bed upstairs, and I'll take the couch down here, cool?" _Hope that couch is comfy. __**Please**__let it be comfy. _As much as she'd love to sleep in a real bed, Clementine probably deserved it more than anything. "Besides, you won the game, about the only reward I can think of," she continued nervously, chuckling.

**Art [Clementine]**

_On the couch…? _Clem furrowed her brows, just narrowly holding back her need to protest. It really wasn't cool… not _at all _, but what else were they going to do? Given that Ellie couldn't sleep in the other room, it was easy to understand _why _she was being given the priority, even for one as stubborn as Clementine. It didn't change the fact that it still felt like a colossal shitty thing to do to her.

"You sure?" Clem asked, knowing what kind of answer to expect. Sure, she hit her head earlier… a few times. Big deal. They were both tired as crap, it didn't mean Ellie had to sleep on that crappy couch.

"We could share. I don't mind." The girl proposed, refusing to yield just yet. "If It's too small, we'll just… figure something out." She added with a shrug and an eye roll. "C'mon, I'm not letting you sleep on the _**couch**_. It's all old and… murky." Sighing, Clementine took a second before speaking up again. "Besides, you hit the bullseye, right?" The girl shrugged again with a confident smile. "We'll call it a tie."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Oh, uh…" The offer caught her off guard, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second. The thought of sleeping on a bed with someone else was a strange one, almost alien. Even when she was at the military school, she'd sleep alone. Even when Riley was around. She vaguely remembered hearing about 'sleepovers' once, a long time ago. Apparently girls used to have them, before the apocalypse. She never really understood the concept, what was so special about staying in the same house? And sleeping in the same bed as someone else? Wouldn't that just leave room for her to accidentally wake Clementine up? If she had to roll over, or... something? She wanted to argue against it, do anything to get out of it, but found herself unable to formulate the words she needed to say. Finally, after what felt like an agonizing amount of time, but probably had only been only a few seconds, she managed to find her voice again.

"Uh... yeah, I - I guess we could do that. Thanks." She tried to put a smile on her face, although she felt more nervous than anything. She wasn't sure whether it was because of Clementine, or sharing a bed with _anyone _. Maybe she was just overthinking it, which was probably the more likely scenario, but she couldn't escape that feeling in the pit of her gut. She let out a nervous laugh, before continuing. "Alright, uh, I'll throw our stuff up there then, we'll call it a 'sleepover'," she used the word as a joke, emphasising it, before heading towards the door leading inside.

Once she was at the door, she took in a deep breath before stopping, glancing back at the girl. "It's no problem, by the way, hanging out with you. Any time you want." She flashed a small smile before retreating into the house, hoping to put some distance between her and the girl for just a little bit, just to calm herself down. _Jesus, Ellie, this isn't the scariest thing you've ever done. Pull yourself together. _Inside the house, the temperature was steadily increasing, and she blew out the candles on her way to grab their bags and take them upstairs. Her jacket felt like an oven suddenly, and a layer of sweat formed on her skin. She thought about just taking the thing off, but... she didn't have a long-sleeve shirt on, to cover up the bite. If she took it off to try and sleep, Clem would notice the bite, guaranteed. _Just cross that bridge when you get to it, okay?_

She carried the backpacks upstairs, depositing Clementine's next to the bed in the room, before slipping hers onto her back. The bed wasn't too large, but appeared to be - hopefully - large enough for the two of them to sleep comfortably. She took one of the candles from the room, setting the wick on fire with her lighter, before strolling into the bathroom down the hallway.

Once she was inside, she closed the door behind her, setting the candle down on the sink counter before shrugging her backpack and jacket off. Her eyes fell to the bite immediately, looking over it with a hint of concern. After being covered in that sewage water, the thought of some of that getting into the bite was enough to justify her concern. It looked okay, at least, looking as old as it was, though it'll probably never heal. Like dead skin that won't go away, except this skin _wasn't _dead. A permanent scar on her arm. She wondered if Clementine had anything like that, any scars she'd gained over the years. Probably a few, but nothing on the scale of this. Nothing compared to being the key to finding a cure. It was something that weighed down on her shoulders like an immense weight, and seeing the bite again did nothing but increase her anxiety. Taking in a deep breath, she took the bottle of vodka from her bag, twisting off the cap. For a moment, she found herself looking down at the bottle, weighing it in her hand.

_Screw it._

She took a quick gulp, cringing as the liquid flowed down her throat, leaving a burning sensation behind. She burst into a fit of coughs, trying her best to contain them, as to not alert Clementine. The last thing she wanted to do was explain her bite when it was out in the open. _Yep, I definitely regret that. _The thought crossed her mind as she managed to get herself under control, wrapping her fingers around the bottle once more, before gently pouring it onto the bite. She winced as pain jolted up her arm. Although it wasn't brand-new, the bite still hurt to clean, and she'd found herself needing to clean it every once in a while, especially now. She may have cleaned up in the stream earlier, but this was the only sure-fire way of making sure it didn't get infected. _Infected, hah. Nice one._

Once she was finished, she dabbed the alcohol on her arm with one of the shirts she ripped up, trying to clean it up the best she could. The smell was vile, much worse than rubbing alcohol, and she found herself drying her arm meticulously to get rid of the smell. The last thing she wanted to do was explain _that _to the girl. Finally, satisfied with her work, she put everything back up in her backpack.

She survived the bite, now she just had to survive a sleepover. _Somehow._

**Art [Clementine]**

It was odd, almost _disconcerting _the way Ellie reacted to that. Not just how nervous she was, which frankly would've been worrisome on it's own, but the way she frantically took off right after Clem offered to share the bed with her.

As Ellie climbed up the steps, the girl squinted her eyes in a manner hardly noticeable, knowing without a doubt in her mind that something was _off _with her. It struck Clem abruptly, like a cold knife being thrust through her temple. _Is it weird for her…? _It had to be, right? Ellie was nervous about sleeping with another girl. Clementine nearly scoffed at the thought, thinking of how silly Ellie had to be to get agitated by something so childish. Funny… all that time earlier trying to figure out what got under her skin, only to find out _this _made her uncomfortable? It had to be a joke. Clem would understand if it were a boy asking to share a bed, but her? _We're both girls... _She begrudgingly thought with an eye roll, deciding to give Ellie the space she _apparently _needed.

Seeing as Ellie was busy with _whatever _upstairs, Clementine took the time to prep for bed downstairs. The one thing she missed every night were her old pajamas from way back on the farm. Nothing eased her into sleep like the soft feeling of silk on her skin... well, except for mom's bedtime stories, but that one the girl preferred to keep to herself.

_Okay, alright. Find a twig that doesn't suck. _Clem still remembered it like it was yesterday, when Jane taught her how to keep her teeth clean when things were at their absolute worse.

"_Before there were toothbrushes, Clem, most people used twigs from oak trees to brush their teeth."_

Getting used to it wasn't fun, not at all, but she learned to enjoy it. Kinda. Clementine picked a younger looking branch near the woods' pathway, going for the one with the thinner skin. The girl then peeled it off, chewing on one end of the stick to turn that end into a little brush before sticking it into her mouth. _Wonder if Ellie has a toothpick. Maybe I should've asked… _Once Clem was done brushing her teeth, she washed her face in the stream, taking the time to enjoy the chilly water before getting back inside the house.

On her way upstairs, Clementine heard the bathroom door being shut rather quietly, which could only mean it was Ellie. _Either that or walkers are becoming more hygienic. _It struck Clem, _**again**_, this time more like a truck violently running over her head. _Wait, bathroom…? _The girl thought about it on her own for a few seconds, trying to figure out what - _Oh._

Womanly issues. If she was… well... she wouldn't want to... with someone else. _I get it. _Clementine scratched her nose uncomfortably, nodding to herself as she walked to the girl's room Ellie mentioned earlier. There wasn't much left to do except wait for the other girl, so Clem lied down on the bed, planning the trip for tomorrow. Eventually that train of thought led to thinking about food, and in a short span of ten seconds Clementine was hungrier than ever. _Maybe hunting tomorrow morning would be good…_

The girl's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of coughing coming from the bathroom, nudging her head over to the source of the noise. _Ellie? _Something was definitely off, this time for sure, and whatever it was, Clem couldn't just lie down and ignore it. Clementine slowly made her way down the hallway, knocking twice on the bathroom door before anything else. "Are you okay?" She asked with a touch of skepticism, now just altogether uncertain of what was going on with Ellie. _Fuck. Please say something…_

**Dot [Ellie]**

"_Shit,_" Ellie cursed under her breath, quickly slipping her hoodie back on. "Yeah, I'm fine." She called back, opening up the door to see Clementine on the other side. "Had a cut on my leg I needed to tend to, from when we fell down that sewer pipe. Used some of that vodka to make sure it's properly clean, and all. Stuff smells _horrible _."

It was a half-truth, at least. At least, if Clementine could smell the vodka on her, she'd have a reason why.

"Managed to spill it all over my arm too," she continued, sighing. "Clumsy, I know," she finished with a small chuckle. She wasn't sure if Clementine would buy it, but it was the best that she could come up with that doesn't implicate her of doing anything _weird _.

As much as she wanted to tell the girl about the bite, she didn't think it was... time. Joel's words repeated in her head like a mantra, repeating those same reasons why she should never tell anyone, but that hardly made her feel any less guilty. The way things were going, Clementine was her only _real _friend, and they were only just starting to establish that. She didn't want to squander her trust _now _. At least, later, she could find the right time to tell her, and explain to her why she had to keep it secret. Right now, though, she wasn't sure if her knowing would help or hinder their friendship. It entirely depended on if Clementine would believe her if she said she was _immune _. Her bet was on 'no'.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem raised an eyebrow, a hand on her hip, trying to place exactly what part of Ellie's explanation bugged her so much. Was it the fact that she hadn't mentioned any leg wounds until right then, after _hours _of walking? Or just how determined she was to hide it, going as far as shutting herself in the bathroom to clean it up. It didn't make any sense. Clementine had no choice but to assume one of two things: either Ellie was hiding something, or the cut in her leg was _fucking serious _, enough so to keep it from her.

Whatever the case, there was only one way to find out for sure. The girl extended her hand, giving Ellie a serious look to illustrate that she meant business. "Let me see." Clementine asked, damn near demanded. "Your cut." She clarified with a frown. "I can help you patch it up, I've done it before…"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Clem, I…" The words were caught in Ellie's throat as she tried to get them out, the look on Clementine's face was enough for her to realize that she'd been backed into a corner. "I – I already cleaned it, so…" _C'mon Ellie! _"...that's not really… necessary."

Clementine's face remained unchanged, which scared her more than she thought it would. It was intimidating, enough for her heart to skip a beat. "_ Really _," she emphasized, sighing. "It's fine. I'm okay. Alright?"

Nothing.

Ellie gulped.

_Joel's face was incredulous, enraged, as he read over the readings from the guard's device. Ellie knew there was no hiding it now, they've seen the readings. They knew that she was infected, or was._

"_Marlene set us up?" Joel's voice was filled with contempt, looking towards Tess before turning his attention to Ellie. Ellie gulped. "Why the hell are we smuggling an infected girl?"_

"_I – I'm not infected!" Ellie immediately responded, shaking her head quickly._

"_No? So this was lyin'?" Joel spat the last word, tossing the device onto the ground next to her._

"_I can explain!"_

"_You better explain fast!" Tess added, her voice similar to the one Joel had adopted. At this moment, everyone was against her, and she knew it. She had to tell them everything, before this fell apart. Before they left her and returned to Boston._

_She pulled back her sleeve, revealing the bite she'd gotten at the mall. "Look at this!"_

_Joel waved the sight off, turning his attention towards Tess, as if telling her that listening to her was just bullshit. Ellie continued to speak quickly, panic rising in her voice. "It's three weeks old."_

"_No, everyone turns within two days," Tess shook her head, "so you stop bullshitting."_

"_It's three weeks, I swear," Ellie insisted, looking between the two desperately. "Why would she set you up?"_

Ellie let out a heavy sigh, cursing under her breath. Finally, she managed to make eye contact with the girl, her golden eyes one of suspicion and disbelief. She still thought this wasn't the right time, and especially not in these circumstances, but she had no other choice.

She was going to have to tell her.

"Clem, just… hear me out, okay?" She started, struggling to keep her voice steady as the words came out. Fear flowed through her veins like blood, sending shockwaves throughout her body, and her heartbeat increasing at an exponential rate. "Just… trust me, please?" She didn't wait for a response she knew she wouldn't get, taking in a deep breath.

"I don't have a cut on my leg. I was cleaning this…" She rolled up her sleeve, her heartbeat audible in her eardrums as the bite slowly came into view. "Clem, don't freak out, okay? Please? This bite, it's _weeks _old. Normally, you turn within two days. I'm…" _Fuck fuck fuck fuck, I hate this. Fuck! _"Immune," she finished, her voice becoming feeble and weak, as if admitting it out loud to someone other than Joel was the worst possible thing she could ever do. Depending on how the girl reacted, it probably would be.

"_They'll either think you're crazy, or try to kill you."_

_I really hope it's neither._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's heart raced at a tremendous speed. She breathed in and out, yet no air seemed to enter her lungs. The girl's mind was sent reeling, unable to comprehend or process the sight in front of her. Her eyes were wide open, hands shaking in terror, cold sweat glistening as it ran down her face. _Ellie's… Ellie's bit. _Clem took two faltering steps back, horrified, shaking her head in denial. She couldn't have ever expected it… expected Ellie to _lie _to her about something so fucking important. Clementine couldn't say a word, shocked, confused, angry… and scared, most of all.

The claim that the bite was weeks old, that she was immune… for her, all that sounded like was an act of desperation, akin to trying to clean a bite like it was some sort of cold that just _went away _. Clem had seen it happen dozens of times, no shortage of them happening to people she really cared about. The mere concept of _immunity _was almost beyond far-fetched, idiotic for anyone who had survived for that long.

"Ellie…" Clementine uttered in terror, incapable of finding the strength to say anything else. After all, there was no strength left. No strength to feel any sort of resentment towards her, not any kind of emotion except absolute misery… the misery that came from knowing she'd have to watch Ellie die.

The girl's expression lightly softened, as did the shock that came with the discovery. The silence that followed was brutal, almost unbearable. Clementine had to say something… she had to. "We can still…" She choked, barely able to speak, much less form a sentence. "…stick together… for as long as you have left." Clem forced a smile, trying, as hard as she possibly could, to give Ellie some kind of comfort in what she could only imagine were her final moments with her.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's face fell further as Clementine's response registered in her brain, feeling almost as if her heart stopped in that moment. Clementine thought she was going to die; she didn't believe her. She didn't believe her. She...

Without thinking, she grabbed Clementine by her arms, hands clenched around her biceps. Her face was serious, far more serious than she'd ever been since she met the girl. With all the hurt in Clementine's voice, she could _**not**_let the girl think she was going to die. No fucking way.

"I'm not lying to you, Clementine. I'm - _**fuck**_\- I don't know how, but I **am** immune. That's how I met Joel, he snuck me out of Boston, and he's taking me to the Fireflies. They're looking for the cure, Clem. Our only shot at getting it from me. That's why we need to find them. Okay? I'm not dying, Clementine. Not today. You have to believe that, please." Ellie was begging now, her voice much stronger than it'd been when she had admitted to the girl that she had been bitten. She was going to have to tell her how, she knew that much. And that was going to kill her.

She let out a heavy sigh, letting go of the girl and taking a step back.

"I was with Riley when it happened, we… she was leaving Boston to join the Fireflies at one of their hideouts. I… I told her to stay, and she did. She left the Fireflies for me. Now… I wish I didn't, because maybe-" Her voice choked, her gaze averting from the girl. "Maybe she'd still be alive today. We were hanging out in this abandoned mall, infected took us by surprise. I fought off one of them that'd tackled her, and it bit me in the process. And it'd already gotten her." Her eyes returned to Clementine, tears threatening to flow from her eyes thinking about this horrible memory again.

"We decided to wait it out, lose our minds together. All poetic and shit. I watched her turn. Had to put her down. My turn never came."

She took another step back, her voice barely a whisper as she added one final thing. "_ I - I loved her, and I had to kill her. _"

Silence followed her words, Ellie too choken up to say anything more. If Clementine wouldn't believe her after that, then she wasn't sure if she ever would.

**Art [Clementine]**

A quiet sound left Clementine's lips as she was pulled closer to Ellie by her arms, feeling for the first time the absolute intensity being presented through her eyes. _"I'm not dying, Clementine." _Ellie told her in a tone just as fierce, as though she didn't have a single doubt in her mind. _How can you say that…? _Clementine couldn't stop herself from thinking in response, grief stricken. Nothing Ellie was saying made any sense… none of it. So why…?

Why did Clementine believe in her?

It was stupid, it was naive and it was totally fucking insane. Yet, for what felt like a lack of any rhyme or reason, Clem couldn't possibly bring herself to dismiss what Ellie begged her to believe in, no matter how impossible it sounded. As Ellie pulled away, Clementine felt her own expression darken along with hers, realizing that what she meant to say next was bound to be painful. It all traced back to Riley, somehow it always seemed to. Whatever it was Ellie felt for her must've been… unworldly. It came as no surprise to hear about Riley's passing, something Clem had been long alluded to assume on her own, but even so, inadvertently forcing Ellie to describe the entire thing hurt Clementine unimaginably. _I'm so sorry…_

Clem once again found herself without the strength to speak, for similar yet somehow drastically different reasons. Her lower lip quivered as she sought the right way to approach the girl, wishing only that she could somehow lessen her suffering. "I… I believe you, Ellie." Clementine quietly said, trying not to look away even whilst faced by her sorrowful gaze. It was crazy, but she wanted to believe in her. Clem wanted to believe in her friend...

**Dot [Ellie]**

" _I... I believe you, Ellie. _"

Hearing those words was enough to bring back emotions she hadn't felt in a long time, dating back to that fateful night with Riley. She instinctively leaned forward, intending to get closer to Clementine, to comfort her somehow, but forced herself to stay in place. Her vision went blurry with tears, and she wiped them away with the sleeve of her jacket, sniffling as she did so. She didn't know how to feel, or which emotions she should convey, if any. They mixed together into one chaotic soup, bubbling to the surface. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do. For a moment, she just... stood there, trying to reorganize her brain, to say something coherent to the girl, but nothing came.

Finally, she opened her mouth, her breath hitching, before her voice finally managed to break through. "I'm sorry," the words were weak, probably too quiet for the girl in front of her to even hear. Everything about this confession had gone wrong. She didn't want to hurt Clementine, especially not after the day they had together. Yesterday, if someone told her that she'd be feeling this way, or even manage to get a single word out of Clementine, she wouldn't believe them. Now...? She really didn't know. They've both gone through so much, Clementine having experienced so much more than Ellie could possibly imagine, she's probably seen this situation a hundred times, all without a promise. All without any reason for hope. She didn't want her to be the next case of heartbreak, a person could only handle so much.

She took in a deep breath, finally matching Clementine's gaze. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Joel told me to tell no one else, and before today... I didn't know if I could trust you and Lee. I do now. I fucked up, and... _shit _, I'm sorry, Clementine." It wasn't nearly the apology the girl deserved, but as much as she could get out with how much her body was shaking, and how much her heart hurt, and how much she felt like a shitty fucking friend. Maybe she was. Maybe Clem would've been better off without her. Maybe Riley would've, too. All she knew was that she wasn't going to let Clem become the next Riley. The next one on the list to die in her wake. Another name lost to this _**horrible fucking world**_. When they reached the Fireflies, the cure would make sure it never happened again. That was the only promise she could make.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine, much like Ellie, hesitated to speak… to move even an inch. In such a short span time, it felt as though her world stopped making any and all sense. There weren't any thoughts going through her head, nothing… just a running stream of extreme, heartfelt emotions. Clem couldn't have imagined she'd ever see Ellie so… hurt. That the same lively girl who approached her on that roof had so much anguish buried inside of her. Seeing her that way was absolutely soul-crushing for her… Clementine just wished she could see Ellie smiling again, to hear her make one more stupid joke… just one more time…

It happened almost instinctually, an action driven entirely by the girl's resolve. Clementine placed her hands on Ellie's shoulders, her eyes swollen from holding back tears of her own. "No, y - you… you didn't fuck up, okay? You didn't." The girl said as her hands began to envelop Ellie further, pulling her closer until she was fully within her embrace. "So, quit crying… alright?" Clem's grip on the girl gradually softened, until she pulled away from her completely. She fell silent again, after the fact, trying to somehow wrap her head around… _**everything**_.

Ellie was immune… Immune to the virus, to the bites, to the entire thing... Could they really make a cure from her? Could they really… end it...? It was too much to take in for a single exhausted little girl, who at that point could hardly stand without collapsing to the floor.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie felt her lungs decompress as Clementine hugged her, taken aback for a moment that the girl _was _hugging her. She expected the girl to yell at her, tell her that she should've told her, and that she didn't forgive her. That's what she imagined her to say, if this was yesterday. Today, she didn't seem to hesitate to forgive her. Did she even deserve forgiveness? For lying to her this entire time? Granted, they've only known each other for a day, but there were a dozen moments where she could've told her today, and she didn't. After a second passed, she hugged Clementine back, sniffling quietly.

The two broke apart, Ellie taking a moment to wipe the tears away from her eyes and _somehow _get her emotions back under control. Being so tired and hungry and emotionally drained had taken its toll, and her entire body felt almost numb, as if she'd pass out at any moment. Clementine's words rang in her head on repeat, a small smile appearing on her face as she heard them over and over.

She let out a weak chuckle, her voice still shaky despite how warm and fuzzy she was feeling inside. "You're a good friend, Clementine. You know that?" Her eyes averted to the backpack she'd left sitting in the sink behind her, the bottle of vodka poking out the side, having been hastily placed in there before. It'd left a bad aftertaste in her mouth, that one sip being enough to leave an imprint on her mind. Had she known alcohol tasted so _shitty _, she wouldn't have touched it to begin with. Sighing, she slipped the bottle all the way into her backpack, before zipping the bag up. Taking the bag, and slipping it over her shoulders, she returned her gaze to Clementine, a thought that'd been in the back of her head bubbling to the surface. "So, uh… if you want me to sleep on the couch now, I'd _totally _understand." She awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of her neck.

After admitting to being bitten, she wasn't sure if Clementine would want to _test _her immunity out, no matter how much Ellie insisted on her being fine. Not that she'd blame her. Then there was her story about Riley, which… heavily hinted at how much the girl had meant to her. She wasn't sure how Clementine would feel about that, if she even picked up on it. Boys like girls, and girls like boys, so what did that make her? The odd one out? There was a reason she hadn't told anyone about that incident yet, including Joel, because she wasn't sure whether her feelings were _normal _or not. She grew up on those stories about princes and princesses, things she'd found ridiculous. Royalty, true love, stupid things like that that didn't exist anymore, or she wasn't sure that she believed in. It never appealed to her, living that kind of life. Maybe it was the old-fashioned nature of it, she didn't really know. As much as the old world fascinated her, some aspects of it still didn't make any sense. With Riley, none of that mattered, they did their own thing, made their own story. Who cared if she was another girl?

Given the way she hid it from the world, probably her.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine smiled back at Ellie, shyly twiddling her two forefingers up and down in response to her remark. The girl already considered Ellie to be akin to a friend for a while now, but hearing her say it out loud like that was just... something else entirely. She wasn't really sure how it _worked _; being friends with another girl. Clem's experience with that kind of thing basically boiled down to the night she met Sarah in that cabin, and very little else. Were they supposed to make a pinky swear now? Was that a _thing _all girls did when they became friends? Clementine refrained from doing so out of sheer embarrassment, wincing at the thought. _We're not little kids, dumbass… _She settled for the simpler kind of response, sounding self-assured for once, which for her was a nice change of pace. "Thanks, Ellie."

The couch comment definitely caught her off-guard, inducing Clem to chuckle softly in return. "No fucking way. I said we're sharing the bed, don't argue." Clementine said with a smirk as she made her way down the hallway, stopping a few inches away from the girl's room to tease Ellie a tiny bit. "C'mon, stupid."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rolled her eyes as she watched the girl head towards the bedroom, taking a deep breath before following the girl. "Guess those nicknames are going to stick, huh Baseball Cap?"

Once they were in the room, Ellie shut the door behind her, stretching her muscles as fatigue took over. It'd been a long fucking day, she could hardly remember the last time she actually slept. Back on the roof of that Starbucks, right? Felt like forever since they were there, it only compounded how tired she felt. As Clementine laid in the bed, Ellie hesitated for a moment, considering whether or not to leave on the jacket. _No point, she already knows about the bite. _With a sigh, she shrugged the jacket off, hanging it on the knob of the door. She focused on the bite for a moment, the act of showing it almost alien to her. If it wasn't so warm, she'd consider just sleeping with the jacket on. Nevertheless, she shook that feeling away, laying in the bed before staring up at the ceiling. It still remained an off-white color, despite the years of neglect this place had been through.

She imagined the girl this room belonged to, laying here looking up at the same roof, a completely different set of thoughts and emotions running through her head. What was her life like? What drove her? Boys? School? A life like that, nothing much to worry about, nothing that _mattered _, anyway. Nights like this might've been more common back then; darts, truth or dare but it's only truth, things that normally wouldn't find its way into their lives these days. She wished they weren't so rare, but that didn't make experiencing them any less special. She couldn't remember a time she'd been so happy and sad at the same time, except for… when Riley died. Maybe that wasn't a good thing, but at least this one had a happy ending, right? No one dies, not this time. Her and Clem, Joel and Lee, they'll make it to the Fireflies, together. Once they found the two guys again. Tomorrow, hopefully.

Tonight, though, having a bed to sleep in and a friend to share it with wasn't so bad. Less scary than she thought it'd be, although having her so close was almost anxiety-inducing. They were separated, each sleeping on opposite sides of the bed, but her presence still made itself known, despite Ellie having rolled over onto her side, facing away from the girl. Was this… nervousness? Or simply frayed nerves? Probably a mixture of both. For a while, she simply breathed in and out in a rhythmic fashion, taking in the room around them with half-open eyes. The quiet was peaceful compared to the shitstorm that took place in the bathroom, the only sound being that of their breathing and the whistling sound of wind battering the house outside. It was enough to calm her nerves, and before she knew it, her eyes had shut completely.


	11. Lost, III

_7:25 PM - Streets of suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie stirred from her slumber, a soft exhale escaping her lips as she opened her eyes. The room around her was pitch black, leaving her squinting just to make out shapes in the darkness. In her slumber, she'd rolled over towards Clementine, it seemed, as her back filled her vision. For a moment, she struggled to figure out the reason why she woke up, something having disturbed her from her sleep. She thought she heard the creak of a door opening downstairs, leading to her straining her ears for any other sound. Footsteps, quiet, but they were there. Something was in the house, or someone.

That revelation was enough to jolt her awake, like an electric shock. She rolled out of the bed, landing with her hands catching her from colliding with the floor, before pushing herself to her feet. She took several steps towards her jacket, where her gun was still hanging out of one of the front pockets. Grabbing it, she retraced her steps to the bed, sitting on the edge before nudging Clementine several times.

" _Clem, wake up, c'mon, Clem! _" Her voice was a quiet hiss, the sense of fear flooding her system like a lethal injection. If whoever was in the house was the bandits from Pittsburgh, she needed Clementine awake to help her. Depending on how many were in the house, even the two of them probably couldn't handle them, and they'd have to escape through the window. Hopefully, it won't come to that.

**Art [Clementine]**

A frantic number of nudges to her arm caused Clem to jerk awake, Ellie's soft whisper piercing through her ears. The weariness in her eyes gave away how little time she spent out cold long before the utter darkness encompassing the two could do so, causing the girl to pull her eyebrows down together in frustration.

"Wha-? What, Ellie? What is it?" Clementine asked, the hostility in her voice only exceeded by its feebleness. If Ellie decided to wake her up because of something dumb, Clem swore she'd stab her on the spot.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"There's someone downstairs," Ellie replied quickly, gesturing towards the door with a jerk of her head. She held the pistol in her hand, although out of sight of either of them in the darkness. She was more than prepared to protect them both, if whatever's down there turned out to be something _bad _. "You hear it, right?" She asked, straining her ears to hear the footsteps downstairs. They were still there, at least two people by her count, barely audible but audible nonetheless thanks to the silence within the home.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Fuck…" Clementine whispered, every ounce of fatigue in her body fading in that instant and being replaced by intense fear and a dreadful ton of anxiety. "Okay... okay. I'll go get my things, you watch the door." The girl said before leaping off the bed and rushing to her backpack near the edge of the room, all as quietly as she could manage. It couldn't be the guys from the bridge… **It couldn't be** . No way they could track them down after everything they went through to get out of the city… or at the very least, those were the thoughts Clementine latched onto to keep herself from panicking as she rummaged through her items in search for her revolver. The cold metal eventually came in contact with the girl's palm, and she pulled the gun out immediately once it did. _Got it._

The two of them couldn't take any risks. There could be _dozens _of them for all they knew, and they didn't have anything close to the means to take on those kinds of numbers. _No time to go over it _The girl imagined, choosing to be as straightforward as possible with Ellie. "Be careful, alright?" Clem boiled it down to, keeping things concise as she figured the other girl knew what to do and what _not _to do. Clementine lifted the window open, shooting a quick glance towards the streets below and shortly after, back to Ellie. "Don't let them see you. I'll come back." With that, the girl quietly made her way to the small roof and shut the window behind her without saying another word.

There was a plan in practice, sort of. If the guys downstairs weren't in a large group, she'd wait for the right time to jump them, either forcing them to drop their stuff or shooting them on sight. Hopefully the former. If there were too many of them, or they happened to be the same assholes from the bridge, Clem would throw a rock at the window to call Ellie's attention so they could both leave without being seen. In hindsight, she wasn't sure if Ellie would actually stay in the room, a massive hole in her plan, but it was a risk she was willing to take. Clementine carefully made her way down from the roof, confirming the fact that someone came in uninvited by finding the front door wide open. There wasn't anyone in immediate sight, outside nor inside the house. It was worrisome without a doubt, but the girl snuck inside nonetheless. Ducking behind the couch with her revolver in hand, Clementine stuck with the plan she devised beforehand, waiting for whoever was there to reveal themselves so she could hopefully get an idea of how many people they were dealing with.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Be careful," Ellie hissed as she watched the girl disappear through the window. She popped out the magazine in her pistol, reaching into her pocket to pull out the bullets she'd found earlier in the couple's gun. She wasn't sure if she should just wait here, gun at the ready, or figure out what's going on as well. The fact she heard footsteps coming up the stairs was enough to have her heart beating fast. She had nowhere to hide, nowhere to go. Her best plan was to hide underneath the bed, gun clutched in her hand. It was a tight fit, but she managed to get underneath it. Her eyes were drawn to the door, aiming her weapon towards it, preparing herself to come face to face with someone she'll probably have to kill.

Better to be careful than sorry.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine listened intently as the sound of creaking doors echoed through the house, a small droplet of sweat running down her nose whilst the grip on her revolver became firmer. It was nearly impossible to tell for sure, but from the little she was able to pick up from the footsteps near the garage, it sounded like just one guy. _Just one guy... _The girl held back the impulse to take him on, knowing getting too ahead of herself could end really badly for Ellie and her. The urge to take a peek was likewise nearly agonizing, but Clem had to wait it out, just in case… If they were lucky, this guy and his hypothetical friends would simply leave on their own. _Please just go away…_

Suddenly, the man shouted, called out for someone else, and Clementine's eyes flung wide in shock.

Part of her thought, no, _**knew**_with absolute certainty it had to be some kind of delusion, lack of sleep, _anything _…! That guy sounded exactly like Lee, but there was none, absolutely no fucking chance it was actually him. Clementine's head peeked out over the couch in a hurry, what stood beyond it almost succeeding in drawing tears from her eyes. _Holy shit! _"Lee!" She shouted without a second thought, or the least bit of hesitation, climbing over the couch in order to get to him.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee turned around within a split second, no time wasted as he _almost _raised his axe due to pure muscle memory, however the sound of the voice registered as he saw who was running to him, his eyes widened as he physically felt his heart rate lower. That hat, that voice… it was her… her hair looked messier than usual, but it was her.

"Clementine!" Without a second word, he embraced her as she ran over, almost lifting her up off the ground… until he realised the astounding pressure it was on his burning shoulder wound… _definitely don't do that unless you wanna put your back out… she's not as light as she used to be. _He placed her down, putting both hands on her shoulders with a relieved smile. "Are you okay?" He asked as she gave him the all clear, before deciding to ask a question on Joel's behalf that the Texan would most certainly want to know, since he was here with him too. "Is Ellie with you?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie strained her ears as she waited underneath the bed, her pistol aimed towards the door. Sweat dripped off her brow, leading to her wiping it away from her eye. This situation was beyond fucked. After the day they had together, the highs _and _the lows, they had to find themselves at the mercy of these strangers, most likely bandits. She could feel the blood thumping in her ears, a rhythmic sound that made it difficult to concentrate on the sounds around her.

_Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump._

"_Lee!_"

_Thumpthumpthumpthump._

_Lee?_

By the time the name registered in her brain, she was already crawling out from beneath the bed, rushing towards the door. Normally, hearing Clementine cry out would mean that she was in trouble, and needed her help, but hearing _that _… That meant Lee was here, and Joel too, hopefully. _Two sets of footsteps. He's here. _She swung the door open to reveal the man searching upstairs, probably also taken by surprise by Clementine's outburst. Had she been more awake, she might've ran to Joel and hugged him, simply because they were still alive, and managed to find them.

"Joel!" She called out the man's name, relief evident in her voice as she slipped her pistol into her pocket. She didn't even think about the fact she wasn't wearing her jacket right now, that hardly mattered. They were reunited again, finally, and it felt _great _.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem bursted with joy as Lee nearly lifted her up with the fiercest of hugs, barely able to speak with her ribcage being pressed the way it was. Once she was set down, Clementine made sure to answer the guaranteed multitude of questions that would follow. "I'm fine, Lee…!" The girl shyly exclaimed, laughing internally at his customary overblown amount of concern. "Ellie's upstairs. We're both fine." She reassured him with a smile, one that quickly faded away the moment _**it**_hit her. Ellie was bit, she still was… and somehow she hadn't turned, and wasn't going to. It was still so _absolutely _beyond the bounds of possibility, but Clem had no doubt she was telling the truth. How, and when were they going to tell Lee? Would they? Should they…? That plethora of questions hit her all at once, causing the girl to avert her gaze for the briefest of moments. _ Is this how Ellie felt all this time?_

Clementine ignored the weight of such a crucial predicament, at least momentarily, confident that Ellie would know what to do, and when to do it. With a sigh, she looked back at Lee, holding off on the dozens of questions she had to ask him to deal with what she deemed the most pressing concern. "Joel's with you, right?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel ran a hand along the railing, revolver readied to fire at any one _thing _that may try to attack. His bottom row of teeth reached up, glancing across his upper lip and pulling off a sliver of skin with it. He had not meant to cause the sting in his lip, but it was keeping him alert so he thought it well enough. Pursing his lips and wetting them, still stomping up the stairs. Before he could reach the top step, the door swung open and he threw his revolver up. The gun fell almost immediately when he saw who it was.

"Ellie!" He yelped, surprise swelling in his eyes. Joel stuffed the revolver into the back of his jeans and looked at her for a moment, a light grin forming on his face. "Thank God." He stepped towards the doorway, approaching her now. "Are you okay? Is Clementine with you?" He asked.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie nodded immediately, "she's downstairs," she replied, before scrunching her nose. The smell of sewage hung onto Joel, bringing back memories of the time they spent in the sewers. For a moment, she clamped her nose shut with her fingers, laughing. "Jesus, Joel, you stink. Like... _really _bad."

Shaking her head, she let out a snort, rolling her eyes. "C'mon, let's join the others." She backed away from Joel, heading down the steps two at a time. Once she was at the bottom, she caught sight of Lee and Clementine, who Lee had just put down from a hug. "How the hell did you two find us?" She asked, the question directed towards Lee as she quickly strode towards them.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Yeah, he's upstairs actually," he chuckled slightly. It was relieving to know that both of them had made it out of the sewers unscathed. They were lucky, so lucky to find them both unharmed. They could have run into bandits, walkers… infected or worse, but it looked like they had found them just in time. He looked towards the garage then back to Clem with a smile.

"Well, well, you guys kept yourselves busy without us, playing darts and-" He was cut off as he heard Ellie walking back down the stairs with Joel.

"We were headed to the radio tower, we figured that's where you girls were headed too, it's a miracle you guys didn't smell us from a mile away before-" His eyes trailed down the young redhead's arm as he suddenly stopped his speech mid-sentence, noticing that she didn't have her jacket on… his eyes widening as he looked at her arm… he froze in place like a stick… there she was… talking to him, acting completely normal… like nothing was wrong… when there was a bite… a **fucking** bite on her arm?! _No… Oh, no no no… _he gulped, taking a small step backwards. He then looked to Joel with a mixture of shock and pity, how had he not seen it? She was bit, the poor kid.

An odd amount of silence filled up the room, panic ensuing from Lee… "Clem! Get back…" he finally spoke after staring at it for a moment, he extended his hand towards Clementine, not willing to let her get near, his thoughts connected the events to back in the sewers, that was the only time it could have happened, or sometime after they had been separated, being bit by a clicker… did that mean she was contagious to be around? Would she start sprouting and releasing more spores? Were they already infected? What the hell was going on here? He'd seen it all before… someone being bit… then slowly withering away until they were just a shell of their former selves… he'd seen it first hand… not again… he couldn't bear to watch it.

"Ellie… listen…" he sighed out as he tried to recompose himself from the initial shock, keeping his distance as he pointed to the bite, looking at Joel so he'd notice. "Her arm… it- we need to take care of it…" he spoke with concern, he assumed she must have gotten bit sometime after the grates fell back at the sewers. If it was anything like a walker bite, maybe there was something they could do about it… maybe there was still time to save her, but they had to do it quick.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie could see the warm look in his eyes turn to shock in an instant, his eyes focused on _her _. She looked down, only then noticing she wasn't wearing the jacket, and her bite was exposed for the world to see. _Oh, fuck! _As Lee stammered, Ellie held up her hands, trying to diffuse the situation. With Lee being the only one who didn't know about the immunity, she hoped it wouldn't take long to convince him. "Lee, calm down, alright? I'm immune. Ask Clem, I've already told her everything. The bite's weeks old."

Her gaze fell on Joel, who'd undoubtedly would be angry with her for even letting them know this. "Sorry. I was cleaning it, and she found me, and I couldn't hide it. I trust her, though." She returned her gaze towards Lee. "And him."

**Art [Clementine]**

_Shit! _It happened, and it happened way too soon. Clem wished they could've had the least bit of time to prepare for it, but now Lee knew, and there was no avoiding it.

Feeling her heart rate increase exponentially, Clementine held on to the hand Lee extended towards her in an attempt to attract his attention, positive that he'd listen to her no matter how crazy it sounded. "She's… she's telling the truth!" Clem desperately told Lee, urging him to calm down. "I don't know… I don't know _how _, but Ellie's been bit since we met. _Way _longer than that, and she's not infected. It's the truth." The girl insisted with utmost certainty in her voice, hoping her word would be enough to convince him. Clem's eyes flew to Joel's direction, her expression one of contempt. His silence didn't go unnoticed by her, but right then wasn't the fucking time to stay quiet. If he knew about Ellie's immunity, he had to speak up. "Joel?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel was relatively content now. Ellie was back, and they could get on track towards Wyoming with Lee and Clementine now. Things were, all around, very swell. It was just too bad that the next moment took his head for a swirl. He hadn't even noticed the girl wasn't wearing sleeves, her bite open for all to see now. His mouth dropped, Lee now looking at the bite… along with the young Clementine. _Goddammit Ellie! Goddammit! _His eyes flared with panic. They were going to kill Ellie now; all because the kid couldn't keep a sleeve on. Why? Why couldn't she… Joel supposed he couldn't fault her for forgetting about the bite every now and again… but…

"Lee, you don't understand." He held a hand out, swallowing. "She's had the bite since I met her. That's… that's why we're together." Joel touched a hand to his forehead. It appeared the lies had to stop. The truth had to come out eventually. "Ellie's immune to the Cordyceps virus."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

There was no way, there just couldn't be… It took a moment for Lee to try and comprehend the madness that was going on around him… _Immune? _He'd heard that word thrown around before, but never ever in a serious fashion… it couldn't be… it just couldn't… no one was immune, the countless people they had lost…. the countless more himself and Clementine had seen wither away from the bite. He shook his head. He was shocked to further realize that Clementine knew this before he had, even more unsettled to see how quick she was to trust. It was careless of her, perhaps even stupid… after all the precautions and lessons he had tried to teach her about being bit… the long and short of it was if you were bit, it was over… that was that… unless you took the limb, and that was only if you were lucky enough to get bit on the arm or leg. It had been fourteen years since the start… they had all tried… FEDRA, the Fireflies… there was no one immune all of that time, so why now after all this time?

He tried… he tried so hard to make sense of this, but the idea of actually curing the whole thing… it was completely alien to him. He couldn't shake this utter feeling of shock as he tried to form words. When Joel spoke, he couldn't deny that it made sense… he had lied to him… back in the sewers. Joel said it himself… that he didn't think a cure was possible… he probably lied to avoid what was happening right now… so that was why he was taking her across the country? To deliver her to the Fireflies? He stared at the bite on her arm… looking at its detail… the odd growth… the scabs… and slowly but steadily, it began to sink in... it was real, it was goddamn real. "But… how…? How are you immune? Everyone that's bit turns within a day, that's how it is… that's how it's always been..." He thought he'd seen everything, but son of a bitch was he wrong.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Joel and Clementine tried to back her up, Ellie found herself swallowing the lump forming in her throat. She had a feeling that Lee might listen to both Joel and Lee, but... it wasn't the full story, and she had a feeling Lee wanted evidence. However, she couldn't bear to go through it again, the painful memories associated with that night at the mall. Just the thought of bringing up Riley again was enough to have her gut twisting, like a knife plunged into her stomach. How many times has it been that day? Three? Four? Too many. She gulped, silently hoping that Lee would come around. He _had _to.

Ellie took in a deep breath, pushing away the memories bubbling to the surface, focusing her gaze on Lee once more. "We're heading to the Fireflies because they're going to get the cure from me. That's all that matters anymore."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee took a deep breath in and out. Despite everything he believed, he found himself unable to deny their claims… they were telling the truth… they really were and he couldn't tell himself otherwise any longer.

He placed both hands on his temples, his fingertips massaging them as he closed his eyes. "Okay… Okay…" _Jesus, this is actually happening right now _… He breathed in and out as he paced from side to side for a moment, before halting and looking back to at Ellie and Joel. This was big… bigger than all of them, the possible cure for mankind was standing right next to him, and that was a lot to take in, and he couldn't even begin to fathom what could happen if this information fell into the wrong hands. He slowly began to calm himself…

"How long exactly were you guys expecting to keep this from us? I mean I get it… I really do, but… there's someone that's immune to the cordyceps, standing _right there _… that's pretty important information don't you think...? And having to find out like this… just- goddamn…"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Because yesterday, we didn't know if we could trust you. You left us behind on the bridge, remember?" Ellie replied instantly, before Joel could say anything. This was her mistake to fix, so she had to be the one to fix it. "Then today's been just one shitty situation after another, and none of us have slept much since yesterday. I wanted to tell you both, I just… wish it wasn't like _this _."

She took in a deep breath, sighing. "You could've thought we were crazy, or tried to kill us, for all we knew. Same as anyone else we've run into. I'm sorry, Lee, but we couldn't risk that. So... forgive me, please?"

Were this any other situation with any other survivor, she wouldn't be nearly as diplomatic about this. Joel was right that they should limit who knew about the immunity, but after everything they've been through, _not _telling Lee and Clementine would only force a rift between them. She didn't want that to happen.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Usually, he was level headed, his mind was in the right place and his head was in the game, always focused. This, however, this was something he could have never predicted. It was still sinking in, and it was a lot to take in, the stress of the past day reaching its full potency. He didn't know what was wrong with him; he was stressed out beyond belief, for a moment there he probably looked like the only crazy one in the room.

He felt bad for perhaps overreacting, he wasn't even mad… this was a good thing to find out right…? This was good, it was just the initial shock that was troubling him, out of all of the people in the room he had the least right to be giving people crap about keeping secrets, he knew that.

"Don't... worry about it…" he sighed out finally before slumping down on the couch, rubbing his head. _I'll take that bourbon now… _after a bit of a pause, he hoped he hadn't just made it awkward. He looked back up finally, snapping himself out of it. "Uhm, sorry- we should uh… get some rest? Still got a walk ahead of us to that radio tower tomorrow."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The issue was defused; for the time being, at least. Joel let out an anxious sigh, shaking in the dilapidated hallway. He was... he wasn't angry anymore. It was over. He'd need to talk with Ellie about it. His throat clamped up as he looked over them all, when he realized that his hand had gripped the hammer of the revolver.

He unticked it, guilt flooding him. He refused to show any; staring away from everyone else in frustration. He shuffled nervously, towering above the short Ellie and Clementine, as well as the now sitting Lee. He bit at his upper lip again, grating against it in nervosity.

"You're right. We'll talk more about this later." Joel rested his arm against the wall. His eyes then glazed over Lee and Clementine. He still couldn't entirely trust them; not even the kid, who had already threatened his life on more than one occasion. If there was any one thing that Joel was certain about, it was that it was him and Ellie before Lee and Clementine. And that was that.

Joel rubbed at his broken watch, frowning as he looked at Ellie. She had handled herself well, all things considered. Misplaced pride swelled in him, despite his having only been with her for a little over a week now. She was the cure for mankind; she was going to save everyone. It was a redemption of sorts, to Joel. An obligation to an old friend... and in a way, he cared for Ellie now. Paternal ways had resurfaced, and her well-being was in his best interest; but his mind continually drifted to her and to his broken watch, and thus Joel decided that Ellie would never be Sarah. He sniffled, wincing in the silence.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Rest sounds good." Clementine agreed with a soft nod and a smile, glad beyond measure that Lee was with her now. _Sleeping would be... awesome. _The girl thought, scratching her head. That night was bonkers in every sense of the word... maybe all of them could use some of it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The tension in the air died just as quickly as it had come, leaving Ellie to let out a breath as Lee slumped onto the couch. She was glad that she managed to convince Lee that she was immune. For a second, it seemed as if it was going to be _far _more challenging. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with a grown man while she was still half-asleep.

As the idea of rest became the new topic, an instinctive yawn escaped her lips, stretching her arms and shoulders in the process. Sleep sounded good, alright. Blissful, really.

"There's another bed upstairs but… it's uh, well, there's a dead couple in it. Otherwise there's the couch," she half-chuckled, scratching at the back of her neck. She remembered being in their position not a few hours ago, back when Clementine had insisted they sleep in the same bed. That wasn't going to happen this time. No way they'd fit all four of them in that bed, not to mention how fucking _awkward _that'd be.

With the words uttered, though, she already began her ascent up the stairs, heading straight for her spot on the girl's bed. The sooner her face was against a pillow, the sooner she'd be able to fall asleep again. That was enough to motivate her to retreat from the living room in a hurry.


	12. Lost, IV

_7:14 AM - March 13, 2025 - House in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Nothing was quite as blissful as waking up to the feeling of warm sunlight on her skin. A small, comfortable groan radiated from her nose, the young girl only opening one eye an inch to see the world around her. The girl's room looked so different in the sunlight, a shade of pink covering the walls, although it had subdued with age. She wasn't sure what time it was, but based on how refreshed she felt, she must've been asleep for a while. She wouldn't complain. As she stretched her legs, there was a noticeable absence from behind her, where Clementine had slept the night. _I'm probably the last one to wake up, _she mused, rolling her eyes at the thought. _Worth it._

She pulled herself into a sitting position, noticing then that Clementine wasn't even in the bed anymore. Her eyes were drawn to the window, which had been left open. _No wonder it's so cold in here. _She could see Clementine sitting on the slanted roof, her arms resting on her knees. Her back was turned to her, her hair waving gently in the breeze. The temperature had dropped significantly, it seemed, so she didn't envy her at that moment. _Another storm's coming. Should've figured the warm weather wouldn't last long. _She had no idea how long the girl's been awake, but long enough for her to appear lost in her thoughts.

Ellie pulled herself out of the bed, slowly approaching the open window before climbing through. She was sure the girl had heard her by then, but that didn't matter. Wouldn't stop her from sitting down next to her, zipping her jacket up further as she slipped it on.

"Man," Ellie yawned, rolling her shoulders slightly, her gaze faltering to Clementine next to her for a brief moment, before returning to the road below, "_ that's _the best sleep I've had in ages. Too bad we can't take the bed with us." Given the circumstances, the difficult night they had, filled with immunity reveals and dart games, she had a feeling that Clementine felt the same way. Sleep was great, something that she barely got any of, and dearly wished she _did _. Waking up after who knows how long? That was almost a dream come true.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine had long since been awake. She didn't know how long, but it felt like a fucking eternity. Weird is how it felt like… to wake up and realize yesterday wasn't a dream. Her friend, who she'd barely known for longer than a day, turned out to be the living cure for the virus, and even crazier, Ellie was somehow immune to the entire thing herself. How could someone just… accept something like that? How long did it take for Joel? Clementine smiled faintly at the thought, the relationship between those two suddenly taking a whole new meaning. It made sense, frankly. They didn't really strike as the type who were together because they were great friends or something…

So, Joel was taking Ellie to the Fireflies so they could harvest a cure from her. Sure must've been a tough burden for a single person: the entire fate of the human race. That's what Ellie was, and the more Clem thought about it, the harder it became to wrap her head around it.

Soon enough, the girl that wouldn't ever leave her head joined her on the roof, breaking Clem's restless train of thought. How was she so easygoing about it? As if _everything_between the two of them hadn't changed overnight. _Maybe it doesn't have to… _Clementine finally decided, at least as far as she was concerned. Ellie was still Ellie, and they were still friends. Even so, Clementine didn't take her eyes away from the scenery, drawn to it like a moth to a flame. "Ditto." The girl all too quietly responded. "But, y'know… we'll be sleeping in beds _all the time _after we find the Fireflies, right? Just gotta push on for a little while longer…" Clementine grimly concluded, her gaze facing downwards. It felt like she was pretending it didn't bother her, like yesterday hadn't been the only thing on her mind for the past hour or so. They couldn't ignore it forever, could they? Only time would tell…

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Yeah," Ellie replied in an even breath, nodding her head. She hoped they made it soon. She knew it was going to be a long journey, but… maybe things will be alright. Maybe the worst is behind them, now. They just had to make it to Joel's brother's place, find out where the Fireflies were, and make it there. No biggie, right? Wyoming. It was far, but it's not far enough to stop them. Ellie dangled her legs off the edge of the roof, letting them kick back and forth in a slow, methodical pattern. The cool air was surprisingly refreshing, the wind occasionally blowing her free-flowing hair into her face, and forcing her to comb it away. Sooner or later, she'd put it back up into the ponytail.

She glanced back towards the girl, only just managing to get a glimpse at her before she was forced to fix her hair again. "How long have you been awake?" The question was simply meant to be an ice breaker, the long day they had yesterday still fresh in her mind. Sometimes, she couldn't believe everything that happened, how her and Clem went from trying to kill each other two days ago, to whatever they were _now _. Then there was her and Lee finding out about her immunity, which was enough to shake the foundation of whatever friendship they had to the core, but… it seemed like… maybe… things would be alright. Hopefully. That was all she could really ask for, though, another chance to start again, to make it right. This time, she will.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem tilted her head to the side, thinking back to how long she'd been on that roof. An hour or two...? Heck, it could've been ten for all she knew. "No idea," the girl finally said before slumping down into a lying position, her eyes now faced to the clouds. For all it's worth, she didn't really feel tired anymore… she didn't really feel anything anymore… The silence brought back the same frantic thoughts from before, perhaps to a degree even more extreme, now that the source of said thoughts sat right beside her. It was like a pest that wouldn't go away...

_Fuck it. _Better to just get it out of the way and move on, right? Frankly, Clementine wasn't sure she could talk about _anything else _with all that crap from yesterday hanging over her head. With a pout, the girl spoke up again, her gaze still fixated on anything but Ellie herself. "So, you're immune…" Clem decided to open up with, putting on an act to sound nonchalant, in spite of her agitation. "Who else knows about it? Besides Joel…"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"And you and Lee?" Ellie added, laying down next to the girl. The small splotches of sunlight she felt earlier seemed to have quickly disappeared, replaced by a wave of clouds rolling over the city. The temperature seemed to drop with it, leading to a small shiver running down her spine. She let out a heavy breath, the air just _barely _cold enough that it came out in a thin mist. "Marlene, the uh… she's the leader of the Fireflies. I'd guess she probably told a couple of her friends, too. Besides her and Joel, it's just you two that know about it."

She let out a sigh, glancing at the girl out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't looking towards her, instead focusing on the clouds above. _Finding all this out must've really frazzled her. _The thought crossed her mind as she shifted in her spot, trying to get comfortable. "So, uh… I know I've already said this but… I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner. I wish I had." She let out an awkward chuckle, shaking her head. "For what it's worth, got no more secrets left. From here on, I'm an open book."

**Art [Clementine]**

"That so?" Clementine wondered out loud with a faint laugh, intrigued somewhat by Ellie's confident remark. _No more secrets. _The more mischievous side of the girl felt like putting that claim to the test, seeing as Ellie seemed so inclined to prove she was trustworthy. A few questions came to mind, but funnily enough, most of them hovered back to Joel instead. It came to Clementine, rather out of the blue, that she didn't know all that much about him… well, she didn't know _anything _about him, really. Joel didn't say much in general, let alone to her. Maybe that'd be a wise thing to inquire Ellie about, seeing as the four of them would be travelling together for the unforeseeable future… or maybe she was just curious.

"How'd you _really _meet Joel?" Clementine asked, emphasizing the implication that she wanted the whole story this time around. "You said he snuck you out of Boston. What does that mean?" It was a simple enough start, she thought. One that would hopefully lead her to some nitty gritty details about the guy.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie figured she'd ask about Joel, given they haven't really talked about the specifics on how they met. It wasn't all that grand, anyway. "Well... Marlene hired him to smuggle me out of the quarantine zone, and hand me off to some Fireflies waiting at the capitol building in Boston. By the time we were out of the QZ… well, Joel had already found out about me being immune. Didn't believe me, either. We made it to the capitol building, but found the Fireflies there dead. After that, we sorta just… headed west, to find his brother, who used to be a Firefly, apparently." She let out a heavy breath, shrugging her shoulders. "Fast forward a bit, and here we are."

**Art [Clementine]**

_Hired, huh. _Based on what Ellie told her, it didn't sound like Joel was just anybody, though that sort of conclusion was one Clementine had already reached on her own. What kind of guy got paid to smuggle little girls? It was fricking dubious. On the other hand, maybe she _was _being too quick to judge... he did help them before, her in particular, more than once… but then again, he also tried to kill her and Lee just as many times.

Unsurprisingly, Ellie's answer gave Clementine little to go on. Maybe digging a bit further would get her there… surely Ellie knew _something _about Joel after travelling with him for so long. "Well, what kind of guy is he?" The girl asked, placing her hands behind her head and crossing one leg over the other one. "Honestly," she added, hoping to get Ellie's sincere thoughts on him.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie shrugged, realizing then how little she even knew about Joel, beyond what little he's told her and how he acts. She didn't realize how much that affected her until that moment. "Well, uh," she started, letting out a half-sigh. "He was kind of a dick when I first met him. Still can be, sometimes. Took me a while just to convince him to give me a gun, and that was only after I saved his life with one, back in the city. He's alright, I guess, but he's kinda… moody, I guess you could say. I get him to crack up from time to time, though. Got a pun book I read from, when it's quiet." She fell into a brief moment of silence, pursing her lips. "Honestly, I don't know him all that well. We've only been traveling together for about a week."

A brief silence filled the air as the two continued to look up into the cloud-filled sky. Ellie's thoughts dwell on Joel for a bit, thinking about every detail she knew about him, and things she picked up along the way. He was alright, she guessed, but he had his moments. Like when they were on the beach, or when she shot that guy that was trying to kill him. She wasn't sure if he did that because he didn't want her to get hurt, or himself. Whatever motivations he had besides 'getting her to the Fireflies' were a mystery to her. Might be the only reason, now that she thought about it.

Clearing her throat, and her mind, she sat up, wrapping her arms around her legs before glancing towards Clem. "So, uh, we're probably going to be here for a while, huh? How about another game? To pass the time?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's ears perked up at the suggestion, the girl turning to Ellie with an eyebrow raise. "Another game…?" Clementine asked in a low voice, amused. _Right, 'cause the last one went so well… _Clem followed Ellie's lead, sitting up with both her legs crossed before shooting her another amused look. "Shoot me."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie let out an amused chuckle, shaking her head. "No, the game isn't to shoot you," she joked, a small smile appearing on her face. "It's a game I played with Riley one time, back when we first met. Two truths, and a lie. Pretty simple. You say two facts about yourself, and a lie. Then the other person's gotta guess which one is the lie." _Let's just see how mysterious you really are, Clementine. _"I'll get us started. One," she pointed up her index finger, indicating the number one, taking a second to think of something. "I've spent _pretty much _my entire life in quarantine zones. Two: I... never got to meet my parents." _Way to make it depressing, Ellie. _"And three: I once found a working arcade machine with Riley. It was still getting power from the QZ, so we stole some money from the cash register and played it all night. Which one's the lie?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine glanced sideways at Ellie following the girl's attempt at a joke, confused and largely unamused. _Hardy har har. _It sounded kinda fun, anyhow: Ellie's game. Guessing wasn't really her forte, and neither was lying, but… _I guess I could try. _What's the worst that could happen, right? Anything sounded better than talking about Joel for the next hour.

Clem listened attentively to Ellie's three statements, taking a few seconds to think about each of them in her head. _Grew up locked up, never met parents… played on a working arcade?_

"Okay… I think I got it." Clementine confidently declared, scratching her nose before going through each one. "Whole life in a quarantine zone… that's, uh…" _Insane. _Never leaving a QZ just seemed unthinkable, totally kooky… but the more Clem thought about it, the more likely it sounded. Never having eggs before was by itself sort of a dead giveaway. "I'm gonna say truth. Kind of… hope it isn't, though." The girl remarked with a sad look, before moving on to the next one. "Parents. Truth." Clementine quickly stated, and just as hurriedly moved on. Seemed really plausible, unfortunately. Especially given the fact that she never mentioned them before. "And, arcade machine. Nope. Lie." It probably had something to do with the fact that Clem had never seen something powered by anything other than wind turbines, but she didn't buy that one at all. Grinning, the girl patiently waited for Ellie's response, though personally, Clementine had little doubt she'd gotten them all right.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Not bad, Clem. We actually did find an arcade once, but we just pretended they worked," she admitted, shrugging. "The others are all true, though," she continued. She twisted her body around, facing towards Clementine as she hugged her legs to her body. "Alright Clem, your turn. Dazzle me with tales of your adventures through the wasteland."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine stifled a laugh, leaning her back against the window behind them. "Dazzled… that's one word for it." _Hmm… what to say, what to say… _The girl had a few real and made-up facts in mind, but three of them easily stood out as she laid out her winning plan.

"Alright. Don't laugh." Clem told her, letting out a heavy sigh whilst averting her gaze. "I… I had a pet goat called Snow White."

She moved on rather quickly, straight into the second one. "I got bit by a dog once, really, really bad. Stitched it up by myself, plus I got a cool scar to prove it."

The girl cleared her throat before getting into the final one, knowing it'd be a tad longer than the first two.

"I didn't know the walkers were a _thing _, until I was like nine years old. My parents tried to keep it from me… sometimes, I don't blame them for it. When I met Lee, he taught me about the walkers, and he taught me how to make it on my own."

"So, which one's the lie?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Hummm…" Ellie took a moment to think about it, going over each answer in her head. "Let's see... parents hid the infected from you? Can't say I'm surprised. Well, a _little _. I'm gonna say… truth, on that one." That one was simple enough, and seemed the most likely of the answers. "Got bit by a dog, huh? And stitched it up yourself? Damn, that's hardcore. You're gonna have to show me that if it's true, which I think it is. Now, about this goat… named Snow White? You'll have to remind me what Snow White's from. Sounds familiar for some reason. Anyway, you said you lived on a farm once, so it's not _completely _bogus, but I don't believe it. You'll have to tell me if you _actually _had any animals, though. That sounds awesome."

**Art [Clementine]**

"Snow White, c'mon… from the book." _Don't make me say it out loud! _It was, in fact, one of the books she carried with her until it got wrecked by that sewer trip. Never one of her favorites, but she liked the tiny dwarves. "And, nope. You're wrong. Snow White really was my pet back on the farm. Baby goat." She explained. "We had a horse too, but she was too sick to move most of the time…" _Guess now I gotta... go over that other bit._

"So, uh, the lie," the girl said, choosing her next words carefully before proceeding. "It wasn't _all _a lie. My parents did try to hide it from me, and Lee did teach me a ton of things after he took me in." Clementine came to a stop, smirking at the fact that Ellie fell in her trap. "But… I didn't find out about the walkers when I was nine. You see… one day, I left the gate open on Snow White's pen."

It was an uncomfortable memory, painful even. Rubbing her palm, the girl finally revealed the catch in her lie.

"The walkers got her. I found Snow White's corpse the next morning, and that's when I found out… I was five years old back then."

Not wanting to kill the mood like last time, Clementine quickly pulled up her left sleeve, revealing the bite from two years ago, smiling faintly at Ellie's excitement over seeing it. "You were right about the dog though. It fucking hurt…"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Whoa, _damn _, that's sick." Ellie took in the sight of the bite, inwardly grimacing as she imagined the pain Clementine must've felt when the dog bit her. She didn't even feel hers, when that infected bit her. The adrenaline that was pumping through her veins was enough to block it out, but Clem? _Damn _, she must've felt every ounce of pain from_that _.

"That's so cool you had animals, though. I've never really seen one up close, except like... a bunny, and some birds, obviously." She shrugged her shoulders, wringing her hands together. "Did your parents have an actual farm? Like, did they grow food? I figured... they probably did, since it's a farm, but... I don't know. Must be a lot of work."

**Art [Clementine]**

"We grew tomatoes, onions, potatoes… stuff like that. It wasn't easy, but Dad found a way." Clementine refrained from mentioning the other animals, not wanting to trample over Ellie's innocent assumption that they had a ton of them. They couldn't keep most of them fed, and often times they'd starve to death during winter. It was stupid… no way Mom and Dad could've maintained a farm on their own; it was never something that could've lasted long term. Despite that, Clementine was grateful for that... naiveté. That small little world they built for her, no matter how short lived it was.

"You would've liked it," Clem told her with a warm smile, holding out hope, as small as it was, that the Fireflies could provide them with something similar.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie shrugged her shoulders, smiling towards her friend. "Maybe we'll see another farm someday."

"_Hey uh, if you guys are awake we got some... breakfast. If you want it, we gotta get going soon so scoot!"_

Lee's voice interrupted their conversation from inside the house. At the mention of food, any thought of seeing farm animals disappeared, replaced by the sudden growl Ellie's stomach made. _Guess my stomach's mind is made up._

"Looks like that's our cue," Ellie breathed, pulling herself up, and heading towards the window. "C'mon, let's see what they managed to scrounge up."

* * *

_7:12 AM (13 minutes ago) - Inside the house_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Nothing was quite as terrible as waking up with your head on the ground. Joel had managed to nab a moth-eaten blanket from a drawer and laid on it, giving Lee the couch on the condition that he gets the next one. His eyes opened, no blanket over him and his only mattress being the aforementioned thin sheet. He sat up, rubbing at his head and groaning. Looking down at his wrist, he grimaced. His watch was still broken.

Joel got to work, moving his backpack onto the counter and looking through it. He was hungry, as he sure the girls and Lee were. The three cans of food he had in his pack were hardly enough. Beans, pineapple, and corn. Sounded like a meal to him. Looking around, he decided somebody would need to forgo food; that person would just have to be himself. Or he could split the food up, but he wasn't sure how great of a nutritional diet that would give. He dropped the cans on the counter, and decided to make that decision later. Instead, he walked into the garage, taking note of the prickly dartboard still covered in Ellie and Clementine's game.

Joel smiled weakly. Making his way over, he drug his fingers along each of the throws. _Friends. They are friends now. _Ellie and Clementine, he had meant. He swallowed, taking the darts off the board and piling them up in his palms. Joel walked back, dropping them on a metal counter that had once served as a father's tool bench. He dropped the darts onto it, then picked up one. Turning around, he began to aim his throw. _Time to show them how a real master does it. _He smiled to himself, then threw the dart. The dart sailed through the air, hitting its mark. Well, if its mark happened to be the wall beside of the dartboard. Joel decided that perhaps darts weren't actually his thing, then.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee's eyes shot open, springing upwards from the couch in a panic, his breath heavy as his eyes were wide open, staring down at the ground as he could feel his heart palpitating in his chest. He looked around the room, the rays of sunshine peeking through the windows as he heard a few birds outside. Joel's bag was still on the ground near the place where he had slept on the ground not far from the couch… Lee realized he had fallen asleep in an upright sitting position, similar to how he used to at his work desk late night at home. He breathed out in relief as he slumped his back up against the couch… The nightmares hadn't been that bad in a while, so he didn't know why it was happening now…

He checked his watch… _7:12AM, Joel's up… maybe the rest are? _He rubbed his face as he cleared his throat, standing up from the couch and stretching. That dream… he couldn't explain it, but then again, dreams were weird. He had been thinking about that bite of Ellie's, maybe a little too much before going to bed.

Upon walking through the house he heard something odd, like shuffling… He silently made his way towards the garage where he had heard the noise, crossing his arms and leaning on the doorframe as he saw Joel, deciding to stay silent he saw the old Texan pick up a dart, seeing it _thwack _against the wall. He admitted to himself that it wasn't something he expected to see from him, but it was an amusing sight.

"Rusty on the darts, are we? Can probably say the same for me, too. It's been a while." He decided to comment, knowing Joel hadn't seen him at the door yet.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel glared at the misplaced dart, still poking from the wall. It glared right back, as if it were mocking him, to which Joel did not appreciate the dart for doing so. He sighed, picking up another dart before a voice pierced the air. He turned his head with surprise, fingers flying to his jeans only to see Lee standing in the doorway.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I'm a little off." He smiled, looking over at the board. "You sleep well?" He asked, dropping the dart back onto the counter it once lied on. Perhaps it was best to open up a little bit more with Lee… maybe even Ellie and Clementine too, but not too much. They were good people, but they were holding him back. He had a mission, and that was getting the girl across the states. Nothing could be allowed to stop that.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Not really," Lee admitted with a blunt sigh, in regards to his sleeping pattern, still trying to brush off that horrible nightmare. "But I'll be able to sleep when we get to that radio tower." He uncrossed his arms as he entered into the garage. A small scoff as he examined the board, seeing where Joel's dart landed. He eyed off the table where more darts were sprawled out with a smile, and soon he gave into the urge.

He silently picked up the dart as he distanced himself from the board, roughly around where Joel had stood when he threw. Eyes on the board, he decided to give it a shot. The thoughts from last night's revelation plagued his mind; she was somehow immune; that's why Joel was taking her across the country.

"Your girl… striked me as someone that's grown up in one of the FEDRA zones," he commented as he kept his eyes on the board. "So the reason you're with her is because you're delivering her to the Fireflies… how'd you get out of Boston, then?" He asked as he sent the dart flying. No normal person could just evade FEDRA like that, let alone escape one of the zones. He sent the dart flying as it whirled through the air for a moment, it connected to the board with a thud before Lee winced at his horrid throw, the dart ricocheting off of the board and falling to the ground. Cursing under his breath he went to retrieve it, walking over to Joel, holding the dart out for him to take.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel took the dart from Lee's hand, having yet to answer his question. He supposed it tough to do so, considering the circumstances of their departure from Boston. Looking over the board, he pursed his lips, aiming his throw. "Yeah. We were supposed to meet a group of Fireflies in Boston who would have taken her to wherever they were going." He paused, throwing the dart forward. It stuck itself firmly in the wall next to his previous throw.

He groaned, but continued soon after. "Soldiers... killed them." He paused again, wincing. "FEDRA tried to take us in, but we managed to get away. As you can... tell." His voice shook momentarily, and he leaned up against the counter waiting for Lee's throw.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It was laughable at how horrible they both were at this game. If he were to be challenged fourteen years ago at a bar, Lee would have been more than obliged to teach someone how to _really _play darts, but he couldn't help but notice how out of touch they were with this side of themselves. _You spend so much time trying to survive that you forget how to be a normal damn human being every now and then _.

He tried not to make fun of Joel's throwing abilities as he kept his arms crossed, watching the next dart hit close to the second on the wall; at least his darts actually hit something, unlike Lee. He couldn't help but feel he was missing something here, they weren't related... but much like himself and Clementine, they were also on the run. The way he explained getting out of Boston sounded cagey, almost like it was second nature. _Was he paid to do this? A favour to a friend...? What am I missing…?_

"So, how'd you wind up getting yourself into taking an immune girl halfway across the country?" If Joel didn't know Ellie that well, any other normal human being would have probably given up and sent the kid packing after finding the Fireflies dead, but for some reason, maybe Joel had persevered with it. Lee sent the dart flying to the board, he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw where it hit… smack bang straight in the middle, landing with a satisfying thud.

"Well shit…" He smiled.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The game was not going so swell for Joel; he watched Lee preparing a shot, talking to him along the way. He had tried his best to dodge the question, but it seemed to be no avail. Lee was going to throw it in his face, and Joel was too busy chewing on his gums anxiously to respond. He waited a moment, the question nearly killing him. The reason he took Ellie across the country... _Tess made you, didn't she? _He had thought about Tess a few times since her violent end, despite his best efforts to not do so. But at least he hadn't had to talk about it; Ellie knew not to bring it up, and he appreciated her respecting that for him. But Lee was not in the loop, the loop of Joel's twisted psyche putting him at odds with any sensitivity or vulnerability. Joel was _not _weak.

Thankfully, Joel didn't have to answer the question yet. He opened his mouth as if to speak, and then Lee's dart landed square on the bullseye. "Good shot!" Joel exclaimed, the sound catching in his throat momentarily. He looked over the board, the sole dart being Lee's great shot. It was time to show Lee what for. He pulled his arm back, hoping Lee forgot about the question entirely.

"Uh, how'd you and Clementine meet?" He asked with distinct succinctness, throwing the dart forward. It landed right to the left of the ten on the board, stuck in the black space. Not terrible. Not particularly good either.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He recalled the events like they were yesterday, her cautious gaze, her hat and bushy hair. "A good couple of years back... I was scouting the riverfront for supplies, and uh, I just... see this little girl peeking down at me from a window in a little treehouse... I couldn't leave her... and here we are..." Lee explained vaguely as he crossed his arms, letting Joel take his turn and standing slightly behind him, emitting a frown that Joel wouldn't be able to see due to him dodging the question entirely.

The Texan was odd like that, he noticed one minute, he would be alright, then Lee would say one thing a tad too wrong and he'd shut it down entirely... or just ignore him completely. It was the same case when he'd asked the man about if he used to have kids. He'd just get aggravated. _What's up with him? _He pondered as his scowl softened, deciding to lay off of the questions. "Since we know who's _clearly _better at darts, maybe we should call it quits here and get going, yeah?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Lee and Clementine had seemed to have a deeper bond; they had been together for what amounted to years, according to the man. Joel nodded towards Lee, a broken smile trying to crawl from the cracks in his face. _A Good Samaritan. _He thought. A strange one, especially given Lee's previous abandonment issues. Joel opened his mouth to add on to Lee's story, but had nothing and clamped his mouth shut right after. _Why can't you just answer his question? _Joel asked himself, frowning. In all honesty, he knew the reason why; he just didn't like admitting it.

Upon Lee's next proposal, Joel greedily nodded. "If I was given a few more throws, I think I could have taken ya." He smiled, then looked away from Lee. "Yeah. I got few cans of food in my pack, if you and the girls want some."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A small scoff escaped his lips as he picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulders. The longer they lingered, the more chance someone had of coming across them, or God help them, the folks from the bridge catching up… but he highly doubted they would bother giving chase for four simple people.

"I'll call them down, see if the girls are hungry." He nodded towards Joel as they left the garage to the main lounge area. Lee hovered by the stairs, deciding to stay down. "Hey, uh, if you guys are awake we got some... breakfast. If you want it, we gotta get going soon so scoot!" He called up to the room, expecting to hopefully see two pairs of legs running down any second.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine and Ellie hastily made their way downstairs after climbing through the window, heading straight to the lounge area where Lee called for them. _Wonder what we're having..._

Upon finding him and Joel in the house's bottom level, the pair handed the two girls a can of food each. Clementine wound up getting the one with the beans, her eyes narrowing as she struggled to read the label. _Doesn't look... awful. _She was, unfortunately, too hungry to care. The girl picked up a spoon from one of the drawers in the kitchen, using it to dig into her meal after opening the lid with her knife. It was really fucking cold, its texture thick and gross, but it didn't taste too bad. Better than eating seeds, anyway.

Halfway through her meal, Clementine sat on the couch, speaking up with her mouth full. "When're we leaving?" She asked to no one in particular, thoroughly focused on her can of beans.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel watched the two girls come down after Lee, ready to eat whatever grub they could manage to scrounge up from the cans of food. Joel looked one last time at the dart board, then entered the kitchen. They had gotten to work quickly, Clementine greedily devouring the beans, Ellie to, perhaps, grab another can. Joel looked at the younger one of the two, who had just asked a question that was, he felt, coated with an easy answer.

"After ya'll are done eatin'. We gotta get to the radio tower soon."


	13. Saving Grace, I

_8:02 AM - Streets of suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After putting some semblance of a meal in their bellies, they were off on the road again. Although he didn't know how much of a meal sharing half a can with Joel was, but it was all that was keeping them going. The streets weren't too tough to navigate with the sun bearing down on them, they just had to follow the streets and keep the radio tower in their sights.

_Not quite there yet, but close. _He thought as he looked to the yellow radio tower in the distance whilst wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. As they made their way down the street, he didn't pay attention as he walked past an odd-looking vehicle with overgrowth present on it, various symbols of snacks from the old days. He was too busy to notice it was an old ice cream truck.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As they strolled down the barren street, Ellie found herself bouncing between objects to focus on. An overgrown patch of cobblestone paving, a rabbit hopping through the trees in the distance, Joel and Lee on occasion, and Clementine. After spending so much time apart yesterday, being all together again was a good feeling, and being on better terms with the girl was pretty good, too. Go back around forty hours, and it wasn't like that. It was almost surreal, how not that long ago, it'd just been her and Joel, and now… now they had _more _. More people to care about and look after, but also someone other than Joel to talk to. That, by itself, made everything worth it.

As they were crossing through a street, her eyes were drawn to a vehicle on the side of the road. It was some sort of van, painted white and blue, with these strange advertisements plastered all over the side of the car. Scrutinizing it, she glanced back towards Joel and Lee. "Hey, what's this thing?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Huh?" Lee turned around with an eyebrow raised at the question, only to see what she was referring to. "Oh, this thing" His eyes lit up as he walked over, placing a hand on the hood as a lot of fond memories from his childhood came back, just seeing the labels and advertisements of ice cream was enough to take him back. "_ This _, is an ice cream truck." He looked at the kids, who returned the stare with something that resembled being dumbfounded, which was to be expected. "Back in the day they used to sell ice cream out of it" he added.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel grinned, looking at the ice cream truck that Ellie was quite obviously confused by. As this was obviously something that would be of disbelief for the girls, Joel confirmed Lee's thoughts on the matter. "It's true. This thing would drive around and play real loud, creepy music and kids would come running out to buy ice cream." He remembered the few times he had seen ice cream trucks back when him and Tommy were still just kids. The fabled givers of ice cream hadn't been as common when the infected started running around, but still a welcome sight.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine came to a sudden stop the moment everyone else did, shooting a puzzled glance at the funny truck the other three seemed so infatuated with. It didn't strike her as anything noteworthy, even with the copious amount of colors and letters on it's side. The thing was too old to drive in, and to have anything in it. It was just an old truck. Lee, in particular, seemed rather fond of the funny truck, going as far as walking over to it and patting its hood. It was a weird fucking scene, and Clem was just moments away from asking what the heck was up with everyone.

Lee and Joel explained it… eventually, and thus, the girl was finally able to make sense of it all. _Ice cream. _She'd heard of it before, somewhere. Where? She wondered, but for whatever reason, she couldn't really recall. Some kind of sweet, the cold kind, that much she knew. Clementine couldn't help but feel a little left out, hearing the adults share their stories about creepy music and agitated little kids. The whole thing sounded kind of… surreal.

Clementine did talk, shortly after everyone else, feeling somewhat upset over her benightedness. "I… never had ice cream." She said with her arms crossed, trying to convey the fact that she didn't really get what they meant by all that.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie hadn't had the chance to eat ice cream before either, although she'd seen it plenty of times. Soldiers in the zone, especially the arrogant dickheads, would eat it in front of them, trying to piss them off. It worked, sometimes. She glanced towards Clementine, her knowing gaze signifying she knew how the girl felt. After Joel talked about the music and the kids coming out to buy the ice cream, she couldn't help but scoff. "You're totally fucking with us, right?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

His response was immediate. "Um-mm. Serious." Ice cream was a rarity in this world; he hadn't even considered that kids couldn't have eaten ice cream. He couldn't even imagine a world without literal ice cream. He wondered for a second if these girls had even had any kind of dessert; what real food did they ever eat? What did they even know about from the old world? Was this… _it?_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie chuckled slightly, shaking her head. "Man, you lived in a strange time." She could barely imagine it. Why would kids wants to buy ice cream out of a truck? Would it just get warm? Or do they have fridges in them? How would they even power those in such a small truck? Nothing about it made sense, and she was half tempted to scoff it off and call bullshit, but the evidence to the contrary was right in front of her.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee slightly chuckled as he nudged his head further down the road as they kept moving onwards. They were only about half a mile out from the place they had went through hell and back to get to: that damned radio tower. Quite frankly, Lee was done with Pittsburgh, this whole town was nothing but a mixed bag of trouble and had caused nothing but grief ever since they had entered, the only good thing coming out of this obviously meeting like-minded companions, and by slim chance… someone that could be the cure. What was the luck of that? Lee deduced it was next to slim, but still… somehow it had happened. Life nowadays still managed to keep him guessing. The further they travelled down the street, the more apparent it became that there were barking noises, two dogs about a hundred feet away were gnawing at a piece of… _something _on the ground. Lee stopped in his tracks. "Might wanna keep our distance here"

**Art [Clementine]**

The ringing growls vibrated in Clementine's ears, almost as loudly as the thumping in the girl's chest. Clem's feet trembled, fighting the agonizing urge to back away. Her fingers curled into a fist, whilst her right hand instinctively gravitated towards her knife holster. _Why'd it have to be dogs…?_

Nearly frozen in place, the girl took cover behind Lee, her brows drawing together in fear. "Lee…?" She called out in a low voice, hoping he'd be there… to keep them away. Clementine didn't want to be afraid… scared of dogs, of all things... but she couldn't help it. No amount of trying to look tough could hide the fact that she was terrified.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's eyes lit up at the sight of the dogs, the words escaping her mouth before she could hold them back. "Aw, doggies." Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be caught dead saying something so childish, but the sight was enough to bring down that protective wall. As Lee's warning reached her ears, her shoulders slumped slightly. Maybe she should've expected that, given they were out here in the middle of nowhere. They probably weren't too keen on humans, anyway.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel peered at the dogs from afar, shaking his head. His legs strained, neck, head, and arms growing fuzzy. "You're gonna wanna stay away from those. It's not like it is in the zone, these are wild." He walked towards a nearby house, eager to get off the road, especially with those fighting dogs mucking up the area. Who knew what kind of infections were waiting within those yellowed jaws? He was sure they weren't something that even Ellie was immune to.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The two canines heads shot up for a moment, before looking down the direction of a different street. Their eyes seem fixated on something. It was at that moment that the two dogs bolted out of sight and around the corner, disappearing.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_Lee…? _he heard a meek voice from behind as she practically used him as her shield to hide from the dogs; he was well aware of the troubles she had with dogs in the past, so he didn't blame her at all for this reaction. It was almost like she was eight years old again in this situation. It was a complete different reaction from Ellie, who obviously grew up in the zone, around friendly pet dogs, the kinds of canines Clementine _should _have gotten a chance to see. They weren't all that bad, as long as you knew how to read them, but just like everything other human… even the animals that once used to be man's best friend had turned rabid.

"They're not gonna reach you, it's okay. Probably would be more scared of us than we are of them," he compromised, before squinting his eyes as they darted around the corner. _Something must have scared them off _. His stance softened as he turned around. "See…? Gone…" He smiled, before finally remembering. _Oh… _he knelt down and dug around in his pack. "Before we get going, forgot to give you these earlier, but here… for your hair." He extended his hand, holding the spare pieces of material she used to tie her hair up.

**Art [Clementine]**

The two wild dogs standing in front of them hastily and suddenly took their leave, the streets of Pittsburgh returning to their deadly silence. Clem subsequently regained her composure, distancing herself from Lee before crossing one of her arms. It was the worst kind of feeling, hiding behind him like a toddler… Was it dumb? Being scared of dogs...? Ellie didn't look startled at all… more like the total opposite. _Doggies. Really? _It didn't matter, honestly. After what she went through, Clem simply couldn't allow herself to be near a dog ever again. No matter what.

Shortly after the dogs left, Lee handed her spare bits of the springy stuff she tied her hair with, and the girl gladly accepted them. Clementine had lost all of hers in the sewers… It was really awesome of Lee to carry extra ones with him.

"Thanks," the girl quietly uttered, taking the hair _thingies _from Lee's hands. She didn't hate it; having her hair loose the way it was. It certainly wasn't practical, but it felt like being a little kid again. Too bad it had to go. Clementine wrapped her two hands around her voluminous hair, folding it under her hat before tying up what little insisted on peeking out of it. _There… back the way it should be._

"You sure they're gone?" Clem asked with a touch of worry in her voice. They couldn't stop now, but running into those dogs, maybe even more of them… the thought shook the girl to her core.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The warm and odd quiet radiance of the street was interrupted as the sound of a roaring engine spurred into action… the engine being quickly turned on once it planned to pounce. It had been lying in wait.

The vehicle turned the corner... being the obvious occurrence for why the dogs had ran off. The same turret from back on the bridge had travelled further downtown in search, evidently it had switched off its engine and laid in wait for any tourists… and it had payed off… they had fallen right into their hands, knowing these areas like the back of their hands.

"**Fooound youuu assholes!**" A laugh cackled as Reggie pressed his foot on the gas, turning the corner and speeding towards the four as the man on the turret tried to take aim.

"**Thought you fuckers got away from us?**" The turret's operator yelled as he placed his finger on the trigger, the vehicle barreling towards the four at an alarming rate.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine jerked her head towards the source of the unnerving engine sounds, widening her eyes in panic the moment it became clear who and what it was. _Fuck, no, no, no...! _There wasn't any time to speak, to think, or to breathe. They had to go, and they had to go **now**. Clem drew her revolver, ready to make her six rounds count if need be, before grabbing Lee by the hand, urging him and the others to move.

"Go, run!" The girl shouted, firing twice at the vehicle with the foolish hope of slowing them down. Clementine ran as fast as her legs would allow without looking back, grimacing in frustration. They weren't going to die… she wouldn't let it happen.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Shit!" Lee wrenched himself to his feet, only having a matter of seconds to register what was going on, somehow the persistent assholes had caught up with them, if only he could kick himself for being so careless after the bridge… for thinking they had lost them for good… for not getting a move on quicker. _Why can't they just leave us the hell alone?_

He gritted his teeth as he ran in Clem's direction, waving off to a nearby alley. The spaces were tighter in the suburbs, not as open as the main city was, they'd have more trouble chasing them down. They had to be quick… if this vehicle was here, there was no telling how many others were with them, and how fast they could get here. "Alleyway!" He yelled to the others as they ran.

**Dot [Ellie]**

" _Oh fuck, oh fuck, _" Ellie breathed as she followed the others into the alleyway, only sparing a brief glance back at the huge fucking truck chasing them down. She'd hoped they'd seen the last of these assholes, but they followed them across the river. "What the fuck is wrong with these guys?!" She asked to no one in particular, breathing heavily as she stumbled through the alleyway. Hopefully they'll lose them in the deeper recesses of the neighborhood, but even that she wasn't sure of. These guys weren't fucking around, and would undoubtedly follow them until they were caught, or until they got the jump on them instead. Hopefully it'd be the latter.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's muscles tensed up just as they had when he first saw the dogs. No, not like that; no, his muscles were flaring up like when he first saw Jimmy bursting from his house, covered in blood and racing towards him - _and Sarah, right? Or have you forgotten? _\- and his house and then he had broken through the doors and Joel had shot him, put him down like the rabid dog Jimmy had become. When Joel's head curled around, hands unconsciously having pulled his revolver from his back pocket. There was no Jimmy; there were no dogs. There was just the putter and purr of an engine, and then the truck came rolling around the corner.

"Oh, no no no no..." He ran into the alleyway after the other three, a round from the truck nearly ripping him in half but just narrowly missing. He heard Ellie ask something; and his mind answered it as best as he could. "_ Just keep running goddammit! _" He swore, taking weighted flight on his feet.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

"C'mere cocksuckers!" Freddy screamed as spit flew out of his mouth, he grabbed a molotov from the passenger seat and lit it, opening up the top hatch of the vehicle to stick his head out. He pegged the molotov cocktail at the four as it narrowly missed them, quickly ducking back inside and closing the latch, getting ready to toss another.

Reggie eased off the gas as they pursued the four of them into the alleyways, having to slow down. They needed men on the ground pronto, so he radioed in. "Everyone available, we've found the tourists from the city. The ones that tried to run us over at the highway shift _and _the other two that killed one of our guys. They're together. Position is a quarter of a mile south from the radio tower. Get word to Negan and your asses over here!"

He threw the radio aside, it was just the two of them in the turret out here, but the rest were about ten minutes out, they just needed to stay on their tails. He navigated the tight alleyway as he sped after them.

As the four tourists navigated the alleyway, they would find themselves coming to a dead-end, blocked off by a tall, picketed fence. A few broken-down cars and large trash cans were the only thing to serve as cover, a few buildings surrounded them, and a ladder was evident that led to a rooftop, but it required them to leave cover to get to it.

"Shit…" Reggie pressed his foot on the gas too hard in the tight alleyway, almost losing control as he slammed on the brakes, the vehicle's tire hitting an odd indentation in the ground and getting stuck. However, the turret was blocking their only exit out of the alleyway as the turret's operator fired at the four hiding behind the old police car. "We're fucking stuck… but they're trapped in there, nowhere to go, keep firing!" Reggie exclaimed to Fred, who alternated between firing the turret and getting his second molotov ready to throw.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee knelt behind the police car as he withdrew his rifle, quickly peaking as he pulled the bolt back and fired towards the front window. The shot ricocheting off of it as bullets whirled above his head, forcing him to duck down. "Thing's damned bullet-proof!" he spoke as he flinched, the high-caliber turret fire piercing the window of the police car they were hiding behind.

"There's gotta be a way out, or - something we can use to buy us time…" he breathed out, pulling back the bolt to see how much ammunition he had left… it wasn't much. After a brief pause, he spoke again. "We just gotta think, I'm open to any ideas here…" he spoke again as he glanced towards Joel, an open invitation for anyone to suggest something. Lee was trying his damndest not to sound panicked, but they didn't have the resources to fight this thing head on.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked out from behind the police car, eyeing the truck with scrutiny. He kneeled back down, mind racing with possibilities. The truck was armored, and they didn't have enough bullets to pierce it. Joel had his nail bomb, but he doubted that would do anything to the truck if bullets did squat. He grimaced, sweating in the spring heat and the fear of death shrouding them. An idea struck for a moment as he eyed off past them and noticed the ladder resting against the building. They'd be torn to shreds if they tried to scale it, but maybe not if the truck was distracted. He ripped off his backpack, fumbling through the pack before pulling out the nail bomb. He had use for it yet. Checking his ammo in his revolver, he pulled out his five spare bullets and handed them to Lee. "Lee, I need you and the girls to distract the truck for me. Gimme the rifle. I'm gonna try and climb up and shoot at them whenever he tries to throw another molotov." He pursed his lips, handing the revolver to Lee with the bullets.

He looked down at the nail bomb, which he had laid on the ground. "I need you to throw the bomb at them first. Just pull the pin and throw. Ellie, Clem, if you have any ways of distracting it as well, I'd be glad for the help." He didn't look at them as he spoke, just zipped up his backpack and left it lying on the ground should Lee take the bullets. He didn't want Lee to threaten himself climbing up that ladder. No, he couldn't let Lee die. He had informed Lee of the general area of where Tommy was; he was sure that if the worst came, Lee could get the girls there. _If you die they'll die too._

_Maybe._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine kept her head down, leaning with her back against the police car as she swinged out her revolver's cylinder. _Only four left... you fucking shitting me?! _Bullets were flying all over the place, bouncing off the car they were using for cover, shattering the walls around them, raising the damn dirt off the ground… They couldn't stay there, they absolutely couldn't. Joel was on the right track, and Clem made sure to listen to his every word, nodding the moment he was done. "I can shoot. That's it." Clementine grimly replied, in spite of being fully aware that bullets wouldn't work on that thing. _How the hell are we supposed to distract them? _Time was running out, and they couldn't afford to wait.

Clem put her mind to work whilst Joel prepared to put his plan into action, trying to think of something they could use to keep those assholes in the truck occupied. "Wait, wait…! I got it." The girl said, taking off her jacket and ruffling through her backpack. "We can burn the tires! If the smoke's thick enough, they won't see us through it." After grabbing the box from her backpack, Clementine lit one of the matches, lighting her jacket on fire. _Hope I don't regret this... _"I need a hand! Anything that'll help make a fire. Hurry!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"I've got this!" Ellie replied to the girl, pulling off her backpack and fishing out the bottle of vodka she'd found at the house. It wasn't much, but it should be enough to get the fire started, and going. With that fucker in the gunner seat still firing at them, that smokescreen was their only hope at getting out of this alive.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee reluctantly looked to the stocky Texan man as he handed over his bullets and backpack. While he laid out the plan, Lee stared at the bullets in his hand as he then looked back up at Joel, seeing just how dead serious he was, going through with this. The man was playing with his life, taking this risk… but he knew there was no trying to convince him.

"Alright man, here." He passed over the rifle with an affirmative nod and a serious gaze. "You got three shots, make them count… just - this isn't a one way trip… you're coming back," he spoke confidently, whether it was to assure himself or Joel, he wasn't sure, but they needed him alive. He knew where the Fireflies were… and he was far too valuable to the… group… _Did I really just think that word?_

"Good idea Clem. Okay, I got uh…" he mumbled as he heard out Clem, digging around in his bag and taking out whatever was flammable inside, tissues, scraps of papers, wrappers… anything as he piled them up next to her to use. He clutched the nail bomb in his hand, getting ready to throw it… after the tires were lit, they couldn't stay behind the car for long. They'd just have to hope Joel would get the deed done from above.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine placed Lee's junk around the blaze generated by her jacket, fueling the fire enough to make a small puff of smoke, but not nearly enough to be useful. That's where the tires came in, and where Ellie's aid would really come into play. _This'll help, I hope... _Clem poured the alcohol on both the tires facing them, kicking the flaming jacket in their direction, and watching as the synthetic rubber burst into flames.

"It worked!" The girl exclaimed in contained excitement, giving Joel a confident look to signal the fact that the rest was all up to him. Gradually, a large puff of darkened smoke spread throughout their surroundings, bringing with it a terrible burning smell almost too excruciating to endure.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The smoke billowed upwards, floating alongside the ladder in towering stacks. Poison. Vicious poison. And Joel was climbing right up into it. The men in the truck were likely already trying to plan for this; whether they think that the four were trying to make their escape or something else was the true question onto where their aim would fall. He grabbed the first rung, looking up the treacherous climb. His rifle swung in his free hand, before he began the journey up the ladder.

He threw himself up quick, having only one arm to carry his full weight up. The crackle of fire and smoke rang through his eardrums, but the sudden introduction of a new sound brought panic. The whirring of the machine gun starting back up, before a bullet zipped through the wall right next to him. Another phased through the smoke, shattering a window and splashing glass onto Joel. His breathing became troubled, a mixture of toxic fumes and fear swelling in his lungs. He continued the climb, another bullet sailing past, missing the building entirely. The smoke was going to dissipate soon; and they'd hit Joel eventually. He was so close to the top though, he was so so so close… but things had never been on Joel's side, no, not since the day Lee left him and Ellie behind, not since their truck had crashed into a convenience store, not since Tess had been bitten, not since Jimmy had been shot, not since he lost his job on his birthday, not since he had to raise Tommy, not since he had been stuck on this goddamned mission to take the cure for mankind across the goddamn United States by himself-

He reached up for the ledge, but it escaped him with a metal squeal and an explosion of gunfire. The bullet passed through the top of the ladder, flinging it from its screws. The ladder swung, Joel flying with it. He tried his best to make it, but another bullet was already coming towards him. It cracked through the last stronghold of the ladder, sending it falling towards the bottom, thankfully not crushing any of the three down below. Joel was lucky enough to not come crashing down with it… yet, at least. He threw the hunting rifle onto the roof as his feet fell, his arms clapping on the stone ceiling. He needed time, he just needed a little more time...

"**Throw the nail bomb!**" He screamed, not bothering with who heard him, as long as the message was gotten across to Lee. He could hear the machine gun whirring again, having found its target. He remembered thinking that it was like a particularly riveting game of Battleship, then the thought passed, more focus growing on pulling himself onto the roof as fast as he could.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The thick haze of the eventual smoke filled Lee's lungs, his eyes watery and his breath heavy as he covered his nose with the inside of his elbow, trying to shield himself from the horrid smell the thick haze had emitted. But it had worked, the gunshots were getting more erratic, the gunner couldn't see them, they were confused. With his back propped up against the car he heard him...

" _**Throw the nail bomb!**_" a voice bellowed from above. _It's now or never _.

"Keep your heads down and stay low!" He directed his words to Ellie and Clem, the heat and smoke would travel upwards, so if they stuck lower to the ground, they'd have an easier time breathing. "**Alright!**" he called back to Joel as, with haste, he unpinned the bomb and wrenched himself up, throwing the bomb as hard as he could through the smoke towards the turret.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

Freddy fired through the thick smoke, his teeth gritted as he attempted to tear through that car if it was the last thing he'd do. "You wanna make fire?! I'll fucking help you out!" he screamed as he slammed his fist down in the chair he was sitting on. Heading for the hatch, he went to grab another molotov, opening the hatch to throw it. His eyes widened as he saw a-

" _Oh fuck… _" The nail bomb landed right in front of the car. He was quick, though. Just before it exploded, he felt the front tire pop and the car lurch. He propped his head back under and closed the hatch, waiting until it had exploded. After about ten seconds, he opened the hatch again. "Nice try!" he yelled as he got ready to throw the molotov through the smoke, popping his head back up as he pulled his arm back.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She could hear the asshole preparing to throw the molotov, the sound of a light igniting the rag sticking out of it barely audible over the roaring flames surrounding them._Fuck fuck fuck fuck __**FUCK**__! _She pushed herself to her feet, grabbing her pistol from her pocket, before firing a shot blindly into the smoke, _hoping _it'd make contact with the bandit. Her lungs filled with smoke, causing her to cough violently before sinking back to the ground. As far as she could tell, the man hadn't made a noise, so her shot didn't connect.

It was only a matter of time before he'd throw the molotov at them.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The ear-splitting bomb was off in a flash, Lee thankfully throwing it in good time. Joel tugged and pulled on the ledge, grunting and crying out before he finally clambered onto the roof. He fell onto his back and scrunched back, wincing in terror. He was near laughter; over the ringing in his ears, Joel couldn't be too sure that he _wasn't _laughing. But he rolled over nonetheless, grabbing the rifle and moving to the edge of the rooftop. He groaned, crawling on his stomach and glaring down at the truck, which was now a tad shorter. He aimed down at the hatch, scope pointed just right for the bandit to poke his head out… and so the hatch opened.

The man was fast, which was better for Joel. He threw his arm back, but Joel had already squeezed the trigger. Just as the bottle came back over the hatch, the .308 round pierced the man's neck and blew a chunk out of it. Shock killed him near instantly, which was good for him, but the driver would not be so lucky. The bottle fell into the hatch, and fire erupted from inside.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The life slowly drained out of Freddy's eyes, the thoughts of the countless friends he had lost, good people just trying to follow orders… it had all gone up in smoke… the last thing he saw was a piece of his neck flying off somewhere, and himself dropping the molotov, but he didn't care. By the time the fire erupted throughout the car, he just saw blackness, felt nothing as the fire consumed him. As for Reggie, his skin blistered and cracked as he screamed, clawing at his own skin as he threw himself out of the car, trying to get the burning sensation off of him as he gurgled whilst his skin charred. He fell to the floor as the fire consumed the truck, rolling around in agony until he finally fell silent.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As it fell silent, Lee looked to the two kids, a show of relief as the screams and gunfire stopped. He peeked over, seeing nothing but the burning piece of charred junk that used to be a truck. He stood up now, coughing with his elbow covering his nose, only now seeing the mess they had made. He looked up to Joel on the roof, offering him a thumbs up. "We're okay!" Noticing that the fire escape ladder had busted, he placed his hands on his hips. "See another way down up there?" _Need to get out of here quick, smart. The rest could be coming._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stood up after it was all said and done. The hunting rifle was in his hand, and he pulled back the bolt, the casing bouncing off of the edge of the rooftop and falling to the ground below. He held a thumb up back at Lee, bending his knees. Fire stung his nostrils, smoke wafting around his neck.

"I'll figure something out!" He called back, looking around for any possible way to get off this godforsaken rooftop. The rest of the hunters would be upon them soon; though the destruction of their truck gave them some precious time to escape.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

Upon the top of the roof, Joel would notice a locked wooden door that would lead down the stairs and to the lower levels of the building, leading back on the street. But, something other than the crackling of fire was evident. The echoes of screams could be heard, and these were not the screams of anyone that was alive. The gunshots had woken up the entire city… Joel would see them through his scope, they were coming, and an overwhelming amount of them.

**Dot [Ellie]**

With the bandits dead, Ellie took a second to catch her breath, backing away from the burning inferno that's become the car they'd been hiding behind. It all happened so fast, as if just a minute ago they'd been joking about the ice cream truck. She tried to gulp, but her mouth was dry, almost excruciatingly so. After they jumped off the bridge and made it through the sewers, they'd dropped their guard, and they nearly paid the price for it.

Another close call to add to the list.

As Lee and Joel talked, her eyes were drawn to the street around them, searching for any sign of bandits waiting to pounce on them. So far, nothing, until…

The sound hit them first, a wave of screams and moans and clicking. She swiveled towards the noise, dozens of infected were rushing towards them, dead-set on feasting on whatever remained of the brief encounter.

"Oh, fuck."

She backed away from the car, looking towards Joel with a desperate look. "Joel?!"

She wasn't sure where to go, or what to do. She had two bullets left; that wasn't going to do _shit _against _**this**_. They needed a way out, _now _.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's eyes went round in fear, Ellie's words grabbing hold of her attention before the many blaring groans in the distance were able to. The girl slowly stood up from her cover, coughing repeatedly thanks to her scheme from earlier, making her way to Lee's side, where she hoped to be able to see for herself how many were coming. The sight left her dazed, too much so for the girl to be able to let out any kind of sound. Someone had to hold them off, someone had to do _**something**_…!

Clem aimed her revolver at the cluster of infected, focusing her sights on the ones trying to climb the police car. The first batch came rather quickly, crawling over the hood, the back and the top. The fire took care of some of them, holding back the initial influx of infected. Eventually, the fucking things started crawling on top of each other, and that's when they finally forced their way through. The girl pulled the trigger once, hitting her first target in the head and killing it instantly. More followed shortly after, yet Clementine stood firm. She pulled the trigger _again _, **again** , and _**again**_… each of her shots taking care of a single one of them until the only thing leaving the barrel of her gun was the terrifying sound of an empty cylinder. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!_

"**Joel!**" Clementine shouted at the top of her lungs, the girl's eyes filled with despair. They didn't have any time left.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel burst out the front door, looking around in fear as the infected drove towards them. He swallowed, opening his mouth and releasing a shaky breath when he saw the size of the horde before them. They looked to him for instruction, but he wouldn't think. He _couldn't _think. He clutched at his throat, wishing he could be back in Boston, wishing that this hadn't happened to him of all people, why did it happen to him...

"Through here, there's a backdoor!" He cried, hands writing across the rifle with anxiety. "C'mon!" He kicked the door back open. _Was there a backdoor? _He had thought he saw one, but his mind rummaged about to remember if it had ever even been there. _Please, please, please... _They didn't have the resources to hole out in here. Not after the truck's shootout.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_You gotta be damned kidding me... _Lee's scowled as the wave of cordyceps-infected pounced from the depths of the city, heading towards the mass amounts of noise they had generated. Did they have enough time to make a run for the radio tower? It seemed not. They were already here, leaping and bounding past the burning truck and over the police car. That was when Joel opened the front door of the house and leaped out, coercing them to run inside.

"Lets go kids!" he yelled out as he made a beeline towards the door. He stood by it as he allowed them to run in first, a screeching clicker just feet away. He fired off two shots from the revolver, one striking its neck, and the other, its head, before putting it down. Once they were inside, Lee darted in and closed the door behind him, propping up a nearby chair to the door as banging could be heard on the other end.

Lee looked around in a panic, they were all around the house surrounding them, breaking the windows and trying to get it, this place wasn't sturdy, it wasn't going to hold long. _We can't stay in here! Those fungus things are gonna get in, and who knows how many more of those thugs are on the way. _He followed Joel through the winds and bends of the house, before spotting the back door.

"There!" He ran over to it, testing the doorknob. It was locked, but with the combined help of the others, they forced it open. The radio tower was in sight, they just had to make a run for it now…


	14. Saving Grace, II

_7:33 PM - Radio Tower_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

To say that Lee was glad to be inside of this radio tower after spending almost two days trying to reach it would be an understatement. They had really been pulled through the ringer… _Pittsburgh, bandits, bridges, sewers _… he was finally ready to be done with it and move on from all of this. What was even more bizarre was that they had met an unlikely duo of… _people with the same goals? Temporary partners…? Friends…? _Truth be told, he didn't quite know what to call them yet. All he knew was they were all on the same side, going the same place… and one was immune.

The place was a goldmine. After arriving there, they'd found at least a week's worth of food, along with a decent amount of ammunition. The group that had attacked them were obviously stockpiling here, but they wouldn't stay to find out. In the morning, they would be gone. They had found a little portable gas stove and had placed it on the ground, along with a few blankets to sit on as they sat around it, waiting for the meal to warm up. Lee was astonished at how… peaceful this felt as they began to joke around and exchange a few stories… when it was his turn he spoke of the time that he found pretty funny with his brother, who got into a verbal argument with some bullies that were throwing insults and cans at their car when Lee was driving and his brother was in the passenger seat. They were much younger at the time, maybe late teens.

"-and so he sticks his head out of the window and gets ready to scream back… but right when he opens his mouth… **SMACK!**" Lee exclaimed. "Tree branch whacks him right across the face… so he decides to scream at me instead for not warning him - except, well… when he tried to talk, he had a lisp, and of course a mouthful of leaves. His cheek was so red, when our parents asked, he tried to say he got stung by a bee."

This was nice, it had been a while since they could openly talk like this to others… the last person that they had been able to do something like this with had...

_Don't think about it._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel threw his head back and laughed, a hand falling on his knee. "Brothers do the stupidest things." This _was _nice; the radio tower had supplies, walls, and a roof. What else could they ask for? Joel was sitting cross-legged across from Lee, Ellie and Clementine in between the two of them. Joel raised a finger, grinning. "My brother, Tommy, he made me get him an' me two Harleys so we could go cross-country. Dead serious."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine couldn't help but smile while listening to Lee's story, despite having heard it herself at least twice before. It made her think back sometimes, to the drug store, just a day after they met. At the time, she didn't know about Lee's brother… about how he found him as a walker, wholly unrecognizable, if not for the fact that he was wearing the same pharmacy uniform from back when he used to work there. Lee used to tell her all kinds of stories about that time, about his parents, about the old world… They felt bittersweet, somewhat, to both of them. Frankly, reminiscing only ever made Clem feel hurt…

Joel told his own story, and the girl tilted her head to the side in response, the strand of hair poking out of her hat moving accordingly. "What's a Harley?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"It's a motorcycle, I think," Ellie explained, looking up from her switchblade, which she had been idly flicking in and out while the others talked. When all eyes turned towards her, she simply shrugged. "Some soldiers in the zone would talk about wanting one."

She continued to flick the blade in and out for a few more seconds, relaxing against a crate she'd sat behind her. It was nice being able to just sit down and relax for a bit after they ran into those assholes again. Anxiety tugged at her brain occasionally, the thought of the bandits finding them here still an overwhelming thought.

Finally, she continued, a small smile on her face. "Sounds pretty cool, actually. Did you two get them?" She addressed the question towards Joel, curious about his brother. She didn't know all that much about him beyond the fact he was out west and used to be a Firefly. Maybe this was her chance to finally get some information out of Joel.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Yeah, we did." Joel grinned, looking down into the gas stove. "Once Tommy got his mind set on it, we just... rode along." He rubbed at his cheek, remembering his times with Tommy in days past.

_I made a mistake. _He considered, but the thought reverted as his thoughts often did. He was nothing if not stubborn; something sure to come back and bite him eventually.

He leaned forward, looking down at it. "It was good. It was real good."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Really? You got to ride the powerhouse of back in the day and it was just _good? _I think you're trying not to make us jealous here, Joel." He chuckled jokingly as he sat up a little, resting his arm on one knee as he directed his attention to the stove for a moment, revelling the fact that they would actually be getting warm food tonight. "Never rode one myself, but… maybe one day." Riding across the country with your brother on two Harley's, that was something Lee would have definitely wanted to do with his brother, but most of the time, he was working at that Pharmacy, and Lee had moved on to teaching. It was hard to find time for that sort of thing.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Lee and Joel talked about the Harley journey, Ellie found herself drawn to her knife again, the idle, repetitive motion keeping her mind focused. That worry was still there, like a tiny voice that wouldn't go away. It was probably paranoia, but she was sure that they radioed their friends. Had to, right? Why haven't they shown up yet? Maybe they've given up on finding them? Maybe they have the place surrounded right now? The answer eluded her. It didn't really matter, anyway. The curtains to this place were closed, and the fire was low enough that it didn't cast too much light; they were invisible, at least to the outside. Still didn't quiet her mind, though.

Sighing, she pulled herself to her feet, her eyes glancing over the room around her. They'd searched this place thoroughly, but maybe another look wouldn't hurt, just to get her mind off things. She glanced back towards Joel, Lee, and Clementine around the small fire.

"Hey, I'm gonna search around some more, see if I can't dig up something we missed."

With that, she started towards the nearby door leading into a small office.

Inside, a desk was situated in the middle of the room, most of its contents long gone. At the far end of the room were several bunk beds, probably brought in by those bandits when they took this place over. There wasn't much to search through, but it was worth a shot.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Ellie seemed like she was gone in a flash; Joel respected it, nodding to her as she walked into the back room. He didn't bother with telling her to stay safe; she'd be fine, and it'd just create undue stress at this point. So he didn't mention it, even though he still wanted to talk to her about her bite. "Alright, Ellie." He said, the warm smile still on his face.

He hadn't smiled like this in a long time. He hadn't _smiled _in a long time.

Joel looked down at his watch, sniffling, before returning to Lee. "What time you wanna head out in the morning?" As good a question as any, he decided.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine watched Ellie walk away with a small frown, taking note of the disquietude in her expression. Joel and Lee paid no mind to it, returning to their chat rather unconcernedly not a moment after Ellie left… yet for some reason, Clem couldn't bring herself to do the same.

The girl stared at the fire gleaming just inches away from her feet, trying to shake away the feeling that something wasn't quite right with Ellie. The odds that it was all in her head seemed fairly grand, she thought. Not like it was a big deal to feel down nowadays, right? Clementine fumblingly scratched her cheek with her forefinger, now utterly positive that the thought of Ellie feeling shitty would eat away at her unless she made sure it wasn't the case.

With a sigh, Clem stood up from the spot in which she sat on, wiping the dirt off her pants. "I'm… going too, okay? Just shout if you need anything, or… whatever." Clementine didn't wait for a response, walking away from the fire without looking back.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"I'd say as soon as we can, don't want to be around in case those bandits decide to come up this way," Lee spoke as he readjusted himself to sit more upright. They all knew better after the situation back near the streets that they shouldn't get too comfortable for too long, it'd only end seeing down the barrel of a gun from some thug, or the gnashing teeth of some fungus-infected creature.

Ellie was off, and soon after Clementine unsurprisingly followed suit, "Okay, we'll be here if you need anyth-" _Slam. _She had shut the door on him before he could finish his sentence, not waiting for a reply as she vanished into a different room. And with that, an odd silence filled the room for a good few moments, as to which Lee's half smile slowly faded away. The facade of confidence he had been putting on for the past few days finally slipping out of his grasp. He hunched forward and lifted his knees up, using them to support his elbows as he looked at the small crackling flames under the stove.

It was these moments that slowly ate away at his mind, the times where it was silent… no walkers to take out… no buildings to clear… just himself and the misery that plagued his own thoughts.

"_I hope you know what you're doing with her…"_

"_We're still alive, aren't we?"_

There were times that even he second guessed if he was doing the right thing, if he was even qualified to take care of her after everything he'd done. After all, he didn't have kids, what he'd always wanted since the day he got engaged. Clementine, from a young age, from the way she acted around him, always convinced him that he was a good person… but… he wasn't… he just _wasn't _, because he knew what he was doing. Every passing day, he was hurting her even more. Would someone like Joel understand? He didn't know, but he decided maybe it was time to get it off his chest with maybe the only person he'd ever get the chance to talk about it with, maybe this moment of peace would be his last chance to get some insight from someone else… hell, anything… before wherever tomorrow took them. He took advantage of the silence that clouded the room.

"Before I found her in that treehouse… not that long earlier, I, uh… came across a small cabin, looked like a nice place, didn't seem occupied… and that's when I went in." His gaze was fixed on the flames, not sparing a second glance as his look was stagnant, zapped of emotion. The countless nights he had almost lost sleep over it had made him numb, and a moment's silence passed before he spoke again.

"That's where I found them… her parents… they, hadn't made it… gunshot wounds to the head. FEDRA's work, no doubt..." he recalled, remembering every vivid detail from the blood splatter, their lifeless, open-eyed gaze, to the way they had been laid out next to each other on the ground. He had spared her from that horrible truth with the hope that her hopeful spirit would be granted some mercy, he just couldn't bring himself to break it to her. But, lying to her all these years… maybe that made it worse, maybe it didn't… he simply had no luxury of knowing… all he _did _know was she wasn't eight anymore. The time was coming.

"I gotta try to tell her... one day."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

They were left in silence for what had seemed so long, until Lee began to speak of Clementine's parents. Joel listened with a close ear, breaths a little heavier throughout the story. _Stop. _He told Lee, only in his mind… he didn't want to hear, this could only go one way and that way was filled only with nothing for them. Joel squirmed in his seat, looking at the floor with pursed lips. What could he say? Clementine's parents had been executed by FEDRA, most likely, and Lee was keeping that information his and Joel's.

Joel looked up at Lee, the fire lighting his face with warmth. _Fire. _He thought, sickening himself with the smell of those burning bodies… the ones back in Pittsburgh, the ones in the truck. But that was old news, as far as old news went, and they were gone and Joel was still here. There wasn't much of a reason for it all… why Clementine's parents were dead, why the bandits had to be burned, why they were slaughtering others, why the four of them were here now, having lived. No, not much of any reason at all. Lee's lie was just another of these continued developments. He wouldn't tell her. The trauma would be too strong, or she'd hate him for lying, or another excuse used to justify lying to a little girl.

And Joel agreed completely. There wasn't much use in discussing it any longer. They were dead, something Clementine did not need to know. Joel opened his mouth to say something, but only a crumpled "yeah" plopped out.

He nodded afterwards. "Yeah." And then, like minds often do, he changed it.

"You have to tell her." He decided then and there. "Later though. Maybe when we're with the Fireflies, okay?" He mumbled, looking up at Lee.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Maybe telling Joel about this was more about seeking some kind of validation and insight. Was it selfish? He didn't know. One thing he _did _know, from the first day he met Clementine, it was that this wouldn't be something he could keep a secret forever. Did she already know their fate, deep down? Was she oblivious or fully aware? Those types of things Lee wouldn't dare try to delve into with her.

"Yeah, it needs to happen... " he responded as he looked towards Joel, it was more of an internal thought that he had said aloud, he knew that he had to… it wasn't right to conceal her parents fate from her, even if he thought it was in her younger years.

"Fireflies it is, just gotta take it day by day..."

* * *

_7:40 PM_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Nothing much was left, unfortunately. Any useful supplies had been picked clean earlier, most of the rest was just junk. Old magazines, discarded boxes and cans for food, a pack of playing cards, which she promptly tossed into her backpack. Never knew when those might come in handy, to avoid boredom. She could still hear Joel and Lee talking in the other room, their voices muffled by the thin walls of the complex. She wasn't sure what they were talking about now, probably more stuff about the Harleys. Maybe. Whatever the two talked about, anyway. Reminiscing about the days before she was even born. She liked hearing about it, naturally curious about the world that existed before the turn, but sometimes that stuff just went over her head, like the ice cream truck from before. Pieces of a bygone age she'd never experience.

She lifted the mattress on one of the bunks, letting out a soft chuckle - well, more like a snort - as her eyes focused on the thing hiding underneath it. _Another one of these? Jeez, don't you people have better things to do? _She picked up the magazine, flicking through it with disinterest. Men, mostly, wearing basically _nothing _. A small smirk pursed her lips as another thought floated through her mind. _Could always give this to Bill, if we ever see that asshole again. _She rolled up the magazine in her hand before plopping down on the mattress. After a moment, she laid down, her feet hanging off the edge of the bed, while her head just barely touched the wall.

She kicked her feet back and forth idly, looking up at the box springs on the bed above. There was a faint smell of sweat in the air, presumably coming from the mattress she was laying on. Her nose wrinkled, the girl switching from breathing through her nose to her mouth. At least, that'd keep the smell away for a _little bit _. She dropped the magazine onto the bed, laying her arms underneath her head as she let out a soft, content sigh.

_Bed's not that bad, without the smell._

Her thoughts dwelled on Clementine and Lee for a little while, the events of the past couple days replaying in her head.

With Lee, there wasn't really that much, beyond the time they spent together in the sewer after getting separated from Joel and Clementine, and when he left her and Joel on the bridge back in the city. He wasn't such a bad guy, though, and accepted the fact she was immune far quicker than Joel had, back in Boston. Maybe he trusted her more, at least more than Joel did when they first met, or maybe it was just the fact that Clementine and Joel backed her up, providing more proof that it was _real _. Sometimes, she hardly believed it herself, until she looked at that bite, and that feeling of anxiety rose up again. There was a lot riding on her, a lot riding on them getting to the Fireflies. She just hoped that... that they actually made it. That the Fireflies would be there at the end of the road, and the cure with it. She wanted to look back on this journey, and see it as the beginning of a time where they didn't have to live in constant fear of the infected. That future was possible, they just had to push a little further.

Then there was Clementine, the girl she nearly killed to save Joel. Held a knife to her throat. First impressions weren't great, and she was worried about the girl hating her for the rest of the time they spent together, especially since she couldn't even get Clementine to talk to her for a while. That, of course, changed after they shared that candy bar back in the sewer. She had a feeling that chocolate was the last one the girl had, and she'd only been trying to be nice to her. That was the main reason why Ellie chose to share it, because not doing so would've been a dick move. That was the first time she'd seen the girl crack a smile. Then, after they got separated from Joel and Lee, they spent the entire day together… it killed her to think about it, all those similarities she found to Riley. The games, the adventure… basically, well, _everything _reminded her of her old friend.

That was the last time she'd been able to be that close to someone, to enjoy someone's company and goof off. She had no other friends, besides a few acquaintances she'd made back when she was in the military school, but she hardly talked to them. It was hard to believe that so much of that happened in a short period of time with Clementine, going from an awkward distrust to something that might _actually _be a friendship. Maybe she was desperate to have another friend. Maybe _Clementine _was. Hell, maybe they _both _were. Who knew? She just wished that it didn't hurt to think about, all those memories of Riley that resurfaced every time she spoke to Clementine. Playing around with masks in the costume shop, taking pictures in that photo booth, throwing bricks at cars, dancing on top of a display case. Stupid shit that normal people wouldn't usually do these days, but her and Riley _revelled _in. There's no one else she had ever known that she would call a friend, let alone her _best friend _, other than Riley, and that's what made her passing so fucking difficult to forget about. Especially since Clementine might _actually _become the second best friend, given time. It felt like it was disrespectful, to Riley's memory, but… maybe that was just her talking. Maybe Riley would want her to find another friend. Maybe Ellie didn't know her friend as well as she thought she did. She didn't really have any answers. Life was full of mysteries, and a lot of them can't be solved.

She took in a deep breath, letting it out in a heavy exhale. Clementine wasn't Riley. Lee wasn't just another asshole that'd ditch them at a moment's notice. They weren't surrounded by bandits right now. The Fireflies were definitely still out there, waiting for them. Tommy would help them find them, no problem. Some of these might've been lies, but she didn't care. Her mind was racing, maybe hope would be the cure.

At that thought, she let out a sardonic chuckle. _Yeah, that's the cure, alright._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's hand rested on the office's door handle with a touch of hesitance, as though the girl felt compelled to elaborate some sort of plan before going in. If she was right, and Ellie really wasn't feeling well… what then? Clementine stared at the door dumbfoundedly, biting her lip in sheer nervousness. _Please don't… cry… again._

The door made an uncomfortable creaking noise, announcing her presence for all to hear. Though in that case, the only person around to hear was Ellie herself. Clementine stepped inside the room before closing the door behind her, standing awkwardly in place while she thought of what to say.

The reason Clem so suddenly felt this uncomfortable around Ellie wholeheartedly escaped her at the time, though it probably had something to do with the nature of her coming to that office. Why'd it feel so embarrassing to admit she followed Ellie there because she was worried about her? Heck, it felt mushy just thinking about it. Clementine stuffed her hands inside her pockets, her eyes darting across the office before the girl cleared her throat. _Play it cool. _Walking deeper into the room as her gaze wildly shifted from place to place, Clem finally spoke up.

"Find anything?" Simple… _Simple questions are good. Yup. _Through that innocent inquiry, Clementine was confident she'd be capable of figuring out whether or not the girl was feeling alright. It was all a matter of paying careful attention to her response, to the tone of her voice. Hopefully Ellie wasn't actually, seriously upset… couldn't be anything suckier than that.

Then again, that's what friends were for.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie looked towards the door from where she was reclining on the bed, seeing Clementine enter the room. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, stretching her shoulders briefly. As the girl asked the question, Ellie simply shrugged her shoulders. "Place is picked clean. Not much left to find but empty cans of food." She let out a half-sigh, pushing herself off of the bed.

Clementine was probably worried about her, she could tell based on the expression on the girl's face, and she realized then that _maybe _the girl knew her better than she'd give her credit for. After a moment, she picked up the magazine, rolling it in her hand, before throwing the question over her shoulder. "Do you ever find yourself just worrying over nothing? Like… you know it's stupid, but you still do it anyway?"

_It's called irrational fear._

She glanced back towards the girl, an uneven frown on her face. After everything that happened in Pittsburgh, she just couldn't _stop _worrying about those assholes showing up again. They were sitting in the middle of one of their outposts, about as ballsy as you can get, really.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's brows furrowed at Ellie's response, the girl letting out a soft sigh. It wasn't particularly telling of _anything _except for the fact that there really wasn't anything left in that radio tower… which in and of itself was worthy of disappointment. Clem leaned against the wall next to the bunks, arms crossed in discontent. _Is she really okay…?_Clementine wondered vehemently, half-tempted to quit being a baby and just ask her already. Ellie beat her to the punch however, asking a question Clem didn't quite grasp initially.

"Huh…?" Clementine muttered, before Ellie clarified what she meant by it. To that, Clem simply gawked unresponsively, reflecting over the question on her own. _Worry over nothing… _It was a difficult thing to answer, but even so, it didn't take long for Clementine to recall one particular instance in which she felt that way.

"_After we find the Fireflies… will you guys stick around?"_

It qualified as stupid in her mind; the unconditional fear of Ellie leaving her after… everything.

Stupid… It was… stupid.

Was it really that stupid…? Everyone else she ever gave an ounce of a crap about had either left, or died… or both. What the hell stopped Ellie from doing the same? The fact that they were friends…? It was childish. Just a… colossally laughable thought.

So why was it then…? Why was it that she so firmly held on to that thought? Why was it that, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, Clem felt so avidly attached to Ellie? Why was it that after spending barely more than a day with her, Clementine deemed it so unthinkable for the other girl to just ditch her the first chance she got? Maybe it _was_childish… a delusion forged by a little girl who so desperately wanted a friend… but she wanted to think Ellie felt the same way… that she felt at least a fraction of what Clem felt for her.

Averting her gaze, Clementine finally answered Ellie's question. "All the time."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie nodded slowly, taking in the sparse words Clementine had given her. At least it wasn't just her, then. She let out a sigh, looking away from Clementine for a couple of seconds, before finally forcing herself to look back.

"It sucks," she replied, shrugging her shoulders lazily. She took in a deep breath, letting it out in a short exhale. The air was cold, the temperature outside dropping significantly since that morning, although still warm enough that her breath didn't come out in a thin mist. "Before we got here, I didn't really... _realize _it was _**this**_bad, out here. Soldiers are dickheads, but I'd take them over these bandits any day. It's got me thinking… how dumb it is to think that the Fireflies are going to be out there, waiting for us. I don't want to believe it, but… it's just… _there _, you know? Like it won't go away. If it's like _this _everywhere, what's stopping the Fireflies from getting overrun?" She let out a frustrated sigh, stopping herself from continuing down that path. "Like I said, it's… stupid."

_And I don't want you, or Joel, or Lee to die trying to get me there, only to find out they're all dead._

Was that the root of it all? She was worried about _dying _? After their close calls recently, maybe there was some merit to that, but still… it was so fucking stupid. Why wouldn't her brain just learn to shut the fuck up? She hadn't really had this problem before, not until recently, and it was driving her insane trying to figure it all out. She closed her eyes for a second, forcing her mind to calm the fuck down, before opening them again, and gazing towards Clementine.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's gaze lingered, distant, the girl's brows drawing together. It made sense now, sort of. Ellie's weird attitude that night, the complicated questions… Ellie was scared of not making it to the end, of not finding the Fireflies. She was flat-out second guessing herself. It filled Clementine with sorrow, being forced to hear all that from her. _You don't mean it… _No way was she gonna let her do that. Clem wasn't going to let her give up. "You're right." Clementine stated with a hint of rancor, staring Ellie in the eye. "You're being stupid."

Clem's back distanced itself from the wall as the girl walked towards Ellie, standing stoutly in front of her as her fingers curled into fists. "They're out there somewhere, and we're gonna find them. Don't ever tell yourself otherwise. Got it?" It was almost… unconscious, the excessive resentment she felt against Ellie in that moment. There was a deeper reason for it, naturally, one even Clementine herself was beyond being capable of identifying.

_How dumb it is to think that your parents are going to be out there, waiting for you._

Ellie's fear mirrored the exact same one she had about her parents. The same fear Clem had to repress ever since she lost them four years ago. In the end, those words were barely directed at Ellie. They were simply what Clementine had to tell herself every day in order to keep going.

Clementine's expression softened shortly after her fiery appeal. The girl briefly shut her eyes in frustration, before making her way back to her previous spot, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed once again. "We're gonna make it there. All of us."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie was taken aback by Clementine's reaction, not quite sure what to make of it. It was obvious that she believed they'd make it there, all the way, and Ellie admired that. That nagging feeling, now that she was thinking about it, had been there since they left Boston, back when she'd begun to think that the Fireflies at the Capitol building were going to be dead. The thing was… that turned out to be true. What's stopping history from repeating itself? _Just don't think about it, okay? _She let out a heavy sigh, trying to put on a smile for the girl leaning against the wall in front of her.

"I guess I live up to my nickname," she joked, raising her arms out to each side for comedic effect. She let them drop back to her sides, the smile fading away. "Thanks, Clem. I... appreciate that."

After a moment, her attention turned to the magazine still wrapped in her hand, letting out a half-chuckle. She extended the magazine out to the girl, laughter in her tone as she spoke. "This was the only thing I found, underneath one of the mattresses. Guess bandits need to, uh, use their downtime _somehow _."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem blinked. Twice, three times. Confusion evident in her expression. The girl leaned forward with interest, though what met her gaze failed to do anything but confuse her further, flourishing to the point of absolute shock. _Wha-? __**What!?**_It was a boy wearing nothing but his underwear. Why? Why was that there? Why was that in a _magazine _?!

Clementine's arms weren't crossed anymore. Truthfully, in that paralyzing state, she didn't really know what to do with them. The rosiness spreading in her cheeks gave away the girl's unease, though beyond what she couldn't control, Clementine felt mostly pissed off.

"Ellie!" She cried out in embarrassment, turning her head to the side and looking away, both the other girl and the magazine standing just beyond the corner of her eye. "Put that away!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie stifled a laugh, tossing the magazine back onto the bed she'd found it under earlier. Clementine's face was comical, making the little joke worth the fallout it was surely to cause. She managed to stop laughing, letting out a content sigh. "Sorry, I had to."

She wouldn't admit it, even to herself, but Clementine looked kinda adorable with her cheeks so flushed. Maybe it was because she'd never really seen that before, on anyone else, but it was enough to make Ellie feel slightly uncomfortable. She took an instinctive step back, trying to put a serious look on her face. "Forgive me?" She asked the question in a light tone, that humorous attitude she'd adopted to try and get her mind off of the Fireflies still strong in her voice.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine pouted her lips, staring fiercely and angrily back at Ellie with no sign of stopping. _Stupid._

In all fairness, it'd be a ginormous lie to say that the… weird, _creepy _magazine didn't sort of… kind of… pique her interest. She hadn't really seen a lot of boys, not _ever _, let alone… ones without any clothes on. As to _why _such a freaky thing had her so curious in the first place was totally beyond her.

Even so, it didn't matter… They probably weren't supposed to be looking at that stuff anyway. It was gross, that's what it was. A gross magazine for… gross, creepy people. No way was _she _gonna look at it… even if she… _kind of _wanted to, a little bit. Refocusing her attention, as well as her anger, to the source of the creepiness, Clementine hit Ellie in the shoulder, just hard enough for it to sting a bit. "Dick." She called her, before letting out a soft chuckle she couldn't hold back by any means. It was _little _funny.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rubbed her shoulder gingerly as Clementine punched her. "Ow." Her voice was a deadpan, yet a smile still pursed her lips.

Seeing the girl so flustered was enough to put Ellie in a good mood, despite how obviously taken aback Clementine was from all of this. Ellie wasn't unacustomed to seeing stuff like that, having seen the magazine Bill had kept, and another one back in the zone, but it must've been the first time Clementine had seen anything like that. For Ellie, it'd been simple curiosity, which had been quickly replaced by indifference. She didn't really see what the big fuss was about, back when a couple girls at the military boarding school had snuck one into the school one day. It was something she'd brushed off as 'not worth her time', at the time, and hardly given it the light of day since, except for the odd joke here and there. Clementine's reaction had been much more vocal than hers had been, anyway.

"You should be careful, Clem," she continued in a teasing tone, laughing. "Now I know your weak spot."

**Art [Clementine]**

"I swear I'm gonna hit you again." Clementine threatened the other girl, resting boths hands on her hips. It was staggering how almost nothing seemed to make Ellie uncomfortable, not even… _that kind _of stuff. Like she could say, or do _anything _without an ounce of shamefacedness. Ellie wasn't as extroverted as Duck, surely, but she was the total opposite of a girl like Sarah. Maybe that's what Clem found so alluring about her… that weird, but awesome sense that she was constantly emanating outgoingness. The bottom line, and really, the one thing Clementine cared about, is that Ellie was back to being that old cheerful girl that tried to approach her on that rooftop. _Guess I made up for that day. _Clementine settled for in her head, smiling faintly at the thought.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

Before Ellie could answer with another tease, a noise emanated from behind a door on the other side of the room, opposite the one where Joel and Lee resided, cooking their dinner. It was a noise that wasn't all that familiar to Ellie, but familiar to Clementine. The sound of a walker growling, and a chair skidding across a concrete floor at short intervals could barely be heard through the metal door. The two girls look to each other, realizing then that this place wasn't as clear as they'd previously thought.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The teasing ambience in the air died the instant the noise filled the air, forcing Ellie to look towards the closed door across the room. Gulping, she glanced back towards Clementine. _Shit. Doesn't sound like a clicker, but it doesn't sound like a runner, either. _"Uh… what the fuck is that?" She asked the question aloud, her hand instinctively going to the knife in her pocket, fishing it out, and flicking it open. It sounded vaguely familiar, like she'd seen one before, _maybe _, but it wasn't something she remembered specifically. Whatever it was, it didn't sound friendly, and was behind a door they'd yet to explore. Two things that made this whole situation ten times worse than it probably was.

**Art [Clementine]**

Being faced with Ellie's question, Clementine lifted an eyebrow, more so out of puzzlement than anything. Likewise, the girl's hand hovered towards her hunting knife, though seeing as Ellie was quicker to the draw, Clem simply kept her right hand rested on its holster, just in case. It sounded like just one of them, probably startled by the laughter. Lucky… if there wasn't a door keeping it away, they would've probably been caught unalert. Clementine slowly walked over to the door standing between them and the thing on the other side, preparing herself to open it and get it over with. Despite being under the assumption that it was rhetorical, Ellie's question from before lingered on her mind, as if poking her brain nonstop. What kind of bonehead didn't _immediately _recognize a walker sound?

"It's a walker," she bluntly stated, and ended it there. No way she didn't know what those were. Being sheltered was one thing…

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Walker... _that sounded vaguely familiar, as if Lee had mentioned it before. It took a moment, but the familiarity of the sound finally connected in her mind, bringing her back to Boston, and where she'd first encountered a 'walker'.

"_C'mon, we're almost there!" Riley's voice brought Ellie back to reality, her eyes peeling away from the tiled floor they were walking on to the other girl. She still didn't know where the hell Riley was taking her, but they were already halfway across town. Sighing, she picked up the pace, keeping in step just behind Riley._

"_And where is 'there'?" She replied, trying to get more information out of the girl, but she'd been tight-lipped on the whole ordeal. Keeping it a surprise, that was so Riley. The girl merely glanced back at her with a mischievous smile._

"_You'll see, now c'mon!"_

_She began to open a door at the end of the hallway they'd been walking down, stopping in place as an unfamiliar noise reached Ellie's ears. The smile Riley had on her face dissipated in an instant, as her eyes were focused on something in the room. Ellie quickly approached the girl, reaching for the knife she kept in her pocket as she stood next to Riley. What she saw wasn't quite what she expected. A man, probably no older than twenty, was hanging from the ceiling from a rope tied around the ceiling fan. He swung back and forth like a pendulum, guttural growls escaping his lips in choked spurts. His eyes were a pale, milky white, looking towards them with a furious scowl, reaching out towards them with gray hands. Ellie didn't know what to say, or what to do. She knew a little about the virus, and how the fungus infected someone, but none of that compared to _ _ **this** _ _. If the host died, then the virus died with it. That was basic knowledge. But, this man, he was definitely not alive, not anymore._

"_Come on," Ellie finally said, gulping down the lump forming in her throat. "L - Let's just… get out of here."_

"_Yeah..."_

"Alright," she breathed, following Clementine over to the door. "Yeah. Sounds like it might be tied to a chair. Should be easy enough." _I hope. _She took in a deep breath, positioning herself behind Clementine, knife still clutched tightly in her hand. "Alright, let's do this."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine responded with a quick nod, shifting her gaze and utmost attention to the door in front of her. She wasn't expecting anything the two of them couldn't handle, but being a little careful couldn't hurt. "Ready?" The girl quietly asked, taking a deep breath before bursting through the door. The metal door led to a garage, a fairly sizable one... and also a very distasteful one to look at. The floor was covered in blood, _had been _for what couldn't be more than a few days. Furthermore, the walker tied to the chair looked somewhat recent as well. It didn't take much creativity to piece together what happened there prior to their arrival, and the deducing honestly made Clem sick to her stomach. _Best to just get on with it._

The walker posed no threat, acting more defenseless than usual, what with being weighed down by a chair and all. All it took was a firm blow to the head, one which Clementine promptly delivered after knocking him down with a powerful kick to the back of its leg, crouching down and burying her knife inside its cranium.

"I got it," Clem casually announced, letting Ellie know it had been taken care of. Clem sheathed the weapon after ensuring no more were going to follow behind that one, finally letting down her guard. _Looks clear._

Inside the garage, very little managed to catch the girl's eye, all except for an old looking car that appeared to be abandoned. There were tools lying around, obviously… but from the looks of it, the people who lived there weren't using them to fix cars. "Wanna take a look around?" Clem asked Ellie lightheartedly, closing it with a shrug. Hopefully they'd get to find _something _that night other than dirty magazines.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie followed the girl into the garage, watching as she dispatched the walker with quick, precise movements. It was impressive, and the dead thing wasn't a match for her. She found herself looking into its soulless, white eyes for a moment, before Clementine's voice brought her out of her reverie.

"Uh, yeah, sure," she replied, taking a moment to look around the room.

The van caught her interest; it didn't look like the others littering Pittsburgh, probably left behind by the bandits for one reason or another. It was possible that it worked, or could be fixed. She approached the car in quick steps, pulling the driver's door open. The interior of the car was sparse, nearly devoid of any junk, and Ellie took a moment to sit in the driver's seat, searching for a set of keys that was hopefully hidden somewhere. She found them sitting in one of the cup holders in between the front seats. She inserted it into the ignition, turning it with a quick jerk. The car sputtered violently, before dying. _Shit. _She tried again, with the same result.

She let out a heavy sigh, looking over towards Clementine. "It's still got some juice, I think, but we'll have to get Joel or Lee to look at it. We just _might _have a ride to get out of this city."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's eyes anxiously scanned the garage, mostly in an attempt to get her mind off the eerie atmosphere that place harshly radiated. The girl began her search with the heavy cabinets situated by the outer edge, which, to no one's surprise, contained only more of the same: nothing worth taking. Just… leftovers, of all kinds of things. The toolboxes, drawers, they were all empty… even the trash cans. Everything else in that place were either old newspapers, or paint cans.

With a quiet groan, Clem finished poking around the garage, only to find Ellie doing much of the same with the van from earlier. The vehicle stuttered fiercely, like a dying animal. Not exactly shocking considering it was left behind, yet in spite of that, Ellie persisted. She was stubborn alright, probably the one thing the two of them had in common.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After what Lee would consider a damned heavy conversation, it was then interrupted by the strained sound of an engine coming from the room the kids were in. At first instinct, it was hard not to draw the conclusion to it being another turret. He'd had enough of hearing that engine, so slowly yet steadily, the two men went to investigate.

"Heard a noise?" Lee questioned as he peeked his head through the door, noticing the horrid mess and the dead walker. He arched his eyebrows in satisfaction as he saw the source of the all the racket, and what could be their lucky break. Seemed Ellie was already at work on it. "Well, I'll be damned. This was in here the whole time?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel followed after Lee, eager to find the source of the violent noise. The humming of an engine, before its eventual disappearance; Joel was sure that Lee was thinking the thing as he. He stepped through the door, eyes widening at the sight before them. He pursed his lips, before his mouth dropped agape. "Wow," was all he could manage to utter.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee traversed over the bloody floor as he approached the driver's window where Ellie was sitting in the seat. Looking in, he noticed it looked like it wasn't that old, maybe recently used judging from how clean it looked. "Looks like it's in good condition… just a matter of if we can get it running." He scratched his head as he took a step back, kneeling down to check the wheels with a hand on his chin. Truth be told, he wasn't all that good with cars. Ask him about the Civil War any day, but when it came to car parts, he considered himself horrible. _Come on… you fixed a train, but you can't even fix a damn car? _he sighed out. "Kenny would have been good with this stuff..." he mumbled as he examined the underside of the car, crossing his arms as he circled around to examine it further.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie pulled herself out of the van, looking towards Joel and Lee. She hoped they knew how to fix this thing, just for the possibility of getting out of this city without another run-in with those assholes. She let out a sigh, leaning against the side of the car. "The battery's fine, I think. Maybe it needs gas, or something?" _Hopefully that's all it needs..._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Hmph," Lee acknowledged what the girl had said, tilting his head towards the fuel latch as he made his way over to it. Opening it and peeking inside, there was no way of telling until they got the engine running, but he stuck his nose near the fuel cap and almost immediately the strong smell of fuel entered his nostrils, causing him to wince slightly and pull back. "Nah, that's not it, there's definitely fuel in here… It's pretty cold out... maybe the battery needs warming?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked over the van carefully, frowning. It had been an absolute miracle that this had been out here, in working condition at all. Of course, the battery was likely frozen, but that was something that could easily be fixed. "Wish we still had antifreeze." He grimaced, looking at Ellie. "Try and start it again, but hold it there for around... eight seconds. No more than that, don't wanna flood it." He pursed his lips, crossing his arms. There was no option of jumpstarting the van, so Joel could only hope that this would work. "What's the year on the van?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie nodded quickly, hopping back into the van. _Please work, please work... _She grabbed the keys, still in the ignition, before twisting them, holding them for a couple of seconds. As Joel and Lee talked, the sound of sputtering continued to fill the air, before finally being swept away by the faint roar of the engine whirring to life. She smiled victoriously, smacking the side of the steering wheel in triumph. "That's right. Fuck you, van!"

After coming up with all of those potential problems, they'd managed to get the van to work without a hitch. She glanced towards the other three, the smile plastered on her face. "Looks like we've got a ride out of this town, after all."

**Art [Clementine]**

Excitement poured out of Clem like sunshine, the triumphant sound of the engine resonating in her ears as the grin on her face grew wider, a short laugh escaping her lips._Holy shit! _She couldn't have ever imagined they'd find a car there, an actual _working van _! It was unbelievable… unbelievably fucking awesome. The girl felt a surge of excitement fill her whole body, a sense of joy she couldn't possibly shake away. It may have been naive of her, but for once Clementine had a good feeling… that things would finally go their way during the trip tomorrow. Nothing that felt this right could possibly go wrong. It just couldn't. Gawking nonstop at the vehicle, the girl wore the facial expression of a small child with an abnormally large christmas present.


	15. Pit Stop, I

_12:28 PM - March 21, 2025 - Road leading into Plattsburg, Missouri_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's eyes were focused on the patches of trees and overgrown fields passing the van, her head being supported by the palm of her hand while her body leaned against the door. It was noticeably warmer in the car, the cold air of Pennsylvania replaced by the much drier, and warmer Missouri weather, which had forced her to shrug her jacket off and stash it in the back of the van several days prior.

After being in the car for so long, her nose had gotten use to the stink that filled the car, the fact four people had been stuffed into it for over a week being the cause of that. Even with the occasional river bath, coupled with what little soap and shampoo they'd found at that house in Pittsburgh, keeping clean proved to be difficult.

After a particularly bad thunderstorm, about three or four days ago, Ellie had managed to get herself covered in mud on one of their scavenging runs to a small town in Illinois; walkers cornered her between a building and a particularly deep ditch - which, of course, was filled with the aforementioned muddy goop - and she'd chosen to take the risk and escape through the ditch. It took ages to get the smell of mud off of her, and the whole thing resulted in a stern lecturing from Joel.

Tensions had died down completely at this point, beyond those small arguments they'd get into simply by being cooped up with each other for so long. With Ellie's secret out, everyone was on the same page, and getting to the Fireflies became the most important goal. Joel and Lee seemed to get along just fine, the two carrying a couple conversations a day, but they mostly seemed to focus on figuring out which road to take next, Joel navigating from the passenger seat. Clementine often lied down in the back seat of the van, looking out at the passing scenery like Ellie, or otherwise trying to make herself useful. At least, that's what Ellie imagined she was doing. Other times, the girl would crawl up to the middle seats, and they'd chat, or come up with new games to play. Classic cases of I Spy, and some game Clementine had introduced her to called the 'License Plate Game'. They used an old notebook Clementine found to keep track of which states they found on cars along the road, keeping their lists on separate sheets of paper. Clementine easily had double the amount that she had, _somehow _. Ellie swore that the girl was cheating, but couldn't prove it. It probably didn't help that Ellie kept forgetting about the game, and forgetting which cars she'd seen.

She was determined to make a valiant comeback, before they reached Tommy's.

Her eyes swiveled towards the front of the car as something ahead had caught her attention. A small town was slowly approaching on the horizon. A small sign stood nearby, barely legible beneath the layers of tall grass obscuring it. Plattsburg. She stretched in her seat, letting out a small sigh, before glancing towards Joel and Lee in the front.

"We stopping for more supplies?" She asked in a half-interested tone, wanting nothing more than to get out and stretch her legs for a bit. If that's all they did, then she'd die happy.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Driving, navigating, and - more driving was the overall culmination of what had transpired throughout the past few days. Having working wheels for once was one hell of a convenience. It certainly beat walking, that was for sure. Joel was a rather quiet guy other than when they were discussing which roadways to take and looking at the directory. Most of the liveliness and chatter was coming from the backseat.

Every once in a while, he'd see them in the rear view mirror just being... kids. It was a relief to see Clementine actually getting along with someone else her own age for once, even more so of a relief to see that unlike when they first met, the girls weren't trying to kill each other. What's done was done, Joel and Ellie were heading to this_Tommy's, _which was apparently somewhere up in Wyoming, and himself and Clementine were along for the ride, for the first time since... what seemed like forever, they had companions again.

As the car slowed, Lee's hands gripped tighter on the steering wheel, his foot pressing down on the break whilst they approached the sign. Plattsburg. He sighed, looking into the backseat, it was pretty clear they both wanted to get the hell out of this cramped thing for a bit, and to an extent, so did Lee. He looked back to the sign, then towards the Texan. "Might be a good chance to stretch our legs," he commented to see what he would think.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine reclined, dog-tired, in the back of the van. Her back was turned against the window, legs crossed, and eyes only partly open. She thought it'd be fun at first, that she would've gotten used to it by then… travelling for hours on end, sightseeing... being bored out of her mind. It didn't really pan out that way. Every few hours she'd manage to catch some sleep, only to be stirred awake by any number of different aggravating things, one of them being Ellie's tendency to poke her whenever she was bored.

Naturally, being prone to doze off during the trip, Clem would usually be the one to keep watch at night. That part wasn't _the worst _, especially when they did it in pairs. Joel was still the same reserved, silent, _sulky _guy, but she somehow survived a few long chats with him during those. Apologizing for almost shooting Joel after the bridge was the absolute toughest part, yet she did it all the same, even if she felt like he didn't honestly deserve it. Eventually, everyone got so bored, they found themselves writing down license plates. _Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia, Georgia… _Grueling is what it was… Absolutely fucking tedious. The one, possibly most entertaining part of it all, was seeing Ellie's face when she found out Clem nabbed twice as many states. Damn priceless.

They'd been stuck in that van for eight days or so by then, though for Clementine, it felt more like eight centuries. The girl almost missed the sewers, which was saying a lot. The sun practically incinerated the tip of her hat at every opportunity, and the shaking in the back seat became more backbreaking by the minute... _literally _, in some cases. Getting out of that hunk of junk for more than five seconds sounded like a bliss, but on the other hand, being so close to Tommy's Dam the way they were, Clem couldn't wait to _actually _get there and leave that van behind for good. Frankly, either option fucking sucked. "I don't care..." Clementine remarked indifferently, her notepad lying on her chest as she stared apathetically at the car's roof.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The driving had been long. Oh yes, so long. Lee had sped along the road, although him and Joel had taken turns every now and again. Joel longed for the pedal again, itching in the passenger seat with little to do but plant his feet on the floor. He was proper; despite all his flaws. He'd never consider putting his feet up on the dash. Joel scratched at his cheek, wincing in the hot air of the van. He remembered the first time they had sat upon the leather seats after leaving the van one morning. Sizzling denim, sweating backs, all of the tricks and trades that the perpetually warming Earth had, and always would give them. Joel already couldn't wait for the winter months, when he could warm up in flannel... if he could find any. This was all implying they didn't freeze to death the second snowflakes came falling down, or caught a bullet in the neck in the next town over.

He looked over at Lee, considering the question. It would be nice to take a break; they'd been driving for a while now, not much in the way of obstacles to stop them and make them stretch their legs out, outside. Joel nodded, rolling his tongue over his teeth in thought. "Yeah. Could be nice."

He felt guilty for not having talked to Lee all that much on their trip; they had been together eight days now, and Joel couldn't even make much in the way of conversation with the man. He hadn't forgotten what Lee had done; _none _of it. The good, the bad... but the good was outweighing the bad, currently. He rubbed his mouth. "D'ya see any clothing stores? We might need something fresh for the summer and coming winter."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee's elbow rested against the window as a singular hand held the steering wheel, the engine rumbling as the car remained still whilst giving the desolate and quiet town a sceptical gaze. His eyes drifted towards the fuel gauge meter... _running low, gotta refill soon, maybe find some cars we can check with the siphon we found in the back _.

He gave his stubble a scratch as he eventually nodded to himself. "Might be one or two." He sighed, capitulating to the rest as they clearly wanted to get out of the van. If he kept driving any longer, it would be ignoring the inevitable until it became a problem, they _did _need more supplies. "Let's check it out, careful, yeah?" He nonchalantly addressed everyone as he shut off the engine, reaching over to Joel's side and opening the glove box, digging around as he pulled out the revolver. Joel seemed like he was a fan of that hunting rifle with the scope, and Lee didn't mind swapping.

They exited the vehicle as Lee's shoes crunched against the dirt, taking the keys with him and locking it once everyone was out and ready to move. The chilling wind felt nice to an extent as he walked along, and eventually a flashy sign caught his eye. A small building with the door closed, but had a large display window that revealed the interior.

It was rather dingy on the inside, not much sun around to due to the clouds, and Lee cupped his hands around the glass to peer inside. Definitely a clothing store. Above the door a sign read _Hawkira _. "Might be something we can grab for winter in here, just hold tight for a sec." He lifted the hand he was holding the revolver in up, lightly banging the glass three times and taking a step back, waiting.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine sluggishly stepped out of the van, the numbness in her legs nearly causing the girl to collapse on the spot. The cold wind was rather nice for a change, but mixed with the grogginess and the neck pain, it felt more unpleasant than anything. In spite of that, Clem tried to shake that sour feeling away with a loud yawn, knowing they probably didn't have time to waste with a drowsy little girl.

Heading down the pathway ahead, Clementine kept mostly to herself, tucking away her excitement towards a new jacket in place of keeping a watchful eye on the group's vicinity. Sometimes it still made her woozy, the fact that Lee and her were in a group again. How long had it been since North Carolina? Since they travelled with Luke and Rebecca…? It felt nostalgic, just as it felt painful to think about. Frankly, it was something she'd rather _not _think about, most of the time.

Busying herself by counting the amount of rounds in her revolver's cylinder, only four in total, Clementine stuck close to Ellie, covering Lee and Joel as they led the pack during their scavenge run. Luckily, it wouldn't take long for the group of four to run into a clothing store in the small town; a bittersweet triumph. Needless to say, Clementine didn't take kindly to Lee asking her to wait behind. However, in response, the girl simply crossed her arms with a frown, looking away in contempt as though trying to pretend it didn't bother her. Whatever happened in there, Clementine would be there to back him up, even if he didn't want her to.

**Ledge [Narrator]**

Approximately fifteen seconds of waiting passed as seemingly the insides of the clothing store were vacant. That was, until some shuffling could be heard from the inside, a bloody hand sliding across the window finally breaking the silence as four walkers made their way towards where they had heard Lee knock on the glass, the tactic working in luring them out from the blind spots of the store. They banged on the glass as they spotted the four survivors on the other side of the window, the walkers' eyes were milky and the skin was only just beginning to calcify and darken, signs of turning seeming recent.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

His foot tapped slightly on the ground as he kept his arms crossed, much to his dismay when he saw the walkers approach the glass from the other side. He wasn't looking forward to getting his hands dirty. It was jarring to go days without seeing walkers. While keeping their distance, you could almost pretend they never existed if you lived in the right part of the country, or somewhere solitary enough, but the towns were always neck deep in them. _This _was more their forte... at least there was the comfort of facing something him and Clementine were already familiar with.

He mumbled under his breath as he counted them, contemplating opening the door and letting the walkers come outside to them. They had to make sure there weren't more. He turned to the rest, speaking over the banging from behind him. "Well, looks like there's one for each of us to take when we open the door, so there's that."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie took a moment to stretch as they got out of the car. The fresh air and gentle wind was enough to make the decision to stop worth it, just to get away from the van for a little bit. She followed the others towards some clothing store not too far away from the car, sticking close to Clementine, although she didn't attempt to strike up a conversation. At least, not yet. The girl seemed to be in a bit of a mood, which she didn't blame her for. Being cooped up in that van for days on end was enough to have her feeling miserable too.

Lee knocked on the glass, and shortly after, several walkers emerged from the depths of the store, trying to get to them through the glass. Ellie's hand instinctively reached for her knife, pulling it out. As Lee spoke, she kept her attention on the dead, silently readying herself.

_Remember what Clementine told you. Always aim for the head._

She glanced back towards Joel and Lee, flicking her knife out. "Let's do this."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel himself had walked through the street with them, keeping watch with the hunting rifle hanging in one hand. It was certain then that the walkers would have appeared; if that's what Lee so much as wanted to call them. Joel had heard dozens of names for the dead, but never had quite decided on one himself. After all, he had never much seen walkers around unless he decided to head west, and even then they were few and far between. The four pounding behind the glass hadn't been gone long; they'd died recently, it seemed, judging by the lack of rot and blood on their maws. Lee said something, and Joel shook his head at him and Ellie.

"No. Me and you can take them just fine. We don't need them getting hurt." Had the walkers been as sunken as the roads, Joel might have considered the idea of letting Ellie and Clementine help. But now, it was too dangerous. Especially for someone as important as Ellie.

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Great. Here we go again. _Ellie let out a heavy sigh as Joel spoke to Lee, trying to keep her and Clementine out of the way. Part of her understood why he was doing it, after all, she was the key to a cure, but she'd handled worse than a walker. Infected are ten times worse, easily. She placed a hand on her hip, glancing towards Joel.

"And if you two go alone, then _you _might get hurt. Clem will watch my back, just let us help." There was a tone of annoyance in her voice, like she was gritting her teeth. Being pushed to the sidelines again just wasn't something she wanted to deal with right now, and she didn't like their odds if they went in alone. Two against four wasn't exactly stellar, even if Lee and Joel were more than capable. "We can handle it," she insisted.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee rather awkwardly looked away with his arms crossed as the both of them engaged in a mini-squabble. The former history buff didn't feel like it was in his place to butt in, after all, she was under Joel's care and what he decided for them was ultimately up to him. Lee wasn't about to try and tell him what to do since he was sure the results would be disastrous. Although he didn't like it one bit when he brought Clementine into the mix of things, he hadn't forgotten what they had spoken about on the bridge, he wasn't about to undermine her in any way here, he trusted her with the walkers, so he decided to make his thoughts known in the most non-confronting way possible. When there was a pause in the argument, Lee finally spoke up.

"I can open the door and let the walkers come out to _us _on the streets, that way we don't have to go in and run the risk of getting jumped by anything else." Facing them on open ground instead of tight spaces was the best way to go about it.

"And Clementine _is _helping, she knows her way around the walkers, been doing it for years... I trust her to handle it," he spoke as he attempted to get through to the other man that he may have been in charge of Ellie and deciding if she'd be helping, but that didn't make him in charge of Clem.

**Art [Clementine]**

The discussion that followed Lee's suggestion brought about a number of conflicting emotions from Clementine, some of them less congenial than others. _Asshole, _was the girl's single thought, provoked by Joel's implication that her and Ellie were some sort of burden that needed safeguarding. A gnash of her teeth held back Clem's craving to talk back, something she only narrowly succeeded at doing. That guy pushed her buttons more so than Ellie could ever hope to.

Clementine's aforementioned new friend was the next one to speak, brazenly standing up for the two of them. It was a gesture she genuinely appreciated, but it wasn't until Lee said _his own _piece that the girl was left truly impressed. It took years, maybe, but for once it felt like Lee was really trying to treat her impartially… making good on what he promised to her back in Pittsburgh. To that, Clem smiled warmly, nodding at his final statement. _I won't let you down. _Regarding Joel, no words needed to be said. Before heading towards the door, Clementine shot him a condescending smirk, further hammering in the fact that he wasn't in charge of her.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel glanced between all of them, narrowing his eyes at the younger Clementine especially. "Fine. But we do it just as Lee said to," he spoke to Ellie, his teeth clenching with annoyance. This wasn't safe; something terrible could happen, something terrible _would _happen. He gripped the rifle in both hands, prepared to smash _two _of the walkers' heads in if it came down to it. A feeling in his gut cried out to him, a dark cry that spelled out something very clear. This was too dangerous. All because they wanted to feel good about themselves? Because some pre-teens wanted to get their rocks off smashing some dead fool's skull in?

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"We got a plan, then," Lee said with a tinge of relief whilst walking over to the door, tucking the revolver under the back of his pants and withdrawing the small hatchet. He placed a hand on the doorknob.

As long as they stuck to the plan, this wouldn't take more than a minute, and at first glance, these things might have seemed slow... but unlike the folks that were infected by the fungus, shots to the body did nothing to the walkers… you needed good aim with whatever weapon you were using, and he didn't even want to get started on what kind of mayhem ensued when there were too many of them. Lee glanced back at the three and made sure they were all in position, and once he was given the all clear, he twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, withdrawing back to the other three quickly as the walkers took notice straight away, the four decaying corpses pouring out onto the street.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie mentally prepared herself as the walkers stumbled into the street, each heading for one of them. Hers was a woman, dressed in tattered clothing, its jaw hanging loose. It let out a guttural growl as it approached her, snapping the loose jaw like something out of an old horror movie. As it drew closer, Ellie tried to stab it in the head, only to get her knife stuck between its jaw. Cursing, she struggled to pull it free, holding the walker back with one hand as she finally managed to do so, ripping off half of the jaw with it. She fought back bile as she took a step back, keeping out of grabbing distance of the walker.

_Alright, let's try that again. _She rushed towards it, kicking the back of its leg, smirking as it fell to the ground with a thud. As the walker struggled to get back to its feet, she grabbed it by the hair and plunged her knife into the side of its head. It took a few tries to pierce its brain, but finally, it slumped to the ground.

She let out a heavy breath, looking towards the others to see if they've fared better.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine grabbed hold of her hunting knife, bracing herself for the walker heading her way. Clem's was, or at least resembled, some sort of biker. Before he turned, the man sported a leather jacket, goggles, and worst of all, he wore a helmet.

"Damn it…" Clementine muttered in frustration, taking a few steps back as she desperately tried to think of something. Part of her wished she could just pull out her revolver and be done with it, but Clem knew that was probably the least sensible thing to do at the time. There wasn't much room, or time for getting creative, therefore the girl had to improvise.

She began by stabbing him in the chest and kicking him away, hopefully buying herself a few seconds to think. The thing was barely fazed, crawling back in her direction almost immediately. Clementine both figuratively _and _literally had been backed into a corner, feeling her back collide into a metal fence. The situation quickly became do or die, and the dying part was no exaggeration.

_Shit, shit, c'mon…! _The walker made sure the girl stood in place, relentlessly charging in her direction. Clem did what little her reflexes allowed by extending her leg forward and keeping it at bay with her foot, holding its right arm with her left hand.

The _walker's _left hand however, remained unrestrained, violently rubbing itself against Clementine's face in an attempt to claw away at it. Its blood-soaked teeth stood mere inches from her, nearly causing the girl to panic as it gradually overpowered her.

"Fucker!" Clementine shouted before thrusting her knife through its mouth with her only free hand, carving it's brain and killing it for good. The walker soon fell dead on its back, inducing the girl to sigh in relief. She checked herself for bites whilst she wiped the blood off her face, and thankfully there were none. Somehow, she had come out of that unscathed… exhausted, but unscathed.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The walkers roamed towards them, groaning and grinning with their bare teeth in the sunlight. Joel wasn't sure if they were actually happy; they couldn't be. They were dead. But one of them, its face eerie in the brazen sun, looking as if it were smiling. He was distracted for a moment, taking a glance at Ellie to make sure she was okay. _Stupid, this is stupid..._

A cold, cold hand clutched his shoulder, and he turned, to see a gaping maw in his face. It threw another arm, this one wrapping around Joel's left arm. He threw it off, then sidestepped, dropping the rifle as the creature fell past him. It stumbled, and he took the opportunity to take chase. He grabbed the creature's back, fingers sinking into its soft skin, before he threw it to the ground and stepped over it.

It was over in but a second, Joel throwing his boot up and jamming the creature's forehead into the pavement. Blood spewed from its broken lobe, pooling up under it and wetting the ground with death. Joel stepped away from it, putting his hands on his knees. His heart was beating too fast, why was it beating so fast oh God why? It had taken him by surprise. Self-preservation disappeared for a second, and he turned and saw Ellie and Clementine having finished off their walkers. It was just Lee left, then.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

This position he was in, a decaying walker with arms outstretched and teeth gnashing was all too familiar. It was enough to put Lee in a trance-like state. He revised the steps in his head as the rotting corpse approached him, after years of dispatching these things, you could still never be too careful. One wrong move and _chomp _, your life was on a timer until you had none left, slowly withering away until you were just a shell of your former self, a fate worse than death. He knew he couldn't promise Clementine anymore that group members and people around them weren't going to die, at her age it was just unrealistic to believe after what they'd suffered, and Lee was certain he didn't believe it anymore either. Would this new _group _just be another memory? Another false promise of hope only to slowly wither down and die off until it was just himself and Clementine again? He tried not to think about it.

Lee gripped both of his hands around the handle of the axe, aiming to get this done in one hard swing. As it approached, he raised the axe above his head, grunting as he swung it down as hard as he could onto its skull, sending blood splattering and a chunk of brain matter flying a few feet away. As he attempted to pull the hatchet out of its head, he felt a _snap _… noticing that he was now just holding the handle as the blade part had broken off, still stuck in the corpse's head. _End of the road... _he threw the handle aside as it hit the ground, he'd just have to find something else to defend himself with, maybe something blunt.

"Everyone good?" he looked around, confidence in his demeanour as he saw the rest had handled theirs. "Good." he stated, before turning his attention towards the clothing store entrance. "Guess we can go shopping now…"

**Dot [Narrator]**

They rummaged through the store for a while, picking out appropriate clothes to replace their worn ones. Joel found an insulated brown winter jacket, along with a checkered gray button-up shirt, a pair of boots, and some brown leather gloves. On Lee's front, he managed to scrounge up a dark blue denim jacket, a white t-shirt, and another pair of boots. For Ellie, there wasn't much to come by, but she managed to get her hands on a pink and white winter coat and a dark gray scarf. Clementine's findings were a bit cooler: a red leather jacket and a pair of purple fuzzy earmuffs.

Outside of the store, the van laid in wait. A decaying biter hobbled towards it, visibly skinny and rotting. Its intention was to roam the town, looking for food. However, just as it began to pass the van, its knees gave way and it fell to the side, slamming into the van's window with its head before hitting the ground. At that moment, the impact causes the car alarm to go off.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie didn't find much, to her dismay. Most what was left over was too big for her, except for a pink and white windbreaker she managed to find hidden between two coat racks, and a dark grey scarf. Clementine seemed to have more luck, finding an awesome red leather jacket. She'd be lying if she didn't say she was jealous. Sighing, she stuffed the jacket into her backpack, then placing the scarf on top of it. It was nice to have for next winter, but for _now _, it'd just make her sweat.

Her heart skipped a beat as the sound of an alarm filled the air, her head swiveling towards the entrance. Outside, the van's headlights were flickering on and off, the alarm echoing off of the buildings surrounding the road, amplifying the sound. She cursed under her breath, rushing towards the door.

"Lee?! Joel?! We gotta turn that thing off!" She shouted towards the two, who were deeper in the store. Hopefully the keys had something to turn the damned thing off, otherwise they were about to be in deep shit, especially if any more walkers were roaming around.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's eyes were as wide as they could stretch, fear taking hold of her conscience and knocking any other thoughts aside. It took the girl a few seconds to grasp where exactly the sound was coming from, and the realization only caused her to panic even further. Ellie was quicker than all of them, dashing towards the van in hopes of turning the alarm off, whilst Clementine found herself frozen in place. They didn't have nearly enough ammo to take on a crowd of them, not after Pittsburgh. What if a horde blocked the road, or cornered them in that store? Everything was so fucked.

Clementine threw the red jacket and earmuffs inside her backpack as quickly as she could possibly manage, desperately running after Ellie to help with the alarm outside. Once Clem made her way through the door, even covering her ears wouldn't be enough to shield them from the almost deafening sound of the van's signaling device, though it didn't stop the girl from trying. Everything and everyone was hearing that for miles, vehemently announcing their arrival to the once quiet town of Plattsburg. "How do you turn it off?!" Clementine asked as she approached the van, shouting so that the others had the slightest chance of hearing her.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Not even a minute had gone by as Lee rummaged through his backpack, placing his recent findings inside and zipping it up. He heard a horrifying sound that sent a chill down his spine. A rush of panic radiated through his body as the shrieking and whirling sound of the car alarm yelped outside. Something had set it off.

"Oh, you gotta be damned kidding me," he muttered under his breath as he wrenched himself up, swinging his backpack over his shoulders as he ran outside.

The girls had gotten there before him, already panicking and in harm's way… he froze for a moment as he stared at the walker that had now noticed them. Realizing the culprit was a walker instead of someone trying to steal it, he reached into his pocket and grabbed the keys, fumbling with them before clicking the button to stop the alarm. With a few seconds, it registered, the lights blinking as the noise came to a stop. However, it was too late… Lee took a step back as he realized they'd woken up the whole goddamn town. Corpses… the groaning… they were fast approaching, coming from behind buildings, around corners… hell, all the hiding places they could think of. They were coming.

"Jesus..." he muttered as his eyes widened at the sight, this was just their luck… just their damn luck… did they have enough time to get the van started and get out of there before they got swamped? Or did they need to make a run for it? It was a decision they had to make, quick.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The blaring siren jarred Joel from his spot kneeled on the ground. He swallowed, looking back at the van which was whooping and beeping, a screaming siren calling to the dead. _Good food, good meat, good God let's eat. _He thought about the age-old phrase, the walkers and infected sure to come closer and closer every second the four spent dilly-dallying. Joel ran to the van with them, unable to hit the brakes on himself, and slammed into the van. His arm rang with pain, and he turned to Lee with anxiety in his eyes. "Lee! Throw me the goddamn keys!"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The sound of the rotting flesh groaning ostracized everything around the former history teacher. The situation was soon turning into something they wouldn't be able to get out of, however he heard a faint voice. Looking over to see the Texan had made it to the drivers door.

"Catch!" He yelled as he threw them as best he could towards Joel. "Oh shi-" The moment he was distracted the initial walker that was by the car tried to grab his foot, as to which he responded by stomping its head in once, and then twice as a definitive blow, rendering it dispatched. The others were getting dangerously close now. He looked over to the Ellie and Clem, and to his dismay they hadn't ran for it yet. "You guys need to get in the van, now!" He yelled as he fired off a shot to the closest walker, firing off a second one to a biter that was approaching Joel. There were too many to handle, all he could do now was buy time for them.

**Ledge [Narrator]**

Clusters of walkers had been drawn to the noise now, zeroing in on the van. Fortunately enough, the four survivors were able to quickly make it inside safely without being cornered. However, as Joel placed the key in the ignition and twisted it, the engine seemingly chortled and strained at them, failing to start.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine felt dizzy, terrified… nearly sickened by the sight of the dozens of walkers gradually closing in on them, and the ceasing of the ear-piercing alarm did little to mend that. There wasn't any time to think of anything besides getting the hell out of there, and the intensity in Joel's voice only reinforced that fact.

The girl hastily opened the van's back door at Lee's request, grabbing Ellie by the arm with the intent of dragging her inside. "C'mon!" She shouted, tugging the other girl in her direction before violently shutting the door behind them.

Only a few seconds later, those things were already hammering the back door in a desperate attempt to reach them. It wouldn't take long until the walkers surrounded them completely, yet the most frightening part of it all had only just declared itself through the alarming sound of a dying engine.

_No… Fuck, not now…! _Clem struggled to keep the back door closed, feeling the force of what had to be, by then, more than a single infected bashing themselves against it. There wasn't any time left. "Joel!" Clementine cried, begging him to get the van moving… desperate, and utterly hopeless.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel twisted the key in its ignition, sweat swimming down his skin, gliding off his pores, and doing a dolphin kick off of his cheek. The van refused to start; it fought against him, and he continued to crank until he heard the sound of the rotors trying their best to turn, trying their absolute best. But they wouldn't; they were dead just like the van, it would seem. Drowned by fluid, and Joel hit the dash.

" _Goddammit! _Piece of shit!" He screamed in terrified rage, pressing down on the pedal and kicking the floor. Nothing worked. It was just as dead as the creatures now surrounding them. Joel looked to Lee, anxiety gleaming in his eyes. "The engine's flooded." He mumbled, hands gripping the wheel and looking down at the shifter. He grabbed it, throwing it into drive and pulling the emergency brake off.

"We can make it," he murmured, hoping to God that the van would start moving. "Come on _goddammit! _" He yelled, hitting the steering wheel as hands slapped against the window. The walkers were everywhere; and rotted glass wouldn't hold for even a short time. Joel could see his window pane already quivering, tiny cracks forming where the walkers were hitting it. They were going to die.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

All Lee could do was watch as the chaos ensued around him whilst he assisted Clementine to the best of his ability in keeping that door barred, propping up whatever he could find in the back against it, old boxes, tools... anything. He watched on as the undead began to surround their van, the engine making a possibly more horrifying sound than even the walkers as it refused to start. A strand of sweat rolled down the side of his head, the confirmation from Joel about the engine causing his adrenaline to pump even faster.

"There's gotta be another way!" he yelled back, hopelessly trying to reassure everyone, or maybe just himself. He propped his shoulder up against the back door as he felt the petrifying force of what was on the other end, Joel had thrown the gear into drive as the car barely began to roll forward, only providing a moment of relief as the walkers in front of them blocked them from proceeding, the car yet again coming to a halt. The realization of how screwed up things were looking was now sinking in and he watched Clementine try her best to hold the door shut, seeing the fear and anxiety in her eyes.

_You gonna let her die here? Huh? In some shitty cramped-up van without a proper go at life? Fail her just like you failed everyone else? _His own mind spoke to him. _No... no... _He couldn't let that be an option. He wouldn't. His eyes slowly drifted towards the passenger door, considering the only option they had left... and that was a distraction, someone needed to lead them away.

**Dot [Ellie]**

They were trapped. Oh God, they were trapped. Walkers were pouring into the street like flies drawn to a steaming and particularly rancid pile of shit. Ellie recoiled as one banged on her window, jerking backwards into Clementine. Its jaw was snapping open and closed with inhuman speed, and its white, soulless eyes stared towards her hungrily. This was how they were going to die. _Jesus _, after everything they'd been through, a shitty van was going to be the death of them.

She turned to look towards Joel in the front seat, hoping to whatever fucking God was out there that he'd figure out _something _to get them out of this mess. If the car wouldn't start, they'd have to fight their way out, right? Could they make it? Their window was closing fast, the bulk of the walkers hadn't reached their van yet, but even then… getting out of this mess was looking slimmer and slimmer by the second.

Before she could say anything, a noise to their left caught her attention, the sound of a head banging against glass. Her eyes widened as she realized the walker that had been banging on Clementine's door earlier now had something emerging from its forehead. At first, through the panic and adrenaline, she couldn't make out what it was, but after a second of scrutinizing it, it became clear that it was an arrow, lodged straight through the back of its head.

_What…?_

**Dot [Dwight]**

Between the undead corpses surrounding the van, the survivors could make out the man that had fired the arrow, standing near one of the stores down the street. He wore a black vest, the rest of his clothes following a similar theme and style. If this was the world from before, he would easily be mistaken as your average, everyday biker. The only thing that stood out about the man was his face, half of it being covered in grotesque burns, faded with time, but will never fully heal. The man dropped the crossbow he'd been holding in his hands to the ground, reaching for the AK-47 he had strapped over his shoulder, and aiming it towards the walkers surrounding the van. He made a gesture, his voice following.

"Get down!"

Once everyone had managed to duck, he opened fire, laying into the walkers. The windows of the van exploded as bullets whizzed through them, stray shots that would've otherwise hit the survivors inside if they hadn't ducked. Unknowing to the stranger, one bullet managed to pierce Ellie's forearm, before burrowing into the frame of the car. Only a few seconds passed, but it was enough that most of the walkers on the left side of the car had been mowed down. With the clearing made, the man let go of the assault rifle, letting it hang on the strap, before scooping up his crossbow.

"Alright, c'mon! Get your asses outta there!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"_Fuck!_" Ellie let out the curse as the bullet tore through her arm, leaving a gaping hole behind that she tried fruitlessly to cover with her hand. As the asshole outside cut through the walkers surrounding them, she was half tempted to tell him off for being so fucking reckless, but right now, she was having a hard time not biting down on her tongue as she tried to keep from screaming. It hurt. It hurt so fucking bad. She'd gone through some shit before; hell, she'd stabbed herself in the back with her own knife before, but this… this was something else.

As the man shouted towards them, gesturing for them to join him out on the street, she turned her attention to Joel and Lee. "I'm alright! L - Let's just get out of here…!"

She held back a slew of vulgarity as another wave of pain coursed through her, staring at the walker banging on the untouched window to her right with a pained, yet angry look. Their only way out was through Clementine's side door, so she'd have to wait until the other girl got out first. They didn't have a lot of time to act before the rest of the walkers closed in on them, or this asshole with the assault rifle.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine dropped to the floor following the stranger's demand, watching, appalled, as a flood of bullets soon came crashing down upon them, bursting through the windows and doors alike, all while wiping out the walkers surrounding the van like they were nothing. For most that would, perchance, bring about some semblance of relief… but for Clem, it was the exact opposite. No way was the shooter some kind soul who just happened to pass by with a crossbow and a fucking assault rifle. They'd been chased by assholes with guns for over a week now, and she was just about sick of it. All the girl needed was a reason, and that guy would have four .357 rounds lodged in his skull before he even knew what hit him.

Interrupting Clementine's reckless train of thought was the sight of Ellie's arm, her hand pressing a gaping wound covered in blood. Angry wouldn't be enough to describe it. Clem wanted to break that guy's kneecaps. Nevertheless, for the time being, Clementine held back that rage with gritted teeth, kicking open what was left of the van's back door in order to greet the bastard. The girl remained seated next to Ellie, staring the man down in an attempt to figure out what his angle was. Her gaze faltered the moment it met the man's burnt face, though in spite of that, she refused to look away.

"What do you want?" She asked callously, hoping to, at the very least, keep him talking long enough for Joel and Lee to get the drop on him.

**Dot [Dwight]**

The man seemed to be expecting that question, but annoyance was apparent on his face. He'd given them an opportunity to get out of there, and they were using it to question him. He sighed through his nose before replying. "Not everyone out here's looking for an angle. I was in the area, and you needed help. Call it foolish idealism." It became apparent that the man was unaware of Ellie's plight, not having seen the bullet pierce the girl's arm.

As a walker began to skirt around the van, trying to get to the open door on the opposite side, the man fired another crossbow bolt through its head, the corpse falling to the ground with a thud. "Look, we can talk this out when we're somewhere safe, but you folks need to get out of there!"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem narrowed her eyes in skepticism, shooting a quick glance behind her, towards Lee and Joel, expecting either of them to say something, though that moment never came. It felt way too... convenient, maybe. Who's to say the prick with the crossbow wasn't the one who triggered the alarm in the first place? A number of things ran through the girl's head before she even thought of replying, though that aside, most of it was sheer hesitance. There was the fact that he saved the four of them from becoming walker chow… that probably meant he wasn't there to rob them. Well, either that or he was just really stupid. Whichever the case, the guy didn't want them dead, at least not yet. A good sign, or a bad one? Clem had little to go on, probably the guy's intention, thus she kept her answer short and to the point.

"...And where is that?" The girl asked with a brow raise, referring to what the man described as _somewhere safe _. Every bit of her felt reluctant to follow some sketchy dickhead into what glaringly looked like a trap waiting to happen, and that wasn't about to change just because he was in a hurry to leave.

**Dot [Dwight]**

Was she serious? Dwight understood why the girl was digging for information, after all, _he _was the one that just showed up out of nowhere to 'save the day'. Every second that passed, he was starting to regret it. He should've just stayed home, should've left them to fend for themselves; those thoughts dwelled in his mind for a bit longer than was probably necessary. Walkers were closing in on the van again, and Dwight sent another bolt through the back of one of their heads, watching as it slumped against the hood of the vehicle. He let out a frustrated sigh, lowering the crossbow.

"Anywhere that's not here, alright? There's a herd not too far from here, close enough to hear that alarm and turn the entire damned thing towards you. Trust me, don't trust me, I don't care. I've got better things to do than watch all of you get eaten." He didn't mean to come off as an asshole, but his patience had worn thin. He needed to get back to where he left his car, and head back to Paradise. With the herd undoubtedly turned towards the community, he had to warn them, before the undead trampled over them.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The gunfire drew the survivors out of the van; the dead walkers with their exploded heads resting comfortably on the pavement. Blood covered the ruined van, as did brains and shards of skull slathered on storefronts. Joel looked at Ellie, horror in his eyes. Her arm; a red hole through the limb spreading blood on her sleeves. "Ellie, your arm…" He fumbled with his words, unsure of who to address first. And then, he looked down the street, eyes straining in the sun at the silhouette of the man. The first thing he'd address was the man who had shot her.

Slinging his hunting rifle, his eyes shifted from confusion and into rage. Aiming the rifle down at the man, he lined up a shot directly with the burnt man's forehead. "You got three seconds to drop your gun and tell us who the hell you are before I blow your goddamn head off." He pulled back the safety on the rifle, finger edging on the trigger. Begging the man to do anything; to try anything at all.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The ricocheting and whirling of precisely fired lead lit up the van and the surrounding walkers like a Christmas tree. Lee ducked down and placed his hands over his head as the bullets crashed down upon them, feeling the glass chip and break as some of it landed on top of his head. Whoever this guy was, he had fired dangerously close to them… even managing to nick Ellie in the arm. Wow she was hurt, which made their situation even more desperate.

Lee was frozen with shock for a moment, taking a second to analyse the pool of corpses around them, a way out had been paved for them, their impending death had been halted by this unknown man. What shocked him even more was the time they were wasting by questioning him, _Shit, are we actually doing this right now? _He thought as he looked to Ellie, that arm needed attention, quick, smart… the blood was oozing out of her arm and onto the floor, no... that was too much blood to warrant fucking around asking questions.

"Joel, come on… what the hell are we doing?" A frown on his face as he spoke with frustration evident in his tone "We don't have time for this, we need to get the hell out of here, now. We can ask questions later."

**Art [Clementine]**

_Nice one, Joel! _It took a little stalling, a tad too much for comfort, but the guy with the burnt face had dropped his guard, and Joel capitalized on it flawlessly. It obviously wasn't his first time dealing with something as delicate as this, and it showed from his total lack of procrastination. The old timer had to have been tough as nails to get hired by the Fireflies, but it was still really impressive to see it in action.

"Sorry," Clementine nonchalantly expressed with a faint smile, before picking up her revolver from the back of the van. She almost felt bad about it, considering the guy had just saved them a few minutes ago, but there was no being too careful when dealing with rifle-carrying, scary-looking people.

The girl hopped out the van, aiming her revolver towards the man, while staying on Joel's opposite side, ensuring one of them could get a shot in case the crossbow guy tried to fight back. "You should probably listen to him." She added threateningly, keen to get payback for Ellie's injury if the guy forced her hand. Lee came out of the van shortly after, in an attempt to defuse the situation, yet Clementine simply ignored him, refusing to take her eyes away from the stranger. "You want to leave, right? Hurry up."

**Dot [Dwight]**

Dwight half-expected the response the older man had given him, aiming his rifle towards him, but he didn't expect it so quickly. Sighing, he let his assault rifle and crossbow clatter to the ground, kicking them away. Annoyance was apparent on his face and movements, as he held his hands slightly to the sides, as if expecting Joel to start searching him for any more weapons. They didn't have time for this, those walkers were going to be on them any minute now.

"Name's Dwight," he started, letting out another sigh. "Just heard your alarm go off, and saw the dead surrounding you. Figured you needed the help. I'm from a community not too far away, and we try to help others, if we can. As unbelievable as that sounds. Just want to get back, before that herd finds its way there."

His eyes drifted towards a fourth figure emerging from the vehicle, a young girl clutching her right arm, blood oozing between her fingers. He thought he heard a shout earlier, and now that the evidence was right in front of him.

" _Shit _..." Now he understood why they were grilling him so hard, in his attempts to kill the walkers, he'd managed to shoot her in the process. "L - Look, I don't want any trouble, and I'm sure you folks have places you're tryin' to get to, so we can go our separate ways, if that's what you want. Like I said before, I was just trying to help." _As stupid as it was. _"But… the girl's bleeding pretty badly." _I'm sorry. _He wanted to say it out loud, but couldn't find the courage. It'd probably come off as condescending if he did, anyway. "If you don't got the supplies to patch her up, I've just cleared out a hospital in the next town over. If you want, I can give you some supplies, patch her up, and go our separate ways."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie looked between her friends, hissing in her breath as her wound flared with pain. She was probably being naive, but she believed this guy wasn't _trying _to hurt them, and that he wanted to help. Maybe it was misguided, but they couldn't pass up a chance to get her arm taken care of, right? It hurt too damn much to neglect it.

She turned towards Joel, trying to put on a half-smile through the pain. "M - Maybe we should go with him. We outnumber him, anyway." _Unless he has more friends out there…_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel glared at the man, eyes squinting in the sun. The whole thing seemed too good to be true. A stranger saves their lives, and just happens to live in a caring and generous community? The Good Samaritan bullshit was unlikely, but Ellie did make a good point. If this guy had any buddies on him now, then they would've attacked by this point. Joel considered briefly for a moment, but his rifle never lowered.

" _Fine. _" The word stung, but Joel said it nonetheless. He was outnumbered on votes here, especially since the only other vote on his side was the young Clementine. "But you keep your hands on your head. And kick your rifle and crossbow over here. You try anything, or if anybody shows up that you didn't tell us about, I'll shoot you. You got it?" He gritted his teeth.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

With a frustrated roll of his head and a slight elongated sigh, there wasn't much Lee could do other than give in to the situation that was unfolding around him as he was blatantly ignored.

That stubborn carpenter sure as hell wasn't going to listen to him, and it was upsetting to admit to himself that he didn't find Clem's behavior in following suit that surprising.

_This won't look good on us… if any of his friends are nearby and see this. _He thought for a moment as he took a brief second to place his hand on his holster, examining their surroundings to see if they were being watched. Luckily, that didn't seem to be the case. It didn't make much sense why a group of bandits would waste time and ammunition on a massive cluster of walkers. A logical explanation that Lee hoped was correct was that this man _actually _cared enough to lend them a hand. It was only now that he got a good look at the guy… noticing one side of his face being horribly disfigured. Whatever had happened… it was clear the man had been through some shit, but then again, so had everyone still alive.

He watched on as the man known as Dwight followed Joel's orders, Lee's eyes trailing him as he bent down and placed his weapons on the floor and kicked them over, proceeding to place his hands back on his head. He was clearly smart enough not to give any of them a reason to shoot. Lee took a few steps forward, shooting an apologetic glance at the man in an attempt to get across that he didn't like what he was doing. He placed his revolver in his side holster and picked up the crossbow, slinging it over his shoulder and lastly picking up the AK -47 and examining it in his hands.

_Can't remember the last time I used something that packs this much of a wallop, except maybe that hunting rifle. If he's this well-armed, he's gotta be telling the truth…_

"I'm sorry about all this, we're not looking for any trouble either…" he glanced off to the side towards the two that were still pointing guns and shot them a look, attempting to signify that he was unarmed and they could stop being so aggressive. The sooner they got the wounded fixed up, sooner they could put this behind them and move on. A moment passed as he focused his attention back to the scarred man. "So how far off are these supplies of yours?"

**Dot [Dwight]**

Dwight resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The older man seemed to be trouble, no matter how you sliced it. The baseball-capped girl, too. Trust was hard to come by, he knew that all too well, but it was going to be an uphill battle to even get these folks to listen to him. He really should've left them to their own fate, getting involved with strangers was stupid. Beyond stupid. It was suicidal, for this exact reason. If it wasn't for the other man and the injured girl, he wouldn't lead them anywhere near Paradise. He wasn't a hero, that much he'd admit, but he wouldn't put anyone else in harm's way for his mistakes.

Sighing, he replied to the African-American man in an even tone. "Couple blocks away. I was checking out a store when I heard your alarm. Left my car behind. It's this way," he nodded his head down the street, towards where his car would be waiting. Hopefully, if things go well, he'd get the girl taken care of and get these assholes out of his hair. They didn't have time to waste.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The walk wasn't long, gladly. While Clementine and Lee watched Dwight, Joel did what he could for her wound, at least stopping the bleeding for the time-being. She exchanged a few glances with the new guy, the urge to speak up about the stray shot burning in her throat, but never came. For once, she didn't really have anything to say. He didn't _try _to shoot her, that much was clear to her. It was an accident, one that was, really, no one's fault. Or, maybe that was just her naive mind. Maybe she should blame him for what happened, all of it, and treat him just like Clem was, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. He seemed to be as done with all of this as she was, and that was enough for her to not pursue bringing it up.

It was about a five minute walk to where this car supposedly was. Dwight was walking in front of them, with Joel and Clementine flanking them like prison guards guiding their prisoner to their cell. Even she didn't trust Dwight all that much, so maybe it was better this way. She wasn't really sure, though. Finally, a car came into view, tucked between two stores in an alleyway. Dwight turned around and glanced back towards Joel, speaking in an even tone.

"Alright, we're here."

Ellie squinted at the car, making sure no one was hiding inside it or around it. The last thing she wanted was for them to get jumped by some assholes just because _this one_managed to shoot her on accident. She couldn't make out anyone, though. _Thank God._

Dwight gestured towards the car, as if expecting Joel or Lee to check it out first. Probably because he didn't want to get shot in the back or something. Ellie didn't really blame him, they've done worse to people who've done far less.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Much to the relief of the former history teacher, Dwight seemed to be telling the truth as he led them through the streets. The car was cleverly hidden in an alleyway, a good hiding spot… but also an adequate ambush point. After thoroughly checking it out with Joel, the story seemed to add up, and thus they finally gave the go ahead to receive those medical supplies.

Lee wasn't so naive to give Dwight's weapons back just yet, until he was sure he hadn't given them something faulty, so he held on to them as he took the package from Dwight. The alleyway provided some good cover from walkers or anything else alive. One thing was certain, Ellie had lost some blood… and he wasn't sure if he liked what he was about to see next. Ellie's wound was gut-wrenching, but the bullet had gone right through, Joel managing to bandage it and stop the bleeding, hanging on to the stitches so that they could do it at a later time once they were out of here.

Once the process had been done, Lee saw no reason to continue holding the guy up since they were leaving anyway. He slowly made his way to the car, looking at Dwight calmly as he placed the rifle on the hood, followed by the crossbow. His gaze towards Dwight screamed '_ don't make me regret this _', but they didn't plan on staying long enough to find out if they would.

"Sorry for the trouble, and thanks for the help back there… we'll just be leaving now…" he spoke as he turned around to make an exit for the alley, before seeing what was approaching, another cluster of walkers, a hand going to his forehead in frustration.

**Dot [Dwight]**

Dwight had watched from the sidelines, trying to keep out of their way. Last thing he wanted was for these assholes to pick a fight, not with him pushing this close to the fire as it was. Once the girl had been taken care of, the younger man set down his weapons on the hood of the car, Dwight giving him a curt nod. At least he seemed reasonable.

The sound of walkers washed over them in what felt like the span of a second, forcing all eyes to turn towards the cluster of walkers heading towards them. It wasn't the entire herd, but it was enough to effectively lower their odds of taking them out, and Dwight wasn't exactly brimming with ammo for his AK-47. Cursing under his breath, he grabbed his rifle and crossbow, slinging them over his shoulders, in front of his torso and his back respectively. "That damned herd is gonna be on top of us any minute now." He let out a heavy sigh, his gaze bouncing between the two men and the girls. It was his fault they had to come here, after he managed to shoot the girl, so maybe…

_I'm going to fucking regret this._

"Look, we're out of time. This town's about to become a clusterfuck. You won't be able to get back to your car, and it looked like you couldn't get it working anyway. My community's not too far away. We can drive back there. We'll be behind walls, and we can work something out. Get you another car. Lotta survivors come through, its basically a trading outpost." He opened the driver's door, stashing his weapons inside, before glancing back at the two men. "It'd make me feel better than just leaving all of you to die out here."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee's attention turned towards Dwight, slightly taken back by his proposition. It was the mere fact that this guy seemed to look just like the type back at Pittsburgh… the type that would pull the trigger without a second thought. Whether this was just some sort of a façade or the real him, Lee didn't care. They had a wounded kid, no car... short on supplies, and the sight of the walkers put the final nail in the coffin… for a moment he actually started to consider Dwight's offer. That was until he looked over to the rest, seeing all of their faces to the proposition, and it was enough to know it would just be another bitter and frustrating argument on whether they should go or not… something he had seen plenty of times over back at the motor inn, they all had different opinions it seemed, and even Lee himself wasn't sure if FEDRA had sent out warrants to other communities offering rewards.

Either way it was a risky gamble and there was no way they'd reach a proper conclusion in a few minutes.. unless… before he'd ask the rest… he did have one more question for Dwight as he turned towards him.

"Do you have anything solid to show us... anything to prove that this community isn't just a bunch of smoke and mirrors?" He asked calmly. He needed something to go off that Dwight could show them right now if he was going to sway the rest over… anything.

**Dot [Dwight]**

"Well, most of all I got is my word," Dwight said, his voice matter-of-fact. He knew that they were going to want more than that, more than he was willing to give, or had on hand to show. Sighing, he reached into the car, grabbing the photo he kept slipped into the mirror above the wheel. He pulled it out, twisting around for them to see.

On the picture, Dwight was easily identifiable by his burned features. A woman was next to him, and his arm was slung around her shoulder. They seemed to be laughing, although at what could not be identified through the photo. They were sitting around a fire, two other people sitting on opposite sides of Dwight and the woman, just out of frame. Behind them, the large walls surrounding Paradise loomed, makeshift and refurbished buildings appearing over the wall.

His expression remain unchanged, but his heart twisted. "This was a couple years ago. The woman was, uh... my girlfriend, at the time." He left it at that, deciding to not dwell on that path for longer than necessary. After Sherry, he didn't really want to move on, but after the second girlfriend, and those pointless thoughts about getting married? That was enough to turn him off the whole thing for good, if not for a long while. He stopped looking since she died. "We built up this old town, just north of Kansas City. Paradise. We kept the name, turned it into a safe zone of our own, away from FEDRA. Been going strong ever since."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After taking a good look at the picture with the others, Lee sighed out… was he about to be the devil's advocate? It was time to find out.

"Just give us a few…" he nodded towards the burned man before ushering everyone to a corner away from Dwight, but still keeping him in their view, almost as if they were huddling up as they now had a quick decision to make.

"Call me gullible but... I don't know… I feel like he's telling us the truth here," he spoke in a lower tone than usual. _Paradise… _it did sound like something they all needed desperately right now, but if the others would agree was a different story. "We got him outnumbered if he drives us… if we don't like what we see we don't even have to go in…"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine shook her head in contempt, lifting her gaze so that it could meet Lee's. "I don't care what he says," the girl stated with conviction, her tone rude and scornful. The fact that the man claimed to be able to get them another car made even the headstrong Clementine falter in her decision, faced with the reality that they so desperately needed one to get to Joel's brother. Clem didn't know how far Tommy's Dam was, how long it'd take, or just how _dangerous it'd be _to travel there on foot… but even so, whatever Dwight was offering wasn't worth the risk. "We're doing fine on our own. Let's just go."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel squinted at Lee, shaking his head. "No. We are leaving now." Glancing to Clementine, an unspoken thankfulness resided in his gaze. "We don't exactly have time on our side. We got Ellie's arm fixed up, we can go." Whatever this town was, it didn't seem right. _Paradise. _What kind of a goddamn name was that. Sounded like a lure, just like those bandits back in Pittsburgh pretending to be injured. And Joel wasn't going there. If Lee was, then so be it; Joel would get Ellie to Tommy's. He wasn't about to get roped into this community. Not when they had such little time.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"We won't get far without a car, Joel," Ellie reminded him, looking between the two adults and Clementine. It was clear that they were split fifty-fifty on what they should do, a situation that'll probably become all too familiar with time. For Ellie, she didn't care all that much about Dwight or his community, but the thought of getting another car was enough to convince her that it was probably their best option. "We don't have to stay there, we just have to get that car from him. We'll run out of food before we get_anywhere _on foot."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee placed his arms on his hips as he fought off the urge to shake his head, regardless he still tried to keep calm and get the point across. For a moment there, he thought he was going to get outvoted until Ellie thankfully spoke up, relief on his face as he nodded towards her direction. "In case you haven't noticed, _Joel _," he pointed them all in the direction of the cluster of walkers that were fast approaching. "We don't have a _goddamn thing _on our side today... we lost the van, the supplies in it, not to mention we're running low again…" he spoke with a tinge of frustration, looking between Joel and Clementine. "The guy clearly feels bad about what happened. If we have a chance to get ourselves a car, this isn't the time to be pushing away help."

**Art [Clementine]**

"So, what if he's lying?" Clementine bluntly asked, crossing her arms in an unyielding fashion. Unlike Lee, the girl's tone grew increasingly fiercer, an evident product of her escalating lack of patience. It was just so damn stupid. They didn't even _know _him. Lee was really going to trust the fucker who shot Ellie because of some picture, and the thought was enough to drive the girl mad. They could find more food on the way, maybe even another car, but they didn't stand a chance against an entire group of them. "What if there's no _'community' _…? No car, no food... just more people who want to kill us. What then?"

At that point, her words were hardly uttered in an attempt to convince him not to go. Clem knew she couldn't change Lee's mind about it, no matter how much she protested against going. All she sought was some sort of assurance… something other than an empty promise that they'd be okay.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel clenched his teeth together, squinting with anger at Lee as he took a step towards the man. He looked at Ellie. "We will make do." There wasn't going to be anything there. No, they'd go to this community and there'd be a horde of men there to steal them, take them away and perform unspeakable acts. Joel and Lee would die first; they'd probably just outright shoot the two of them. They might shoot the two girls... but Joel had already stumbled across the horrors of man. He would not do it again. "Do I need to remind you of what we just went through?" He eyed Dwight, hands clenching his rifle. "There are no good communities out here anymore. The military is the kindest of the people I've seen out here. You can go if you want, but me and Ellie are leaving."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

At that moment, Lee was so close to telling him '_ so be it' _and leaving it at that. This was going nowhere, even _with _proof they were still divided... dare he say it, but of all the good things that came out of being in a group, this was a thorough reminder of how they fell apart. Maybe this was why Clementine and he stuck it out just by themselves for so long and avoided groups... nothing good ever came out of it, and Lee was a fool to think this time would be any different.

As Joel took a step forward, Lee's feet stayed planted firmly where they were. He could feel anger bubbling up inside of him, the hope of magically finding more food and a car and travelling all the way on foot was just as, maybe even more, dangerous than taking their chances at the community.

"Look, maybe you're right, maybe this place turns out to be a big elaborate trap... and yeah, maybe it sure as hell isn't worth all of us risking our lives going there…" he looked to the ground for a moment, eyes darting around as he finally looked back up to the three. "But it doesn't have to be everyone... I can go myself and try to seal the deal on getting us a new car...if this guy lets me borrow a radio I can give it to you guys." he spoke with a reassuring tone. They _needed _transport desperately at this point, they had no clue exactly where Tommy's was, and there was a good chance they'd fatigue and run out of supplies walking around to find it, they needed this deal.

"I'll go with him into this place... and I can tell you how it looks from the inside... if it's safe or not… I'll get the car circle and back."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ellie asked, genuinely taken aback by Lee's question. She wanted to trust Dwight as much as Lee wanted to, but going _alone _? If this really was a trap, then that was a death sentence for Lee. "I mean, I want to trust this guy... but... going alone? What happens if you don't come back? This place is about to get overrun any minute now. We don't have time to wait, or take a risk like that."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"If there's a chance, even the slightest... that scoring this deal improves our odds of getting to his brother's place safely... then, to me, it's worth going." He lowered his shoulders as he breathed out silently. "You guys get out of here, find somewhere to hunker down, give me a few hours to contact you... if I don't, then it's safe to assume you guys were right. Plan stays the same, keep moving and get to Tommy's, no matter what."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem uncrossed her arms, worryingly drawing her brows together in response to Lee's suggestion. For a drawn out, despair-inducing moment, the girl was left nearly speechless, until she was helpless to fight her pressing need to object. "No! You're not going!"

It was fucking crazy; how could he say something like that? _'Keep moving and get to Tommy's, no matter what.' _Clem wasn't the least bit okay with that plan. They weren't leaving Lee behind… no way.

"That's… You can't…!" The girl desperately fumbled through her words, staring fixedly at Lee's eyes with a gaze filled with a mixture of anger and grief. It wasn't worth it… Clem didn't care about getting a car. None of it mattered if she lost _him _, not after all they've been through. "Please, don't go…" Clementine pleaded, her voice softening to near silence, as she begged Lee to stay.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

She wasn't making this easy on him. Every fiber of his being wanting to stay as she pleaded… to just screw it all and move on without the car. However, his mind was made up as soon as Dwight made the offer, and he had a feeling Clementine knew this too. Lee had seen his fair share of killers, knew the difference between the people that did it because they _had _to... and the assholes that just did it for the thrill. Dare he say it, but he just didn't get that vibe from this Dwight guy. He didn't seem like the wild type… if he was up to something, they surely should have been surrounded or ambushed by now. Of course, some big trap could be waiting back at this community, but that was a part of the risk Lee was getting himself into. He needed to invest some trust if any good was going to come out of this, and he just hoped he had enough to make some kind of decent trade... he didn't care, he was willing to give everything he had on him if it meant getting what they needed.

Ultimately seeing how torn up she was about this made his face sink as he tried to desperately put on a façade of assurance, placing a hand on her shoulder he spoke without faltering, his voice lower than before.

"Clem, you know I'd never do something like this unless it was important… and this is just too important to pass up," he admitted.

They'd lost the van, which meant it would take more time they couldn't afford to find supplies out on the road… and if they couldn't find any… it'd be over for them.

"And hey, it's just a few hours… I'll be back with our car before you know it… and if you're worried, just radio in anytime." He half-smiled, before noticing the herd that was getting closer. They didn't have much time now. Despite their differences, Lee deemed that Joel was as trustworthy as he was stubborn. If anything went wrong, he'd be the one to get her there safe and unharmed. He looked back to Clem, desperation in his eyes now. "I need you to trust me on this… please."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel was still staring at Lee when he made his decision. He had trapped him; a selfless act that allowed Lee the moral high ground, but regardless Joel respected it. His mouth fell open, unsure of what to say. "I..." He started, but trailed off, unable to finish.

Was he really going to let Lee win this? The urge to tell him 'no' and walk off had become far too tempting to ignore, yet something at the back of his brain gave him pause.

He already knew he was going to regret this.

"Fine," he finally said, his voice flat and angry. "We'll scope the place out, but Ellie ain't going anywhere near there." He turned towards the girls, grinding his teeth. "Stay in one of these storefronts for the time being. Keep in contact. We won't be long."

**Art [Clementine]**

The girl severely yearned for an alternative, yet her silence was more than sufficient to prove such a thing was wholly out of their reach. With the herd fast approaching, and their time running short, there was little left Clem could do other than reluctantly comply to Lee's request, placing the entirety of what remained of her faith in him.

"Okay… I trust you," she told Lee with a brisk nod, struggling to hold back the quivering in her lower lip. After being handed a small, old looking radio from Dwight, Joel seemed to change his mind, telling her and Ellie to hole up in one of the stores, and though faltering in her steps, Clem intended to listen.

"You better come back..." Clementine said to Lee, forcing a smile before turning the other way and dashing in Ellie's direction. The two of them continued to distance themselves from the advancing swarm of infected, until Clementine and Ellie had finally disappeared from Lee, Joel, and Dwight's view.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Joel's sudden change of heart had left Lee speechless, though that moment quickly faded as Dwight handed the radio off to Clementine. Seeing the kids off, Lee opened the passenger door, but for a moment hesitated before getting in, giving one last glance to the two children that were now leaving his sight… only now sinking in that if anything went wrong, this might be the last time he'd see her, that was the bitter truth. If there was a time he'd go back on his word and would want to leave and go after them, now would be it… instead he frowned in acceptance, sighing out as he hopped in the passenger seat while Dwight started the engine and closed the door. Joel hopped in last, into the backseat, and he could feel the man's glare on the back of his head.

"I better be right about you…" he spoke aloud to the scarred man as Lee kept his gaze out the window.


	16. Pit Stop, II

_1:30 PM - An old hardware store - Plattsburg, Missouri_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie peered through the rotting planks of wood covering the large window at the front of the store. The walkers were out in full force now, pushing their way forward, towards the direction of this 'Paradise'. Thankfully, they haven't noticed them, and Ellie made sure to back away from the tiny hole in the plank if one came too close to the store.

The store itself was picked clean, leaving nothing worth scavenging while they waited for Lee and Joel to radio them. For now, it was just a waiting game, and silently hoping they hadn't gotten themselves killed. She didn't know what she would do if that was true, or what to say to Clementine. How could she? The two had gone through so much together, more than Ellie ever had with anyone else in her life. Riley was close, but that was different. Then there was Marlene, but even she didn't really count. There was so much about Marlene she didn't know about, an enigma that she never got the chance to solve. For Clementine and Lee, though, she sort've envied them. For most of her life, she'd spent it alone, yet not _actually _being alone. That wasn't the case for those two.

In a way, she _did _feel a sense of anxiety deep in her stomach, stemming from the fact that Joel was out there too, but it wasn't nearly as noticeable as her friend's. Didn't help that she was still trying to get to know Joel, but the last thing she wanted was to end up alone again. Even if she had Clementine to watch her back.

She glanced deeper into the store, seeing Clementine fiddling with the radio Dwight had loaned them, seemingly focused on whatever she was trying to do to it. For a moment, Ellie hesitated, wanting to approach the girl, tell her that Lee was going to be alright, and that they'd be on their way to Tommy's soon. Those words never came. Instead, she approached the girl in slow steps, looking around the store for anything interesting. Anything except for the girl she was trying to approach casually. She wasn't sure if she was doing a great job at it.

Finally, she turned her attention to the girl, watching her fiddle with the radio. For a moment, she didn't say anything, letting her arms move back and forth like a pendulum, something she did often when she was bored, or feeling out of her depth. This instance, it was a mixture of both.

She cleared her throat, finally opening her mouth to speak. "Hey, uh… you… y - you cool?" She inwardly winced at her own words, cursing herself. She wasn't really sure what to say, especially to someone in Clementine's position, and it made her feel like banging her head against a wall. It didn't help the fact that Clementine was… well… clearly annoyed with hanging out with her so much. During the ride here, Ellie just tried to find _something _to do with her time, but it seemed that had been too much for the other girl. She didn't blame her though, Clementine had spent so long with just Lee for company, having another girl around probably… was a lot to get used to.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's fingers firmly grasped the two-way radio's circular volume dial, repeating the same idle task of twisting it left and right, over and over again, to pass the time. The girl herself lied on her back atop the store's counter, waiting restlessly for Lee to reach out to them. There was some sort of twisted irony to it, using a walkie-talkie to talk to him all these years later. It felt almost… peaceful, to think back to that long ago... yet for a handful of different reasons, memories of that time were ones the girl preferred to keep repressed.

A pressing thought nagging at the back of her head insisted that she should've gone with Lee, or at least tried harder to convince him not to go. There was no feeling worse than the unwavering regret that grew further with every passing minute of static silence. Clementine could only hope she'd hear from him soon, if at all.

Clem's thoughts and concerns lingered on Joel for a while, who'd finally decided to go with Lee, after being strong-armed into it. _'You can go if you want, but me and Ellie are leaving.'_ _So that's how it is, huh?_ The fact that Joel was willing to just take off and leave them at a moment's notice shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone, yet somehow it did for Clem, and she wasn't taking kindly to it. Did Joel even care…? About Lee, about her? For the past few days, the girl couldn't stop thinking of how bonkers it felt to be in a group again, but maybe it was too short-sighted of her to think they were one in the first place.

Ellie's sluggish footsteps caught her by surprise, briefly pulling Clementine away from her own thoughts. It was sort of nice to have her around, all things considered. Clem might've been pissed at Joel, or worried about Lee, but Ellie was still just… Ellie. Fun, weird, and mildly annoying on occasion… that's always been the appeal of having a_friend _, right?

Clementine lifted herself up into a sitting position, hastily placing the radio behind her in a fruitless attempt to hide the fact that it was _pretty much _the only thing on her mind since _he _left. "Y - Yeah, I'm…" Clementine helplessly tried to articulate, awkwardly shifting her gaze from side to side "...cool." She wasn't, really… Clem didn't feel that way at all. It was tough to concentrate on anything without Lee around, with the thought of him being dead practically smacking her across the face at every opportunity. Clementine thought of saying something else, but not another sound left her lips as the girl stared blankly at the floor.

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Are you sure about that? _Ellie found herself wanting to say, looking between the girl and the ground at quick intervals. Comforting someone wasn't something she was _used_to, or good at, really. She understood how Clementine felt, that was how she felt after Riley told her to fuck off and the girl disappeared for weeks. It was different, granted, but Ellie could relate, in some form or fashion. Still, didn't help her come up with any words to say to the girl. Her mind drew a blank, and the longer she stood there, the more awkward she felt. With most people, this wouldn't be that hard. Hell, with Riley, it wasn't really this hard. But… with Clementine, it came down to not wanting to ruin their already shaky and new friendship by doing or saying something stupid. She didn't know what the girl wanted to hear, if anything at all.

After a moment, she pulled herself into a sitting position on the counter, leaving a little bit of space between her and Clementine. Her feet dangled limply, swaying back and forth, as her eyes scanned the room around her, looking anywhere but at the girl next to her. She wished that she would've spoken up more, to Lee, insisted that they just give up on this stupid plan to get a car, so she wouldn't have to see Clem looking like this. Maybe they'd already be out of town, away from the walkers pushing their way through the deserted place. Right now, even if Lee got the car, if he came back soon, he wouldn't be able to get to them, not until the walkers cleared out a bit. So, in essence, they were trapped for now.

Sighing, she lightly tapped the side of the wooden counter with the back of her heels, glancing slightly towards Clementine. "I would've come back, for you and Lee, if Joel decided to keep going." She really wasn't sure what to say, and that'd been the first coherent thing that had popped into her head. A foolish, meaningless comment, probably nothing the girl wanted to hear. She just wanted her to know that she wouldn't want to move on without them, not after the things they've been through together to get here. "We've been through too much to just… let it go so easily. You know?" _Yes, she knows. She's not stupid._

Ellie mentally cursed herself, wishing that she was better at this sort of thing. Riley had been good at it, hell… she managed to calm her down even during Ellie's worst moments. She knew how to handle it, and Ellie envied her for that. _It'd definitely come in handy right about now._

**Art [Clementine]**

"Oh…" Clementine caught herself uttering, stupefied, in return, a faint smile escaping the girl in spite of… everything. It was a little silly, not because Clem didn't think Ellie meant it - heck, she was probably beyond serious - but they both knew things didn't really work that way. Joel would surely never let that fly. What would she even do? Run away, chase after the two of them all by herself? It was… silly. Clementine couldn't stop smiling at the thought nonetheless, maybe just 'cause of how corny it sounded, like the fairy tales she loved reading so much. Would she do the same for Ellie? Funny as hell, Clementine probably would, as dumb as it was. Just… ditch everything.

It was a fairytale, alright.

"Thanks, Ellie. I'd, uh… I would too," Clem told her assuredly, giving the other girl a playful shoulder nudge. Somehow Ellie always found a way to make her say the mushiest stuff...

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie smiled, nudging the girl back with her own shoulder. Despite the words being somewhat useless, they were still nice to hear. She knew that neither Joel or Lee would let them run off to find the other group, but hopefully it'd never come to that. They've gone this far, and they'll go even farther by the time they get to Tommy's. She was sure of it.

Letting out a content sigh, she slipped her backpack off of her shoulders, setting it next to her on the counter. She rummaged through it for a moment, finally managing to pull out the mostly okay pun book she'd gotten from Riley. What better way to lighten the mood than by throwing a few good puns in the mix, right?

She has a sly smile on her face as she flipped through the pages, landing on a page she'd yet to read, before glancing towards Clementine next to her. "Hey, Clem, you know what? 'Mountains aren't just funny, they're hill areas.'"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine wore a puzzled expression while observing Ellie reach for her backpack, and that same look of confusion persisted long after the other girl read aloud the contents of the book she pulled out of it.

_Hill areas? _Clem questioned inwardly with narrowed eyes, trying to piece together what she meant by all that. Something about mountains…? "I don't - I don't get it…" The girl finally admitted with a head tilt, totally lost.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Right, uh…" Ellie scratched at the back of her neck awkwardly before adjusting the book in her grip. "Mountains are big hills, and the mountains are funny, right? So, they're_hill areas _\- _hilarious _. It's... not actually that funny…" She let out an awkward laugh before glancing back at the book, searching for a better joke. "O - Oh, I've heard this one before. Right, so... 'when William joined the army, he disliked the phrase 'fire at will'.' Heh, get it? Because his name is Will?" She put on a half-smile, glancing towards her friend.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's bemused expression dissolved following Ellie's explanation, replaced instead by one of mild amusement. Though she'd managed to keep a straight face initially, the groan-inducing joke that came next succeeded in breaking through Clementine's armor of sulk. As appalling as it was, the girl was helpless to contain the soft chuckle that followed it. "What _is _that? Let me see!" Clem requested excitedly, evidently impressed by the book's provocative wordplay.

'_No Pun Intended: Volume Too' _, it read. _'These puns __**quack**__me up!'_

She hadn't seen anything like it before. _They make books of those?! That's so neat. _"Where'd you find that?" Clementine asked, leaning in closer to get a good look at it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie grinned as Clementine let out a chuckle, looking over the cover of the book excitedly. It was nice to see her smile, get her mind off of Lee for a little bit, at least.

"Riley gave me it," she explained, a small smile playing on her lips despite the _horrible fucking _memories attached to Riley's name. The pun book was one of the good ones, placed lovingly in her head next to those of the photo booth and the costume store. At least the pun book was something she could carry around with her, and will continue to do so, through thick and thin. "Here, you want to read some?" She shifted the book towards Clementine, extending it out to her.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Okay," the girl quickly and energetically replied, borrowing Ellie's pun book and holding it inches away from her face whilst her eyes scanned the pages in a frenzy. _This is so cool…!_

"So, 'did you hear about the man who was accidentally buried alive?'" Clementine asked coyly, letting the question sink in for larger effect. "It was a… _**grave**_mistake."_Grave… mistake! _The girl repeated in her head, dazzled.

"Uh… here! 'Where should a dog go when it's lost its tail?'" _Wait for it… _"A re _**tail**_store!" She once again added emphasis to the punchline, seemingly enjoying the heck out of herself. Those puns were awful, yet being largely sheltered for most of her life, the girl could hardly tell. For Clem, those were nothing short of the most ingenious jokes she'd ever seen.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie giggled at the jokes Clementine read aloud, holding back fits of laughter so she wouldn't make too much noise. This was nice, just sitting back and enjoying a few good jokes, and getting Clementine's mind off of Lee, and hers off of Joel and the walkers outside. There were too many things to worry about at the moment, and she didn't want to think about _any _of them. She wished they could have more times like this, just laughing at how stupidly genius a joke in a book was. Maybe they'd have more time for that, after the Fireflies. She hoped, anyway.

Finally, she spoke up, managing to get her giggling under control as Clementine continued to scour the book for more funny jokes. "They're so stupid, but that's what makes them great."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine likewise grinned like an idiot, sharing a few good laughs with the other girl. It was the best feeling _ever _... yet in spite of that, Clem's snickering came to an abrupt end not long after, the girl's thoughts seemingly taken over by something too large-scale to ignore… something that was, or rather, had been on her mind for over a week now.

Though she'd done a good job at hiding it, the mention of Ellie's late friend, Riley, formed a massive lump in her throat. Those two must've really been something else, at least that much she could put together without an ounce of uncertainty. All the time, it was 'Riley this' and 'Riley that'... having such an… awesome connection with someone her age was probably what Clementine envied the most about Ellie, the one thing she couldn't ever have back on the farm. A lot of that, most of it, Clem experienced for the first time with the other girl she'd met only a week before. That feeling of intimacy and companionship, that neither her parents or Lee could ever fulfill on their own. The feeling of having a friend.

It all led to the innocent desire of wanting to know _more _about that sentiment... of wanting to know more about Riley. From the bits and pieces she'd managed to squeeze from Ellie, she really did sound special. Games, water soakers and pun books… how great was that? Clementine tried to hold it off for as long as she could, hoping to eventually bump into a good time to ask Ellie more about it. They were laughing like crazy, and they didn't have anything better to do for the next… how many hours it'd take for Lee to come back. It was about the best time she could wish for. _Here goes nothing…_

"Can I… can I ask you something? ...And if you don't want to talk about it, that's… it's fine. I just..." Nervousness, shaking Clem to the core. It was about as touchy of a subject as it got, and about the last thing she wanted was to make Ellie upset over her stupid pryingness. There was no helping it… _Just ask her, dumbass._

"What was she like?" Clementine asked in the most delicate tone she could pull off, and with it, a warm smile in an effort to make the other girl feel a little less tense about it. Clem didn't intend to push her were Ellie to refuse to answer, but it was worth as shot, she figured.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Through the fits of laughter, Ellie had completely forgotten about the pain ebbing from her arm, something that she knew would stick around for _way too fucking long _, but it wasn't nearly as surprising as the words that came out of Clementine's mouth after they've managed to get themselves back under control. It didn't take a genius to figure out who Clementine was talking about, after all, she did just mention Riley, so it was to be expected. To be fair, she'd seen it coming for a while, since Ellie had mentioned her far too many times for Clementine to not get interested in who she was.

For a moment, she opened her mouth to speak, before closing it, and opening it again. This process repeated several times before Ellie finally managed to find her voice, clearing her throat before doing so. "It's… no problem." She wasn't sure if that was true or not, but maybe it was better if she talked about her, at least… try to reconcile those memories of her. All of those thoughts that came with her, things like _why couldn't I have just told her 'no' _and _I should've been more careful _and _I miss her so fucking much_constantly repeating in her head every time the thought of her crossed her mind.

"She was, uh…" _Awesome? Funny? Both a bitch and the sweetest person I've ever met? _"...She was…" _C'mon, it's not that fucking hard! _The words kept getting stuck in her throat, like a physical thing lodged in her esophagus. She hated the feeling, like choking but not _actually _choking, and it only made her feel _worse _. "I - It's hard to explain," she finally said, shaking her head slightly as her eyes fell to her dangling legs. Was it really that hard to explain, though? Probably not, but that didn't make it any easier to formulate the words in her mind, and get them out of her mouth. "She was… funny. Liked to tell jokes, goof off… stuff like that. She was the first real friend I've had, and… it was kinda… awesome." She shrugged her shoulders, realizing then that her explanation wasn't exactly _stellar _, but it was a start. She let out a half-chuckle, memories popping in her head at a rapid-fire rate.

"Before our last day together, we… uh, got into a fight. Basically, she told me to 'fuck off', and she disappeared, for weeks. Didn't know if she was dead or alive, or what. Just… _poof _, gone. She came back to tell me she'd joined the Fireflies, like I told you before. She was supposed to leave for a Firefly outpost or something. I asked her to stay, refuse to leave, and she did. Never had anyone… do that for me, before. She always believed that they were fighting for the right reasons, the Fireflies, so it was… hard to watch her let it all go because of me."

She gulped down the lump forming in her throat, finally managing to get the courage to glance back towards Clementine. "Honestly, you remind me of her a lot. I think you two would've gotten along."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine had never met Riley, yet something about Ellie's story struck a chord with the girl in a way she didn't expect it to. Something about it felt eerily familiar, and it didn't take long for Clem to figure out exactly what part of it made her feel that way. "I… I had a friend too. That left, I mean." Clementine hesitated, for a brief moment, asking herself why it was that she felt so compelled to say that to Ellie. Did she expect it to make the other girl feel better? Not really. Clem _hoped _it would, at least… make that pain a little easier for Ellie to cope with, knowing she went through something similar… but it'd be a lie if the girl were to claim that was the sole reason she brought up Jane after this long. Was it something she felt compelled to do in return, after asking Ellie to talk about something so personal…? Maybe… maybe it was nothing more than the girl's need to get what happened those two years ago out of her chest. It didn't matter, frankly. Clementine just wanted to talk about it with _someone _, and she knew Ellie would be there to listen… for better or worse.

"Lee and I used to be in a group, way back in North Carolina. It was a few years ago, I think…" Clem gradually recalled, memories both fond and traumatic of an autumn she couldn't ever forget. "I only knew her for a few days, but she was… really fucking cool." Clementine laughed faintly at her own choice of words. She could've gone on and on about Jane and how much she admired her, but… that felt like the most genuine way to put it. A little dumb, but genuine nonetheless. "You know, when you meet someone, and you think you guys are gonna be a team, stick together forever? That was her... that was Jane."

"One day, we... lost someone. A girl… only a couple of years older than me, because of something… really stupid." Clem regretted so many things about Sarah, but by far her biggest regret was letting her die in that awful place. It shouldn't have turned out that way… after she lost her dad, it should've been different with her. "She was my friend too." The girl added, in a tone filled with grief. "Jane told me that… that the group wouldn't last. That she didn't want to stay and watch the same thing happen to me. So, one night, she just took off and vanished. I never saw her again." That day, the sunset that followed it, Clementine remembered all of it in vivid detail. The last day before that harsh snow that took them all by storm.

"Things, they… Not long after she left, things got really bad… We didn't know what to do, so we just kept going… we just kept going, and we didn't stop. No matter what." They didn't have another choice. Not with Carver and his soldiers mere hours away from them. They pushed through that snow-covered hell for weeks, without doing so little as sleeping, most of the time. "I'd never felt so hungry and cold in my entire life."

"By the time we made it through winter, it was just me and Lee left. Everyone else…" She never forgot. Whether she refused to, or simply couldn't, Clementine never forgot. Rebecca died from exhaustion, Nick was gunned down, Bonnie and Mike starved to death, Luke drowned trying to cross that goddamned frozen lake… and AJ…

"Sometimes I hate her for it… for leaving. But, other times… I don't know." Sometimes it hurt to admit it, and while Clementine may never be capable of accepting it, Jane was right. They were never gonna make it, and she was probably better off leaving them when she did… sometimes, Clem wished she could've gone with her.

"Sorry for… unloading so much on you. I just felt like you should know. No more secrets, right?" Clementine forced a smile, despite not being able to look at Ellie in the eye, lost in thought after echoing to someone else the thoughts that haunted her incessantly for years...

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie listened to every word Clementine said, digesting the story she was being told. She had a feeling that the girl had gone through some _serious _stuff, much more than Ellie ever had, and this only confirmed it. Watching everyone you've come to know die before your eyes… it was a feeling she knew well, but not nearly as well as Clementine did. She didn't envy her; Clementine was a broken soul, it seemed, who was holding on by a thread. So much death, it must've been hard to keep going after each one. The way she described this 'Jane', the woman clearly meant a lot to her, someone that must have taught her a lot when they were together. She resisted letting out a dry laugh, a thought popping into the back of her mind. Clementine had suggested that she didn't have a lot of friends back when they first met, during that little 'truth or truth' game they played, but the way it was adding up in her head, maybe Clem had had more luck in that department than she did. Actual friends, anyway, not just the ones you survive with, or _know _.

Ellie's smile widened at Clementine's last statement, repeating the phrase back to her. "No more secrets." For a moment, Ellie looked towards her, although her gaze was still focused on something else, away from her. For a moment, she found herself imagining how this Jane might've been. It was clear that she'd been a survivalist type, but what made Clementine so attached to her that she still felt the woman's absence? What kind of person was she when she wasn't just _trying _to survive? Finally, she broke the short silence, asking a question that'd been on her mind. "If you saw her again, what would you tell her?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine let out a long sigh, pondering over Ellie's question with a frown. "I'd tell her…" The girl opened, before going silent again, struggling to come up with an answer. Clem hadn't really thought about it in forever… about the possibility of seeing Jane again. She hoped it would happen, obviously… days, weeks, even _months _after she left… but obviously it never did. Eventually, Clementine just gave up on it, forced to come to terms with the fact that she most likely would never see her again. Clementine rubbed the palm of her hand in an uneasy fashion, the question clearly making her feel uncomfortable. Thinking over it now... After so long, Clem had no idea what she'd even tell Jane, if she ever saw her again.

Did Jane ever think about her, after she left? It was probably… childish, to think that way. Jane herself probably didn't even remember her… "I'd tell Jane I miss her, I guess." Clementine finally responded, a lack of energy apparent in her voice, whilst her eyes aimlessly scanned the pages of the pun book sitting on her lap.

It took a few seconds of unpleasant silence, until Clem drew air from her nose, ready to do away with the bleak mood she herself dragged them both in. "So, you know where pencils spend their vacations?" The girl asked with a smirk directed at Ellie, bracing for what was, in all likelihood, the stupidest thing she ever said. "Pencilvania."

**Dot [Ellie]**

While Clementine thought about what she'd say to Jane if she ever showed up again, Ellie found her own mind drifting towards Riley, and what she'd say to her if she was still alive. What would her life look like right now if she was? She'd probably still be in Boston, having never found out she was immune. Never would've met Joel, or Lee, or Clementine. She'd still be just another girl forced through endless years of military training. It was strange to think about it that way, but… if she hadn't got bit, and Riley didn't die, then her life would be completely different, and probably not for the better.

Nevertheless, that didn't make the pain go away. She missed Riley, more than she cared to admit. Her best friend, maybe something more, who really knew. There were so many ways things could've worked out, and maybe… maybe the one she got wasn't so bad. Being here, with these people, that wasn't so bad. Joel was growing on her, despite his asshole-ish ways. Lee, too, in some ways. Then there was Clementine, who… with time, just _might _surpass Riley, some day, or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Having someone else to call her 'best friend', though, she imagined that's something Riley would want her to find. She'd been the 'mixed bag' influence on her, but always leaned towards the positive end of the spectrum. She'd want her to move on, Ellie knew that for a fact. It was just… hard, to get there.

Clementine made another pun, catching Ellie off guard. Before she could stop herself, she snorted, laughing as the pun registered in her brain. "Holy shit, that's - that's good." She glanced back towards Clementine, forcing herself back into the present. Riley was gone, and maybe she was right, maybe it was time to move on. Time to let the past go. "That's like… _really _good. Was that one in there the whole time?" She examined the page Clementine had the book open to, looking for the joke. How did she miss that one this whole time?

**Ledge [Narrator]**

Suddenly, a seemingly alien-sounding noise filled the air, followed by a tinge of static, however the voice was audible and clear enough on the other end as the handheld radio sprang to life.

"_Hey Clem, can you hear me…?_" The voice spoke, before going silent again, waiting for a response.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem stifled a laugh, watching Ellie succumb to her dumb joke, happy to have aided in lifting the mood at least the tiniest bit. It was just so much fun hanging out with her, through thick and thin. They had a rough road ahead to Joel's brother, and no doubt a hundred more times where they'd fight, bicker and squabble... It wasn't going to be easy, but moments like those always made trying to make that mess of a group work seem worth it. Duck, Sarah, Luke and Jane… she missed all of them. It was so fucking unfair... but for once, Clementine hoped it would be different. Before she could reply to the other girl, a curious sound caught her attention, prompting Clem to stay hushed for a second longer.

Suddenly, every cell in the girl's body came to a halt... a staticy, yet familiar sounding voice reaching her ears all the way from the radio placed directly behind her: it was Lee. Clementine carelessly grabbed hold of the radio, answering it as fast as she could possibly manage. "Y - Yeah! You okay?"

**Ledge [Narrator]**

Within a second Lee responded again, his tone evidently brighter than before. "_Yeah - yeah, I'm fine, don't worry._" This was followed by a brief pause until he spoke again.

"_Well uh- guess what? We checked the place out. Joel's still not convinced, but it looks legit. Herd's beginning to pass by our location though, so we're holing up in a bar near the community._" There was a brief pause, as if Lee was contemplating something.

"_We won't be able to make it back tonight. Are you guys safe?_"

**Art [Clementine]**

_Thank god... I was so worried. _Upon hearing that they weren't coming back tonight, Clementine shot a glance at Ellie in utter disbelief, following it with an arbitrary nod, as Lee was nowhere near to see it. A part of her wanted to tell him to just come back, right now, but she knew that the herd would prevent him from doing that. She kept her any further questions to herself, momentarily, confident they'd have plenty of time for those once Lee was back. "We're holed up in a hardware store. Straight left from where we split up." The girl told him right away, her brows furrowing briefly in concern. "Come back soon, okay?" She added lastly, the ache of having him away taking a progressively larger toll on her the longer she had to wait.

**Ledge [Narrator]**

"_Alright, you guys hold tight… we'll be checking out the place in the morning, and get to you as soon as we can. Gotta go for now._" The voice responded with a tinge of eagerness and rush, before the radio went silent again.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie was thankful that nothing bad happened to them, relieved beyond words that this Paradise place seems to be alright. She didn't know what she would've told Clementine if they didn't hear from him tonight. That's a feeling she didn't want to know herself. She never had her parents to lose, and Joel was tough as nails, it seemed. Nothing would stop him, at least, she didn't think so. With Lee, there was a lot that could go wrong, and she was glad that everything worked out okay.

Nevertheless, they're going to be stuck here for the rest of the night, so she had a feeling they might as well get comfortable. As comfortable as you can get with walkers growling outside, anyway.

Come morning, they'll finally be on their way. Hopefully.


	17. Reunion, I

**Author's Notes:**

Original note from AO3: First of all, I apologize for how feckin' long this took to come out. Art and I have been trying to balance rewriting the Plattsburg arc on top of everything else we're working on, and it eventually got to the point where we just didn't have time to work on the rewrite anymore. Because of that, we decided it was best to just scrap the rest of that arc and move on to the stuff that's already been completed ahead of it (though trust me, you won't be missing much. The Plattsburg arc had some interesting stuff but was mostly filler anyway).

There will be references to what happened with Dwight and Paradise in these two chapters, but otherwise we're moving on with the story. Again, super sorry about how long this took, but updates should be more frequent now that we're getting into probably one of the most solid arcs we've done :)

* * *

_10:47 AM - July 27, 2025 - Mountain pass near Jackson, Wyoming_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Sore. That about summed up how Ellie felt at that moment. Her feet, her entire body - and somehow, her entire mind - it all felt sore. She felt uncomfortably warm in her pink and white jacket, too, which only made things worse. Had it not been raining all morning, she would've stashed the thing in her backpack long ago. Nevertheless, she trudged along the muddy path, alongside the others.

Joel and Lee were ahead of the pack, the tension that'd been in the air since Plattsburg still managing to seep into the ambiance surrounding the group. She tried to question Joel about what happened, but he offered nothing, just a story she hardly believed in. She couldn't help but feel like they were lying to them, about Tom, but didn't push the subject. If the tension between the two was as bad as it felt, then pushing it into the light was the last thing she wanted to do.

It was better this way, she had to repeatedly tell herself.

Clementine walked nearby, lost in thought, as she usually seemed to be. She wore her leather jacket, and her hands were stuffed into her jean pockets. It was hard for Ellie to wrap her head around the fact that she's known Clementine now for about as long as she'd known Riley. Verging on four months. Time had flown by, but at the same time, felt as if it was dragging. Like a movie played in slow motion, then suddenly sped up, and slowed down again. Didn't help that they had to _walk _all the way to Jackson, which only lied over the next mountain, and would _hopefully _come into view as they reached the top of the mountain pass. In a way, she felt as if she knew Clementine better than she knew her old best friend, and in other ways… like she barely knew her at all. There was a lot that Clementine seemed to hold close to her chest, only some she'd managed to get out of her after a conversation or two.

When that failed, there was always the pun book, which usually helped.

Ellie fiddled with the Walkman she'd gotten from Riley. For so long, the thing had been busted, but after insisting on his help, Joel had managed to get the thing working again. She just hadn't had the courage to listen to it again, yet. With their journey nearly complete, and the Fireflies surely around the corner, maybe now was the best time.

She held the device close to her chest, protecting it from the light drizzle of rain, while slipping the headphones into the Walkman's jack, inserting one in her ear. It was playing a song that she wasn't all that familiar with, near the end of the CD Riley had made for her. The soft, acoustic tune was surprisingly calming, and she found herself looking towards Clementine again. She diverted towards the girl, holding out an earphone for her. "Wanna listen?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine tenderly adjusted the tip of her hat, hoping it'd shield her from the soft drops of rain. Her eyelids drooped in severe prostration. Lost in thought… she was, to be sure - had been for the longest time - concerning all kinds of things.

For instance, the fact that Joel and Lee wouldn't talk, hardly _ever did _, since Tom left. At the time, the girl suspected something was amiss, anyone in their right mind would… but Lee stood firm, promised her it was nothing… and Clementine believed him. She felt almost indebted to, even if things didn't feel quite right.

The thought of him genuinely lying to her seemed almost… alien, after so long.

The pathway to Jackson might've been muddy and nubilous, largely uncomfortable, but the cold water running down Clem's shoulders didn't bother her at all, and neither did the sharp wind drifting through the mountain pass. The jacket wasn't so bad, she figured, at least in that regard… though leather hadn't ever really been her thing.

From the corner of her eye, Clem caught a glimpse of Ellie tinkering with her _formerly busted _walkman, a soft smile gradually replacing the frown Clementine sported for the vast majority of that hike. Truthfully, the thought of listening to music again had Clementine unconditionally excited, despite the girl being apt not to express it. As one would expect, chances to listen to an _actual song _were often hard to come by, especially for someone her age. Her mom used to sing to her from time to time, and there _was _the record player back in the Ski Lodge, but that was really about it. It surprised her, at least a bit, when Ellie held out one of the earphones, asking if she wanted to listen too.

"Can I?" Clementine politely asked, before picking up the earphone from Ellie's hand and gently placing it in her own ear, utterly at ease whilst listening to the soft melody unfold.

Things so suddenly felt… cozy, almost as though in that instant the rain had ceased to be, and the mud under the sole of her boots had turned into a dense meadow. Clem didn't feel tired or wistful… nothing, but _relaxed _, for once… and Ellie being there, bumping into her shoulder every few steps along the way, was no small part of what made her feel that way. As the bridge of the song came to a close, and its final chorus began to play, Clem removed the earphone with a genuine smile, moving the strand of hair poking out of her hat away from her eye. "That was… great, seriously. Thanks."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The minute hand ticked away ever so slightly, just falling short of eleven past the hour. Lee rolled down his sleeve back over his old watch, the damned thing had been reliable and had yet to give out on him at least, checking it every now and again reminded him of the old days in the office. It gave him a sense of structure, or at least gave him something to do on long, drawn out walks like this. His boots made an odd squelching sound as they grinded against the mud with each step, the rain earlier had at least felt like it had gotten rid of the humidity in the air temporarily.

These past three months… they hadn't been easy to say the least, of course they had run out of food after the second month. The past four weeks, they had practically been scrounging. Pushed on by the reassurance and hope that this Tommy guy would allow them into Jackson. A former Firefly gone rogue, but more importantly… he was Joel's younger brother, which hopefully would give them an incentive to let them enter.

He would think back to that night where he'd confronted and fought Joel every now and again, fearing it had done irreversible damage between them, and even if it hadn't… things had been awkward to say the least. They talked only when they had to, topics that only regarded their survival and the next location… and that was about it. Things clearly seemed strained between them. It had been even more awkward trying to explain his face to Clementine the next morning, although she was a smart girl… Something told him that both of those girls suspected something, nevertheless Clementine hadn't pressed the topic, which Lee was thankful for.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep lying about it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie smiled as Clementine accepted the other earphone, and the two walked alongside the others to the sound of a man singing softly over an acoustic chord. She held the Walkman between them, allowing for Clementine to have some slack for the headphones, although the two of them still had to walk closely together, sometimes bumping shoulders. The two teenagers simply lost themselves in the music, putting one foot in front of the other. The path they were following was slowly ascending in a sharper and sharper incline, leading to Ellie's breathing to quicken ever so slightly. It wasn't that she was out of shape, but after spending so long on the road… she was ready to fall onto the nearest bed she could find, even if it was in absolutely horrible condition. Hell, she wouldn't mind just… laying back on the bed, and listening to the Walkman with Clementine. After everything they've been through to get here, doing something so inane would be a godsend.

As the song ended, and Clementine gave her back the other earphone, she found herself slightly disappointed, wishing that the moment would've lasted longer. Nevertheless, she smiled back at the girl, before turning the device off and stashing it inside her backpack.

"Any time you want to listen, just ask," she told the girl, her tone shifting to something happier than it'd been in a _long _time. "Who knows," she continued. "Maybe someday, we'll find more albums." _Man, I wish I'd taken some of those albums from that music store in Bill's town. Didn't think I'd __**actually**__get this thing fixed. _"What's the chances the Fireflies have a music collection?" She inwardly laughed at her comment, silently hoping it to be true, even though she knew it was unlikely.

Music had always intrigued her. It was something that was mostly lost to the old world, like digging up old artifacts from an ancient civilization. Most survivors who were talented musicians were already dead, or turned into something _worse _. Maybe someday, after the Fireflies got the cure from her, that all could change. They just had to get there first.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine let out a quiet scoff, mocking the implication that they'd ever be so lucky. "About the same chances they'll have another dart board," the girl answered half-jokingly, eyes glued to the murky ground. Well, it wasn't… _impossible _, right? Hoping for darts and music… warm beds and a hot shower. Maybe a healthy dose of optimism couldn't hurt every once in a while, as long as it helped them beat that painfully taxing climb.

It was then, when reaching the near end of that mountain pass, that Clementine's eyes were as wide as they could stretch. Underneath them stood a worn out, shabby-looking gate, hiding behind it a massive hydroelectric plant… and with it, a _gorgeous _dam, crystal clear water enveloping it and spreading out for what felt like miles. It was… **had** to be Tommy's place. "I - I see it!" Clementine pointed out hysterically, the girl's heart practically bursting out of her chest in wild excitement. Weeks of driving, _months_of walking… an excessively lengthy period of her life spent sleeping on the floor, just for that moment… their first step towards finding the Fireflies. Clem glanced at Lee, unable to hold back the wide grin on her face while she waited for his, and the others' reactions.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's eyes focused on the gate that had appeared in front of them, partly out of excitement, and partly out of caution. She wasn't sure what to think. Joel mentioned that Tommy was set up in Jackson, which was still a fair distance away on foot, and this place stood between them. She stopped next to Joel, trying to get a glimpse over the walls to see what lied on the other side. The sound of rushing water filled the air, and Ellie found herself glancing towards Joel next to her. "Whoa… what's this place?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel held onto the straps of his backpack with both hands, tugging ever so slightly on them. A new backpack, some new jeans, and a new shirt accompanied him now, red flannel accentuated by a black shirt underneath. It had been a while with this group, and Joel had lost track of time. A few months, maybe? It didn't feel like that long. He felt like he had only been near them for such a short time… but he supposed he was starting to warm up to the girl. Ellie. She was a likeable kid, he supposed. Her jokes, her curiosity, her music… it all had a vague aura of nostalgia, didn't it?

Maybe.

Then there was Clementine. He felt a little closer to her as well, if only by virtue of spending however long the group had with each other. But he liked her… she and Ellie got along enough.

He heard Ellie speak, and he looked towards her, then back down to the facility. He pointed a finger out towards it, sniffling. "That there is a hydroelectric power plant. It, uh… uses the river's movement and turns it into electricity."

**Dot [Ellie]**

More questions burned within Ellie as Joel explained what the place was, but she decided to not ask them. With Clem and Lee around, she was starting to feel embarrassed that she didn't know what it was. She was probably the only one.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Ellie's face still seemed all too eager for knowledge on the power plant, as far as Joel could tell, but still she slowed herself down and refrained from continuing. He resented it for a minor moment; he longed for another normal conversation that wasn't about what food they were going to get or when they were going to be at Tommy's.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The sprawling vista stretched out for what seemed like miles, from the mountain top they could finally catch a glimpse of what they were striving to find for all of this time. From this distance it was hard to make anything out aside from the large structures.

"Holy..." his eyes lit up, accompanied with a pleased and surprised tone, glancing towards Clementine and returning her smile with one of his own before spotting out what seemed to be the gate of the dam. "Guess we should head there." He pointed out the old looking gate, it was too far to see if there was anyone manned there, but if it was like any other community, surely there would be someone watching.

**Art [Clementine]**

Upon arriving, the very first thing to catch the girl's attention were the signs indicating it was - or used to be - a FE.D.R.A. Military Zone. Those guys, Clem didn't know much about. Not a ton more than what she'd often hear the adults argue over a few years ago. It didn't look very welcoming, and the barbed wire didn't help. She trusted Joel, of course, but… it didn't make her feel any less uneasy about heading inside. "What now…?" Clem asked, folding her arms. _Too late to be scared._

**Dot [Andrea]**

It didn't take long for Andrea to find out about a group of survivors stumbling into the area. At least four of them, according to her scouts. As they approached the dam, she gave the order to lay low, keep quiet, and hope they pass by. That didn't seem to be the case, as they had come all the way to their front door. The damned power plant was giving them trouble again, and that forced her and Tommy to return to oversee the repairs, only for _this _to happen.

By the time one of the survivors outside tried opening the door, everyone on site were already in position, weapons at the ready. Andrea was the first one to show herself over the top of the large wall surrounding the dam, her rifle aimed directly at the group below, and Tommy followed suit on the other side of the gate.

"Drop your weapons, all of you!" She shouted, scanning her weapon's barrel towards each survivor. Two appeared to be young, which put her off a little, but she kept her weapon raised. There was no telling what kind of group this was, so she just had to maintain protocol, and hope for the best.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee placed his hands on his hips as they had finally trudged down the mountain and reached the front gate, expecting to be greeted by someone. It looked well…. abandoned…? There were old FEDRA signs plonked up on the gate, probably tried to take advantage of the power plant in the early days but failed. The absence, along with how dead this place looked, had Lee scratching his head. Perhaps his brother wasn't here after all.

"I guess we shou-" Before he could even finish, a voice yelled at them from above, causing Lee to go into a slight panic as he took a step back and immediately withdrew his shotgun. He pointed it upwards towards where the voice was coming from, beginning to spout out orders like they were the government… or bandits.

Nevertheless Lee didn't budge, holding his ground as he held his weapon upwards… beginning to realize this situation was getting worse when he saw _one… two… three… four… five… six… seven... _more people at least pop up next to her. They were well armed, assault rifles all bearing down on the four of them below. It didn't take a genius to figure out that his shotgun wouldn't be doing much against them. But before surrendering and putting Clementine and everyone else in a potential situation they couldn't get out of… he needed Joel's word that it was safe to do so, otherwise he wasn't going to be dropping goddamn anything on a whim anytime soon.

"Hey now, just take it easy alright…? We're not here to start anything." He spoke cautiously whilst still aiming the gun upwards, hoping to god he was dealing with people Joel knew instead of bandits.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea narrowed her eyes towards the man with the shotgun, clutching her rifle tighter. He didn't seem to be a bad guy, at least… not the kind she normally ran into. Even the Governor had a level of crazy to him, and she'd only seen him _once _before he tore down the gates of the prison with a fucking tank. This guy, he didn't have that spark in his eye, but a determination to protect the others in his group, something she'd seen a lot in Rick's eyes.

That still didn't make her lower her weapon.

"Well, you're at _our _gates, so play by our rules, alright?" She continued, her tone less harsh, but remained slightly steely. She needed them to know that she meant business. "We're not going to shoot you, unless you make us. So, what's your business here?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

They had approached the gates with little caution, something that Joel thought of as a... perhaps, a mistake. Of course it was a mistake. They should have been prepared for what was to come next, of course they should have been ready. Had they learned nothing from Pittsburgh? Yet still they moved too hastily, all too sloppy... and it bit them right back.

Joel's hands rose with his rifle in hand, the sight lining up over some man with a similar weapon in his hand. _Shit. _This wasn't how things were supposed to go. This wasn't how they were supposed to go at all. But who couldn't guess that a surprise group of bandits would descend upon them before they could reach Tommy's place? A bit of a crazy thought; but one they should have been prepared for.

Joel looked up at the woman, who seemed to be leading the crew. "We're looking for my brother." He said, rifle still drawn.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Well, it was gonna happen eventually.

Tommy was going through all of the junk that had accumulated in his desk when a sentry from the gate appeared, talking of a group that had tried to enter through the gate. Just when he'd finally convinced himself to organize his personal disaster, shit had to hit the fan. He took his time emerging from the complex, admiring the peaceful summer weather that made the winters so worth it; Andrea would have it under control anyways. He only had to be there for introductions with the group, anyways - _she _was on gate duty today, not him.

From across the courtyard, he was surprised to see a crowd of guards at the gate, and Andrea pointing her rifle down at someone. _Please don't make us shoot you, strangers… _Things already weren't looking great, but the guard had said they approached _them _, so it had to be dealt with. For both protection and a bit of comfort, he clutched his old revolver as he climbed up onto the wall. One of them - southern and old, by the sound of it - was stating his purpose: Find his brother. _So _helpful.

Gun still in his hand, he stepped up beside Andrea to answer the man. "How would we be able to-"

His eyes fell on the speaker, rifle drawn, eyes staring up in grim determination. It couldn't be, yet it still was. _Joel. _Tommy couldn't form words, his tongue caught by both sudden relief and fear. When the moment had stretched on long enough, he turned to his men.

"Stand down! Guns down, all of you. I know him." He placed one reassuring hand on Andrea's shoulder before starting back down the wall.

Wasting no time, he cut through the rabble and threw open the gate for Joel and his… Friends? Crew? He didn't know yet. All he could do was rush forward and throw his arms around his only family. "I thought you were dead…"

**Dot [Ellie]**

The situation had gone from bad to worse. Despite how lifeless this place had seemed, just as they made it to the gates of the dam, it turned out that it wasn't so dead after all. She expected to find Tommy's group in Jackson, still a fair walk away, not… here, and at first, she found herself raising her gun to meet the woman's, only letting it fall as Lee spoke with the woman, dropping it.

Once one of the men inside told them to stand down and came out to meet Joel, she knew it had to be Tommy. The man approached Joel and pulled him into a hug, a small smile crossing Ellie's face.

They found him. They actually found him. _Holy shit! _They were one step closer to finding the Fireflies, but that hardly mattered at that moment. For now, Joel was reunited with his brother, and the possibility of getting some food was too enticing to pass up. She flashed a victorious smile in Clementine's direction, just… relieved to see that their journey had finally come to a close, for now. And, as Joel and Tommy hugged, the rest of the men inside the gates stood down, and the woman joined them outside.

She kept quiet, letting Joel do the talking on this one. After all, it was his brother.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

It was unexpected, what happened next, at least. Joel's jaw began to quiver, his hair standing on end. His mouth opened, surprise lighting up his face with joy. He lowered his rifle fast, and his lips curved into an agape smile. Joel returned the embrace to his brother, after speaking one word.

"Tommy."

He closed his eyes, content. It had been a long while; even though Joel had thought his brother hated him. He remembered the last words between the two, heated and fiery even in his memory. _"I never wanna see your goddamn face again."_

"How you doin' baby brother?" Joel asked, still hugging Tommy.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Tommy pulled back so he could look his brother in the eye, just to be sure he was real. _Joel is really here. He really found me all the way out here. _There was a nagging question in the back of his mind, demanding to know why his brother had come all this way to find him, but he couldn't just go asking away. Last time he'd seen Joel, he'd meant what he'd said, but… time makes scars fade, or something like that. "From the looks of it, I've gotten better with age, while _you've _just gotten scruffy." He looked absentmindedly to the people standing behind Joel, he waved them through the gate. "Y'all must be tired, and there's nowhere to rest out here. Come in."

Walking beside Joel as they all reentered the compound, he could hardly contain his excitement. "So what brings you and your people all the way up here?" Part of Tommy hoped that Joel would stay at Jackson with him, but he knew that wasn't the reason they were here. He just hoped for… a change, of some kind. Some new light that hadn't been in his brother before. He wouldn't tolerate the brutish nature Joel had back then, and he would tolerate it even less if Joel hadn't gotten better now.

**Art [Clementine]**

Everything had worked out _pretty great _, or so it looked. Joel got to see his brother again, and they were being welcomed inside the hulking walls of the power plant with open arms. It was odd, then, that unlike the others, Clementine seemed so… downbeat. In fact, the girl looked almost nervous, feeling unfit to return Ellie's smile… hesitating to do so little as step forward, and not following through with it until taking a long, deep breath. What had her feeling that way wasn't something Clem was very open about, even to Lee, who had probably already guessed by then what had her so on edge.

Clementine hoped they'd find her parents there, in Jackson.

It wasn't a recent thought either, not even close. Ever since Joel first mentioned they were headed to a community his brother, a former Firefly, lived in, the girl's head gleamed with possibilities. It was a long-shot, obviously… Clementine had ditched that kind of rosy expectation years ago, but… there was always a chance, no matter how small, that they'd _actually _be there, whenever her and Lee found themselves someplace new. That she'd finally see them again after so long. _Please, be here… Please. _The very first thing Clem intended to do, as soon as they were all well settled, was ask around for any Eds and Dianas. For now, however, the girl would keep to herself, and find a way to endure waiting until Joel was done sorting things out with that Tommy guy.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

All residing tensions had subsided in a flash as soon as Tommy had walked out and reunited with Joel. Lee lowered his gun, a soft smile on his face as he slung the shotgun back over his shoulder. He could feel that there was still residual trust there between the brothers, seemings as Tommy had allowed all of them to enter the power plant along with Joel. Lee felt lucky to even be here with Clementine as he strolled through the front gates in pure awe. This had to be the first genuine community he had come across since his days in the FEDRA zones. Seeing this many people at once wasn't alien to him, but still slightly uncomfortable after all this time.

As Tommy led them inside, Lee stayed silent as the two of them caught up, drifting to the back of the small crowd and sticking by Clementine's side. The first thing he noticed was several workers in hardhats strolling around the place. It was almost like what you would see at construction sites in the old days. He also spotted more people tending to a few horses that were saddled up in the corner. It was impressive… much more so when he compared it to the likes of what they had accomplished at the Travelier Motel. This place was on a whole other level to that, and this didn't even seem like their main base of operations; it was only the tip of the iceberg they were seeing here.

He glanced over to Clem, who was walking beside him and looked more out of place and uncomfortable than even he did. At first, he hadn't caught on and was about to open his mouth to ask her what she thought of the place, but her overall demeanour said it all to him. She wasn't going to stop, not anytime soon, maybe if he had told her when they had first met she'd be happier about being here, maybe she already would have accepted it. Was he sparing her from the pain…? Or just making it more excruciating? He didn't know, but he _did _know that he wasn't sure if he would be able to bear her reaction to the truth after this long. And so he kept silent, averting his gaze to his shoes as they walked along.

**Dot [Andrea]**

The tension in the air died the instant Tommy had told them to stand down, meeting with one of the men outside the walls. It was his brother, Joel. The one she'd heard so much about. By the time her feet were on the ground, they were already making their way inside. There was four of them. Two kids, Joel and another adult. She had questions about these people, who they were to Joel, but she chose not to ask them right now. Right now, introductions were needed.

She remembered everything Tommy had told her about Joel, right down to the smallest details. At the time, she mentally compared him to the other psychopaths she's met, the horrors that Tommy shared with her being far too great for someone that was just trying to survive. A loose cannon, but worse than that, no moral compass to guide him. She didn't really see that here, and the group he was traveling with was evidence of that. Maybe he'd changed. So did the Governor, once, or _claimed _to. She'd still keep an eye on him. Trust was earned, not given on a silver platter.

She approached the group in quick steps, holding her rifle with one hand. She'd give them a chance, at least. As she approached, she sent Tommy a wry smile. "You gonna introduce me to your brother, Tommy?"

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Getting reaquantanced with his brother had been a shock, but the cheerful sound of the _other one's _voice brought Tommy back to everything else. "Joel, this is Andrea." He waved to the approaching woman. "We co-lead this place together and she's _arguably _my only friend. All of this-" He gestured to the movement of people doing their jobs on and inside the walls around them. "-is our own work."

"As for you," He turned to Andrea. "This is Joel, the… only family I have, although I didn't know that." Andrea knew all about Joel - down to the grittiest detail of what they'd done. She wouldn't pretend that him being here was necessarily safe, and Tommy wouldn't either. Whatever happened, they had to be ready for it.

He had counted four people. If they'd been traveling for as long as he thought, they'd want to rest. They'd have to find some comfortable beds for all the newcomers, if they planned on staying long. "You came all this way to find me," he said to Joel, "How long do you think you'll stay?" _For a long time, if I had my way._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

They followed into the plant, elbows swinging at his sides with his rifle. Alongside Tommy, he walked, eager to continue the discussion. Upon the age comment, Joel smiled. "Careful - it's gonna happen to you too." The plant was modest enough; though Joel felt a sense of happiness with it. He was proud for Tommy. His baby brother had done some pretty good work, as it became obvious he was trying to get the plant up and running.

He focused himself on answering Tommy's questions. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later." They continued on, until Tommy introduced him to the woman who had been at the gates. Joel nodded to her. "Ma'am. Thanks for not blowing my head off." He looked back to Tommy suddenly, ears perking up at his question. How long did he plan to stay? "We'll see how long. Me and my group probably just need some rest for now."

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

"_Andrea._" The small handheld radio buckled to the side of her belt suddenly whirled to life. A young man's voice could be heard coming through the device. " _We're in the control room, almost done with getting those turbines back online. _" He spoke cheerfully as he delivered the good news, this time they were sure they were going to have it working soon. "_One of you wanna come check it out?_"

**Dot [Andrea]**

_Yeah, that would've been awkward, considering I run this place with your brother. _She simply smiled in Joel's direction before continuing in a light tone. "It must've been a long journey." Her eyes fell to one of the girls with reddish hair. "You hungry?"

The girl's eyes seemed to light up, before replying, "Oh, man. I'm starving."

The radio crackled to life before Andrea could answer, leading to the woman to roll her eyes and unclip it from her belt. She glanced towards Tommy, a knowing look crossing her face. "I'd rather eat with the others… Besides, it's your turn, right?" She let the sly smile settle on her face, hoping that Tommy would be the gentleman and handle it. Besides, she wanted to get to know the survivors in Joel's charge, and how they'd all met.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

The new group filed into the compound, Tommy's men locking the gate behind them, and most of the guards resumed staring aimlessly past the wall. Of course, introductions were short-lived because _the grind never ends, _but it was certainly good news to hear that the turbines worked - now living where it freezes over half the year didn't seem so bad. He'd do just about anything to escape standing in one place and doing nothing, so he just shrugged when the radio called one of them (him) to the control room. "I ate a good breakfast anyways. You're friendlier, so you should give them the tour." The new crowd certainly seemed excited about the proposition for food.

"Besides," he patted Joel's shoulder. "It'll be nice to talk without an audience." Tommy had a feeling that there were a few things that they should discuss, now that he was back. The gun in his waistband felt like it had gained a pound - Joel had given it to him to use before the _argument, _and he'd never given it back. There were conflictions regarding his older brother, and he hoped that they'd be able to work through them. Losing his brother _again _might hurt even more. Or, he would be indifferent, and Tommy_really _hoped it wouldn't come to that. Maybe the new _turbines _would help him get them to stay. Excited at the prospect, he turned to Joel, "Are you ready to see something awesome?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel followed Tommy with little haste, taking his sweet time as they lumbered along. It was strange, seeing his brother again. Bittersweet, even, knowing he'd have to leave before long. He didn't necessarily want to... but that was the only way. He couldn't stay around all of these memories. He could head back for Boston, maybe, after this. But this dam... it wasn't for him. But he could stick around for a little bit, at least.

Joel smiled. "Awesome, huh? We'll see about that." He was certainly excited to be seeing his brother again... but what could he really do for him here other than mope around?

**Dot [Andrea]**

"I don't think I actually caught all of your names." As Joel and Tommy disappeared into the plant, Andrea spoke up in a cheery voice, something that felt almost alien to her now, but felt good, in a way. It had been a long time since they've had newcomers, she almost forgot how it felt.

"Ellie," the girl with the reddish hair added, sending Andrea a brief wave of her hand.

"I thought your name was 'starving'?" She shot back through a half-smirk, which the girl replied to with a 'har har' and a roll of the eyes. _Ah, teenagers. I remember those days._ "Well, we can do introductions as we walk. Food awaits." She flashed them another smile before guiding them into the complex. She wasn't used to having so many newcomers at once, but maybe that meant things were looking up. Their community was already twenty families strong, and adding these folks to it would only mean they'd be safer. _That's if they stay, anyway._ She brushed the thought aside. It wasn't worth focusing on, not right now. Joel had been seeking out his brother, so obviously they were going to stay, at least for a little while.


	18. Reunion, II

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After Tommy and Joel had walked off together, all that remained was himself, Clementine, and Ellie as the woman led them throughout the compound.

Lee upped the pace as he walked, until he was by the woman's side as she proposed introductions. "Name's Lee," he spoke with a smile, introducing himself like this was a rare occasion. It still felt so odd. Glancing to his side, he waited for Clementine to introduce herself, but she was quiet for obvious reasons… Lee ended up speaking before the silence drifted on for too long before it got awkward. "And this here's Clementine."

"Think I caught your name was Andrea, right?" He directed his attention back to the woman, he wasn't quite sure if she was the one fully in charge, or Tommy. Although her word seemed to be valued by the people here.

Lee tilted his head upwards, observing the people going about their daily routine and the several buildings. _Must feel nice not having to worry about walkers or clickers…_Trying to push away this 'fish out of water' feeling in his gut, he decided to see if he could get some information about the place without seeming too pushy.

"I gotta say, this really is an impressive set up you guys have over here."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie followed shortly behind Lee, Clementine, and Andrea as they were led into the concrete building. She had a feeling Clem was probably out of her depth in a situation like this, just as she felt. After spending so long on the road, with only the company of three other survivors, seeing such a huge community again was something that left her feeling small. Nevertheless, she kept quiet as Lee and Andrea conversed.

"It took a while," Andrea stated, shrugging her shoulders as her gaze fell onto Lee beside her. "After the last place I stayed at fell apart, I was on my own. Ended up running into Tommy, and we made our way here. It's isolated, and the dam provides more than enough power to keep us going, when they're actually working. They break down every couple of months. We've got a few engineers in our group, but no one that's trained for _these _machines. We're doing the best we can with what we've got."

_It's still impressive. _Ellie thought, finding herself admiring the place as they made their way into the cafeteria. Several men in worker uniforms were conversing in the far corner of the room, stopping only to wave towards Andrea, who waved back.

"It's a work-in-progress, but it's getting there," the woman continued, grabbing a tray of food from a man in the kitchen, before handing each of them their own tray. Finally, she returned her gaze to Lee. "What about you? Where did you all come from? I know Joel was living in Boston, but I'm assuming most of you met on the road?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

They were actually doing it, making a go of it. Doing it better than Paradise; hell, he could even argue they were doing it better than the Government was at the moment. People here seemed to be genuinely happy as opposed to living in fear of getting executed, which is what you'd find in your typical FEDRA zone. Lee had avoided communities for this specific reason, opting to stick to small groups and eventually just himself and Clementine. Although it wasn't the healthiest way to live socially… it _was _the safest. However, seeing how these people were thriving, maybe he was wrong, maybe this place could be _it _. Without haste, he accepted the tray from Andrea as he continued to talk, although looking forward to the meal that was to come… this sure as hell beat poorly-cooked deer.

"We all met back in Pittsburgh, place was a goddamn nightmare." His tone lowered as he recalled the absolute hellhole that place had turned out to be, littered with bandits and fungus-infected monstrosities. "We were trying to make our way through the city, that's where we met Joel and Ellie." Lee explained, opting to leave out the more embarrassing parts of the story whilst also keeping everything on a 'need to know' due to Ellie's condition. "Long story short, we helped each other get out of there, and Joel told us about this place… so here we are."

**Art [Clementine]**

"It… wasn't as _easy _as it sounds." Clementine added, laughing inwardly at her own comment, despite her apparent gloominess. To tell the truth, those past three months had been some of the craziest in her entire life… not _always _in a bad way, though. It felt like a drastic change of pace after spending so long on her own with Lee, just barely making by on most days. At least the latter hadn't changed, although that wasn't much of a cause for celebration.

The girl stared blankly at her tray of food for a short while after making her remark, almost as if trying to process what stood right in front of her. Before long, Clem was already mercilessly digging into the meal Andrea handed her way, the girl's palate nearly distraught by the taste of something that _hadn't _come from a can, for once. The thought lingered, of what Lee must've thought of the place 'til then. He'd always been opposed to large communities, _especially _after Carver… Clementine felt unconvinced that Lee would want to spend more than a day or two in that place, even _with _Joel's brother in charge… but it was a fun hypothetical, actually staying at the dam, made even more enticing after so long on the road. Still, she knew the risks, and would stick with Lee no matter what his judgement might be… that's how it always had been, for better or worse.

Wiping the corner of her mouth with the sleeve of her jacket, Clem faced Andrea again, a less uninviting look in her eyes now that her stomach was full, though her tone remained rather mellow. "Thanks for the food." There was a tinge of turmoil in her voice, as she wasn't very sure of how to respond to that sea of hospitality. Wasn't often people just handed out food so nonchalantly. It was kind of… really impressive.

"You must've been here for a while, right?" Clementine asked Andrea with a hint of curiosity, seeing as the woman looked to be some sort of top dog around there. That aside, the more they knew about the place they were staying at, the better.

**Dot [Andrea]**

The meal wasn't exactly the most stellar thing ever. It was mostly vegetables from their farms in Jackson, but at least it was _something _. The others didn't seem to mind, though, but she attributed that to the fact they've been on the road for God knows how long.

Andrea's gaze fell upon Clementine as she spoke, answering her question after she swallowed a bite of green beans. "We first set up shop here around three years ago. Back then, it was just Tommy and me. Others came as time passed, looking to get away from the Fireflies, and found themselves here. The added manpower made it easier to get this place back up and running, and put up walls around our main base. We drove the infected out, and established Jackson as a safe zone." She shrugged as she helped herself to a helping of beans on her plate. "The place has its perks, at least. The last place I stayed at was just a neighborhood with a wall around it, powered by solar panels. It was great while it lasted, but it's _nothing _compared to Jackson. You'll get to see what I mean when we head back there. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

**Art [Clementine]**

_...Get away from the Fireflies? _That single statement brought about a nervous look from the girl, one that she sought to promptly shake off before Andrea was able to notice it. _Why would… people want to get away from them…? _Clementine remained silent, largely out of politeness, but not without some extent of reservation. That'd _probably _be an awful time to bring up the fact that Joel and them were actively _looking _for the Fireflies, right…?

Nevertheless, the woman's story was more than enough to confirm Clem's very warranted suspicion. Andrea wasn't just anybody... No, far from it. The idea that her and Joel's brother managed to do as much as they did in only three years was almost overwhelming. Even so, Clementine hadn't asked that purely out of curiosity, though she wished that she had.

There was a hint of self-consciousness springing from the fact that Lee and Ellie were listening… but knowing for sure that Andrea was the person to query, Clem just felt unfit to wait any longer.

"Have you ever seen a… couple, turn up here, at some point?" Clementine hesitantly asked, rubbing the palm of her hand absentmindedly, trying to soften the abrupt change of subject. "They're married, used to be a doctor and an engineer. They'd both be about forty-two by now, I think." She didn't really want Andrea to catch on to the fact that she was talking about her parents, not at all looking for more people to feel sorry for her… but given the situation, there was no helping it.

"Also, they'd… probably be looking for a kid."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's eyes instantly found Clementine as she began to ask questions to Andrea, gulping down the green beans she'd been chewing on. She knew where she was going with this. Hell, she'd feel like a shitty fucking friend if she didn't. Clementine was still looking for her parents. She had always been looking for her parents, ever since the very beginning. A twinge of emotion filled the pit of her stomach, something she couldn't quite understand, and that feeling only deepened based on the look Andrea had adopted.

The woman frowned, picking at the beans on her plate for a moment, as if mulling over the question Clementine had given her. After a couple seconds, she finally spoke, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "I haven't seen anyone like that, no. We've got no real doctors on site, just trained medics. No one looking for a kid. Sorry." Her eyes flickered, as if realization dawned on her, and she set down her fork. "Are they your parents? If… you don't mind me asking?"

_Of course they're her parents. _She couldn't help the thought from crossing her mind. Nothing about Clementine's question hinted at it being anything other than that, and hearing what Andrea had to say back… she couldn't help the fact that she reached out to grab a hold of Clementine's left shoulder, squeezing slightly. It was just a gesture to show her that she was there, backing her up, just like she always will. It wasn't easy hearing your parents weren't in a place you were hoping for them to be, and she was hoping she could alleviate that feeling as much as she could, although she knew it wouldn't be by much.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The fork twiddled around in Lee's fingers, more so playing with his food than actually eating it. Even though his head was down and looking at the plate, he was listening carefully to the conversation going on next to him as Clem enquired about her parents, only to, of course, be told the answer he was expecting to hear. What followed was a question from Andrea that was a little too intrusive for his taste. He could see Clem was clearly upset as she shifted awkwardly at the thought of having to answer something like that, he decided to spare her the trauma as he lifted his head up to face Andrea after a brief, awkward moment of silence due to Clem not speaking. He knew it was time to butt in.

"So you mentioned people came here looking to get away from the Fireflies. How come?" He asked curiously as he swiftly changed the subject, making it clear it probably wasn't a good idea to push on the prior subject of her parents. "Just seems a little odd to hear since we've heard nothing but decent things about them."

**Art [Clementine]**

A quiet sigh of defeat was all that left Clementine's trembling lips, though amidst those feelings of heartache, _surprise _was hardly one of them. She'd tell herself that she should've seen it coming… that expecting to find them all the time - everywhere they went - was shortsighted, and just plain stupid. And yet Clem would still push on relentlessly with the notion that they were still out there, even against her own better judgement. Was it denial? Clementine wasn't an idiot… chances were that they were gone forever, even if she chose not to believe it. Maybe it was that awareness, subconscious or not, that made it so crushing to hear time and time again that they weren't there.

The touch of a friend, one of the few Clem actually had, helped more so than she could've imagined. Mom and Dad might've not been there, but Ellie was... and so was Lee. Things were only gonna get tougher from then on, but with them around every step of the way… Clem didn't feel so afraid anymore.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea's attention was diverted to Lee, who quickly changed the topic from the girl's parents. It was reaching, she knew that, but she honestly felt bad for the girl. How long ago did she lose _her _parents? Felt like ages ago. Yet… watching Amy get gunned down by the Fireflies felt as if it only happened yesterday, a wound that had yet to heal, and probably never will. She couldn't help the fact her mouth twisted into a frown at Lee's question.

'_Just seems a little odd to hear since we've heard nothing but decent things about them.'_

"Then you've been listening to the wrong people." She didn't mean to sound abrupt or angry, but that's how it came out. The Fireflies had always been a sore topic for her, but she'd learned to live with it. Everyone knew that the terrorist group wasn't _good _, and over half the population that joined Jackson had fled from them for that very reason. "I've seen first-hand what they're capable of. The violence, the acts of terrorism. Trust me, they act like they care about what the people want, but their actions tell another story. Half the quarantine zones fell apart _because _of the Fireflies, including my own." She looked between each person sitting at the table, suddenly going quiet. Thinking about those days again, about what the Fireflies did to her sister, they left her breath hitching in her throat. "The people here gave up that life, chose to leave in search of a new one. Sure, there may be some good people with the Fireflies, but every group has their good people and their bad ones. Same could be said about FEDRA."

She grew silent again, realizing then that she'd probably made things awkward. If these people had a belief in the Fireflies, she was ruining it, but they had to hear the truth. Everyone had to.

"They've killed more people than they've saved. That's what I'm trying to say."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

How fast she snapped back and her tone was enough to almost make Lee wince in regret for even bringing it up, yet he withheld. It wasn't like he hadn't seen the Fireflies in action either. In fact, he still recalled the day when the FEDRA forces were leading him to be executed by firing squad. The only reason he was standing here now was because the Fireflies had the bright idea to attack the zone right as it was about to happen. The flurry of bullets, the explosions… he remembered it in vivid detail, their act of violence was the reason why he escaped from the government's clutches… right before he had found Clem.

Andrea seemed bitter in the way she spoke about them, and something told Lee it was more personal than an actual representation of what the Fireflies actually were. Sure, they were probably less refined than the government and had their fair share of questionable people … but they were actually trying to find a cure, trying to change this world from what it had become, which was more than he could say for _any _other group so far. Ellie… she was important, Joel's role in getting her to their main base even more so. Without groups like the Fireflies around, what hope would they have?

Maybe it was the inner lecturer in him that cried out for him to make a rebuttal but similarly to how Joel badmouthed the Fireflies on that rooftop when they had first met, Lee just simply didn't share the same views… in fact, he was starting to get slightly irritated. The FEDRA zone may have been safer, but at what cost…? Kids being trained to become soldiers to command, the food supply being sanctioned off and stored away for the high rollers on the pyramid scheme while the rest squandered, starved and suffered for scraps and ration cards…? It was corrupt and twisted. Lee just couldn't let go of some of the memories he had there, what he had seen those so-called soldiers do to civilians in the streets… do to Clementine's parents.

"I'll take your word for it, then." He nodded slightly as he tried to not come off as defensive or monotone, before averting his gaze to his plate, stuffing a spoonful of food in his mouth before he was tempted to make another comment.

After a brief interlude in their conversation, he decided to bring up another topic. One that had been on his mind, after what they dealt with in Plattsburg. "So… do you guys have to worry about the Saviors out here?"

**Dot [Andrea]**

The question Lee asked caught Andrea off guard. The group she hadn't heard about in so long, and so dreadfully hoped got wiped out by FEDRA a long time ago: the Saviors. Her fingers tightened around her fork, but she quickly relaxed her muscles.

What happened wasn't their fault, it was the Saviors', so taking out her frustration on the newcomers wasn't exactly... something she wanted to do. Instead, she quickly finished what was left on her plate, trying to gather her thoughts as best she could before she spoke.

So, finally, when she did, the words sounded flat, emotionless. "No. Haven't seen a Savior since before we found this place. Thank God."

All the memories of the past several years came flooding back to her in droves. Negan killing Glenn, Dwight killing Abraham, Spencer getting gutted, Rick being put through torture after torture, grief after grief, before they finally managed to gather their forces and declare war. Then, the defeat. Alexandria on fire, grenades pelting the ground like apples falling from a really large tree. Before they could do anything about it, half of their group had been killed, and the rest fled for the forest, hoping to regroup and counter-attack. It never came, and Andrea never found another survivor of that battle since, not even the legendary Rick Grimes, save _one _. She and Carl were the only two survivors she knew about, and all the hatred she felt boiling inside of her was directed towards the snake in charge: Negan. A snake that resisted death time and time again, and probably hasn't been taken out even today. The Saviors' continued existence was a testament to that.

"I've had run-ins with them before. In the past," she continued, not really wanting to continue talking about them. A silence fell over the group as they continued to eat, no one feeling the urge to bring up another topic. For once, Andrea welcomed the silence.


	19. Reunion, III

_12:43 PM_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Maybe he needed more time to adjust, this all seemed too unreal. People to talk to that didn't have the second agenda of mutilating you and taking your supplies. Lee was finding it tough to even hold a proper conversation with Andrea, be it their differing views on the politics around them or the fact that the last time he had this much social interaction and had seen this many people was in the FEDRA zone, so he just felt so out of place.

After promptly excusing himself from the table and thanking Andrea for the meal, Lee headed outside into the yard where the workers were still going about their business, now with a bellyful of food. He felt more sick from nearly stuffing himself than satisfied at this point. _Where is she? _He wondered as his eyes scanned the yard, she had excused herself from the table a little earlier and hadn't come back… starting to get a little worried, he stepped out further into the place that was alien to him.

Finally, from a distance he spotted a figure… undeniable given the unforgettable hat she wore. Her back was towards him as she was sitting by herself on what seemed to be a stone bench, maybe she wanted to get some air… or maybe she was deep in thought from the recent news. It was tough to tell as he slowly approached.

"Hey." He spoke warmly as he made his way up from behind, stepping over the bench with both of his legs and taking a seat next to her, taking in their surroundings as this whole community began to sink in.

"This place is pretty neat, huh?" He spoke soon after he had sat down as he observed the people hard at work.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Looks a lot like Carver's camp," Clementine dryly replied, the girl's hand supporting her head whilst she sat on the bench by the yard, staring into the void that was the scenery ahead. It wasn't really a jab at the place, or the people working there… and more so the almost tense atmosphere the both of those so strongly radiated. Didn't look like they were gonna be held captive there, though... not yet, anyway. "... but it's pretty, yeah." Clem concluded with a half smile, now facing towards Lee, who had taken upon himself to sit by her side.

Things were still _less than great _between the two of them, though awkward would probably be the best way to put it. She never apologized for that day, and neither did he. An unspoken grudge that'd managed to withstand that entire trip to Tommy's. That, accompanied by the added sting from the bad news Andrea gave her, had Clementine in a pretty shitty mood, one that she couldn't really hide behind a smile no matter how much she tried.

"So, whaddyou want?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

She was brooding, obviously. _She's gonna one up Joel at this rate… _he thought as he couldn't really formulate words at the reminder of Carver's camp. He had to admit that all the workers going about their business did sort of remind him of that setup at Howe's. Deciding not to comment on it, he just decided to listen for now. She had been acting so strange lately. Passive aggressive maybe was an over exaggeration but there was most definitely something under the facade.

As much as he wanted to direct her behavior to something more trivial like a simple phase that would pass, or… puberty. He knew the source of it at its stem was him… the way he had treated Tom back on that road when he had found them. What happened that day… that wound was still lingering between them, they may have pretended otherwise, but it had done damage to them. Now that they were actually less occupied on trying to survive, there was time to think about it, he regretted it… in the heat of the moment. Tom may have been a little violent, but in the end, he hadn't been all that bad… Clementine seemed to have liked him, anyhow. The fact he was dead made the guilt grow deeper, like a root digging into the earth.

They _really _needed to clear the air, these past four months with Clementine had been the toughest he had ever faced, mainly because of how much change was happening so quickly. He thought he could predict how tough it would be to take care of her… was expecting it to be. That didn't mean he wasn't caught off guard by how tough this actually was, she was growing up one way or another.

After she asked why he was here, he smirked as he unstrapped his backpack, placing it at his feet as he digged around for a moment. Before long, he pulled out a pair of chrome-colored scissors from the pack, showing them to Clementine as he made sure they were in her view.

"I, uh, think it's time… if you don't mind doing this now?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine furrowed her brows slightly, staring at the scissors Lee held in his hand, before shifting her gaze so that it could meet his. "Now…?" She delicately asked, pondering over the rather sudden suggestion with a bemused expression. The girl's fingers wrapped around the lock of hair hanging near her eyes, fiddling with it in an effort to gauge how grave her situation looked. _I guess it is pretty big… _Clem exhaled through her nose, answering Lee with a quick nod and a remarkably dispirited tone. "Alright."

It'd been quite a while since the last time they did it. Nearly a year, probably. Things had been so hectic lately, the last fucking thing on her mind was the length of her hair. It was kinda nice of Lee to keep track though, let alone _actually cut it _for her every time. She almost felt bad about acting so withdrawn these past few weeks.

Well, y'know… almost.

Clementine gently removed the baseball cap from her head and placed it in her lap, revealing the untidy mess that laid beneath it, just barely held together by the two hair ties Lee handed to her ages ago. It felt almost like some type of tradition at that point, especially 'cause of how he went out of his way to do it most of the time. Clem's eyes widened slightly, only a short while after she prepped herself, her head turning in a small fit of panic. "Not too short, okay?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A smile etched onto his lips at her request. "Not too short." He repeated back to her with a small chuckle. It had really been a long while since they had last done this, he was still sure it'd come back to him when he started snipping, but that didn't stop him from being a little nervous he'd screw it up. Finally, he placed the scissors to her hair, beginning to cut away at it, focusing on mainly tidying it up and reducing its length slightly.

For a moment, if he just looked at the curly strands of her hair and blocked out the noise around him… they were right back on that train heading to Savannah, where Chuck had convinced him to give her the first haircut. They had come a long way since then… time had just slipped away from his hands and flown by so fast. It bothered Lee how every day it was a struggle to think about the people they used to call friends… those memories of everyone they started this with back at the motor inn, then the cabin. It was getting blurrier with every passing day... himself and Clementine were all that were left of those times, it seemed so much easier back then... the times when they actually had their shit together with another group before they fell apart.

"Was going to do this a lot earlier but… it just kinda slipped through the cracks." He admitted in a sigh as he continued to snip away. "Things have been pretty crazy these past few months… if you told me back then we would run into an immune girl in the middle of Pittsburgh… don't think I would've bought it."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine thoroughly agreed with the sentiment, the thought making her just as woozy as it did back then. _... If you told me her and I would be this buddy-buddy after Pittsburgh, I wouldn't have bought it, either. _The girl didn't voice it, but the feeling was there. Crazy was putting it lightly. Still, Clem adored it, having Ellie as a friend. Another girl to talk to was kind of incredible on it's own, but it wasn't just _that _... it really wasn't a cakewalk to put feelings into words, which only made Clementine more glad that she _wasn't _.

Time flew past them, Clem couldn't be sure of how much of it. Seconds, or minutes… it all felt the same when she thought about _**them**_. Where did they go? Were they looking for her too? Should she have waited in that… _fucking _treehouse...? The answers eluded her every single time, and in the end, only ever made her feel worse. _"Just run! Wait for us, and be safe. _" Her mother's words were still crystal clear in her head. Clementine started running ever since that day, but she never got anywhere.

Feeling tears start forming in her eyes, Clem realized she needed someone to talk to about it… and there wasn't anyone else in the world she could confide that pain with. No one, except for Lee. "Do you think they're still out there?" The question was self-explanatory in every regard, she figured… and Clementine had no idea what kind of answer she wanted to hear from him.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It was like a wooden stake being driven straight through his chest. A tight lump forming in his throat as his features dampened at the question. He was just lucky she couldn't see as he continued to snip away with the scissors, battling the urge to squeeze his eyes shut at the thought of the scene. Here she was… hopeful and confident that they may have still been alive.

Their bodies… lying there on the ground with bullets in their heads and a pool of blood surrounding them; that was the cold hard truth. It was a truth he had purposely shielded from her on his own conscience.

Who was he kidding, he could never bring himself to tell her the moment he put two and two together when he first found her… remembering the old polaroid he saw in the house. Not having closure on the fate of her parents… it must have been excruciating for her. It was wrong to think that by simply not talking about it for all this time she'd just forget… no, that was stupid to even fathom. She was old enough now, old enough to know what he had seen in her home on that day. He couldn't do this anymore, she deserved to know… it was time to put this to rest...

_...I can't…_

He still couldn't, even now he just didn't have it in him, what else was he supposed to say? _'No, they're dead, move on…?' _Like hell that was even an option after shielding this from her for so long. Maybe the truth wasn't what she needed right now, maybe it was hope and assurance… and that was at least something he could try to give her.

_Yeah, keep telling yourself that…_

"I think it's definitely possible… I know I don't have some crystal ball that can give us all the answers… but-" He paused for a moment, thinking carefully on his next words. "I know wherever they are... they'd be proud of how far you've come. I'm sure you already know that." At least that was the one truth that he could give her.

**Art [Clementine]**

"I guess…" Clementine uttered in response, turning her gaze away before drawing a long breath. It didn't help much, but… yeah, she imagined they would be, wherever they were. Hopefully somewhere nice, like Jackson. Dad would probably flip out if he saw that place.

The snipping of the scissor blades gradually led the girl's curly strands of hair to drop to the bench beside her, what once used to be proportionate to a _lion's mane _now having dissolved itself into a much shorter and charming haircut, all thanks to Lee's ever-evolving barber prowess. It felt weird as heck from the get-go, though that was par for the course after so long struggling to keep so much hair tucked under her baseball cap. Once Lee was finished, Clem stood up from the bench feeling, somewhat reinvigorated, approaching him once again while he was busy putting away the pair of scissors. "Uhm…" Clementine stuttered, picking up the hat and shyly holding it close to her chest. "H - How do I look?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Just like that, he had dodged telling her the harsh reality. What made him feel even more like shit was that she really was none the wiser about it. No matter how much he tried to justify it to himself, this whole thing just felt wrong. _If you just told the truth a couple of years back, you would've avoided all this... _He'd thought about it quite a few times now actually, about what her parents would think, always drawing to the conclusion that they'd just want Clementine safe instead of living in the past.

He swiftly attempted to brush the thoughts aside as he began to pack up the bag, eager to get off that topic and just unwind a little. Maybe explore around a bit and see what the others were up to. That was, until he heard a shy voice approach him, as to which he responded with a smile, standing up as he observed his handiwork.

"New and improved." He chuckled as he swung the backpack over his shoulder, it was a crime that he had left it that long for the time he did. "And as always, a _lot _harder to grab."

And that seemed to be that, they prepared to leave the courtyard and get a good look at the place. However, as she turned her back on him, he looked down at his boots for a brief moment. Lifting his head back up, he turned towards her. "Clem," He softly called out again to get her attention. "There's... something I wanted to ask you."

**Art [Clementine]**

The girl proudly placed her dad's hat back where it belonged, a wide smile on her lips she could hardly contain. Nothing felt better than its worn-out fabric enveloping her head whole. Lee called out for her not long after, an odd tone in his voice Clem had trouble identifying. She stared right back at him, a hint of concern in hers, though she made an honest effort to sound approachable.

"What, Lee?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He supposed it wasn't the most important question in the world, but ever since Pittsburgh and after almost four months, he figured he was curious to hear what she had to say. This wasn't something they had particularly done for a very long time… being around so many people, let alone travelling with them, not since the folks from the cabin and the odd survivor they'd come across here and there.

Throwing in with more people after that, there was this underlying feeling of continuing on borrowed time. It happened to every other person they were ever close to… one day, everyone would be fine, then the next, it could crumble into dust without a moment's notice. It happened to all the others… so what was to stop it from happening to people like Joel and Ellie?

They'd be happy, things would be working out… then out of nowhere, some goddamn walker herd or bandit group would get thrown into the mix some way or another. Knowing what that peace felt like and losing it… _twice _. Lee wasn't sure if they were ready for it to happen a third time over, even if it wasn't guaranteed… the risk would_always _be there. That, along with the allegations from Andrea about the Fireflies, had left doubts lingering in his head.

"Travelling with people again after so long, how have you been… finding it?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine jammed her hands in her front pockets, her gaze trailing off, indicating that she was deep in thought. "It's not so bad." The girl answered lightheartedly, though when all was said and done, it was evident she felt something _more _than just that.

Luke, Rebecca and Sarah, that all happened practically ages ago… Clem had almost gotten used to the two of them being all on their own, watching each other's backs without anyone to slow them down, no one to lose. That all changed when they met Joel and Ellie, and for the better, she liked to think. It wasn't perfect, no, especially after whatever happened between him and Lee, but… Clem was sure they could turn it around, however long that took. "I know we don't see eye to eye sometimes, but I like 'em." She rubbed her shoulder awkwardly, directing at him a coy smile. "Yeah, even Joel."

"Just… I'm glad we're in a group again. That's all."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

To an extent, he agreed, the notion of being in a group was refreshing after all of this time. He would see how things would pan out this coming week. _Giving a group another shot… might be worth it, we've been isolated for far too long. It's not fair on her._

"Yeah, me too." He finally spoke out with a tired sigh after thinking about it for a brief moment. However, before their talk ended, he needed to nip this in the bud now that they had the time. This unspoken awkwardness and tension, he was tired of not knowing when either of them would bring it up, so he supposed it was time.

The moment of silence seemed to linger, and that's when he finally caved in.

"I also… wanted to bring up something else." _Here goes nothing… _"It's about what happened back in Plattsburg." His tone softened as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly, forcing himself to look straight at her, the outburst at Tom and almost leaving him behind plagued his mind like a nagging recurring image, not to mention what happened _afterwards _.

"I'm glad you stopped me that day, you were obviously right about keeping him around. I think we would've ended up being better off surviving _together. _I just got so worried after Tom up and drove off and kinda- freaked out, y'know?" He huffed out again, hoping that they could at least try to put this behind them.

"I'm sorry."

**Art [Clementine]**

_There you go… _Clementine had to fight back the urge to grin in delight. It took him friggin' ages, but Lee had finally decided to apologize for being a total ass back in Plattsburg. The girl simply nodded in response, totally satisfied by what he had to say, and altogether glad that he chose to do so, even if it was a little on the belated side. She just wished that Tom had decided to stay with them in the end, instead of running off. When her turn came to speak, however, Clementine wavered rather quickly. It would've been just _oh-so-much _easier to accept his apology and move on, but her stupid inner voice wouldn't ever let that fly.

_Guess I should too… Damn it._

Clementine folded her arms and looked away in order to hide her pouting, sighing in anticipation for what would come next. "I'm sorry for saying that stuff," she gloomily opened up with, shooting a rapid and worried glance at Lee, before moving her eyes away just as fast. "... and for throwing that rock at you." _That's good, right...? _"I… I didn't mean it." Clem's right foot rocked back and forth in discomfort, the girl struggling to finish her sentence. By the time she did, her tone sounded fairly detached, clearly a phrase she'd gotten excessively used to saying to him. "I promise I won't do it again..."

He grabbed her shoulder gingerly, as if to say that he forgave her. She smiled warmly, thankful to have that whole mess behind them. She followed Lee back inside the dam. Maybe this place wouldn't be so bad after all.


	20. Reunion, IV

**Dot [Ellie]**

Everyone had split up after breakfast. Clementine had sulked out of the room before Ellie could say anything, the urge to follow her and _try _to comfort her rising in her chest, but ultimately stayed there. Lee had wandered off not too long after, and maybe talking with him would be… better than whatever shitty attempt at comforting Ellie could manage to scrounge together. She wasn't great at that. Hell, she wasn't great at a lot of things. Giving the girl her space might be the best option anyway, no matter how much her heart told her otherwise. Not all wounds could be healed by kind words.

She found herself leaning against the railing overlooking the waterfall the dam created, the roar of the water loud enough to mask her thoughts beneath the waves. Standing there now, alone, she realized just how pretty the area really was. The trees surrounded the dam on all sides, bright green leaves meeting every glance she gave to her surroundings. In the distance, the mountains towered over the land like gods, unmovable and timeless. She wondered how long these mountains have been here, standing the test of time, while humanity flourished and died out within a blink of an eye. By comparison, they must've been just that, a plague that had spread across the entire world, only to be suddenly silenced by a different kind of plague. Yet, even with most of the world gone, they still managed to hold on by a thread; brought to the brink of extinction, yet surviving, like cockroaches. Soon enough, those days would end, the moment they got the cure from her.

That was _if _they got the cure from her.

She hated to think about it, but everything Andrea had said during breakfast had been repeating in her head, over and over. She knew Marlene, knew the Fireflies, probably not as well as she'd like to think, but well enough. She'd been confident in their ability to manufacture the cure from her, and trusted that they'd share it with the rest of the world. At least, what little was left of it. But after hearing about what they've done, no matter how unsurprising it was, it… put doubts in her mind. More than she'd care to admit. She trusted Marlene, but were the rest of the Fireflies as trustworthy? What if this entire journey ended up being for nothing? She couldn't fathom it, the loss of purpose that would create would leave her feeling empty inside, probably for the first time since Riley died. And she wasn't sure if she'd survive this one.

It was like a feedback loop, failing her mental defenses in a way that would eventually force her to stop thinking completely, before it drove her mad. The last time she'd felt like this, she had Clementine there to confide in, and to help reassure her. She didn't have that now, isolated from the rest of her group while letting herself fall to the metal grated floor beneath her, her legs dangling over the ledge, catching small splatters of water that flew from the waterfall beneath her.

She'd been so engrossed in the loop that she hadn't even noticed the presence of someone else standing on the bridge, slowly approaching her. By the time she'd seen the flash of movement, the woman, Andrea, was already within talking distance. At first, Ellie simply looked in her direction, shrugging, before returning her attention to the river below. For once, Ellie didn't have anything to really say, the conflict rising in her mind being hers to fight, and she didn't know Andrea enough to confide in her.

**Dot [Andrea]**

For a moment, Andrea simply watched the girl, wondering just what might've been going through her mind. It seemed as if she was miles away, in some distant place that Andrea would likely never really know. Thinking about it, she really didn't know much about Ellie at all, beyond the fact that she was close to Joel, but the reason eluded her. She supposed she'd find out after Tommy finished talking with Joel, but who knew when that would be.

Sighing, she sat next to the girl, watching as her legs dangled off the ledge alongside the girl's. Under normal circumstances, this entire situation wouldn't be that difficult. How many times had she sat down Carl and forced him to talk when he sulked? More times than she could count. After losing Billy and Ben, she found herself gravitating towards Carl, just… _hoping _she'd turn things around for him. Turn things around for _all _of them, after everything they went through just to get to Alexandria. She'd become an expert at getting him to open up, but with Ellie… she had no idea what made the girl tick. Nevertheless, she'd at least _try _.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She spoke, just loud enough for Ellie to hear her over the raging flow of water beneath them. "I'd never seen one of these up close before. I'd seen them in movies, once or twice, but… seeing the _power _they have…" She chuckled under her breath, sighing. "No pun intended. Well, it just… blew my mind. Sometimes, I just sit here and watch. Admire the view. Like you are now."

"Is that why you're here now?" Ellie asked quietly, glancing at the woman out of the corner of her eye.

"I was, yeah," Andrea answered honestly, shrugging. "But then I saw a girl in distress, and figured I should help."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie let out a huff of air out of her nose, drowned out by the water. She wasn't sure if she even wanted the woman's help, even if she could somehow understand her own feelings herself. She let the woman's statement hang in the air for a moment, swaying her legs back and forth in a slow, methodical motion. She could feel the woman's gaze on her, the concern she'd seen etched in her face being enough to make Ellie feel uncomfortable. She didn't like forcing her own problems on someone else, especially someone she didn't know, well… at all.

"I'm just kinda… thinking," she finally spoke, trying to dismiss Andrea's concern in a way that wouldn't come off as bitchy. Being moody had been a byproduct of her time on the road, and it only seemed to get worse as time dragged on, so she didn't want to take that out on her. Maybe she adopted it from Clementine, who did her fair share of sulking since the moment she met her. _She's a good, bad influence. _She thought to herself, smiling slightly at the thought.

"Oh? What about?"

She honestly didn't expect the woman to even care, let alone express any real interest, yet it seemed that she did. The genuine look of concern on her face was enough to validate that. Ellie let out a heavy sigh, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's a long story."

"Isn't everything these days?"

That elicited a slight chuckle out of Ellie, finally forcing her to look away from the distant river and towards Andrea. "Yeah, maybe. Still…" She trailed off, chewing on her lip. How much was she willing to say to Andrea? How much _could _she say? Surely, Joel was going to tell Tommy about her immunity, it was likely the only way he'd tell them how to find the Fireflies, but with Andrea's clear distaste for said Fireflies… was it really worth mentioning? Sighing, she looked away. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Andrea shifted in her spot, as if trying to find the most comfortable position on the metal floor, something that seemed pointless to Ellie. The entire thing was uncomfortable, after all. "Yeah, well… I've heard my fair share of unbelievable stories. Some of them were actually true. So, try me. Or, if you want…" Ellie glanced back towards her. There was a sheepish smile on her face, her shoulders raised in a long shrug. "Don't tell me. It's your choice. But, I don't mind either way. I'd like to know more about you, anyway. Like how you met Joel of all people?"

Ah. Curiosity. That was something she could relate to.

"We met back in Boston," she replied evenly, deciding to leave it there for now. Most of her story about how she met Joel hinged on the fact she met him through the Fireflies, the same sensitive topic she was trying to avoid in the first place. For some reason, it seemed that the world wasn't going to let her get away without talking about it, like the metaphorical elephant in the room. "I had some… friends, that were trying to get me out of the city. They hired Joel to do so, and he was supposed to drop me off with a group outside the quarantine zone. We found them dead."

"Oh, I'm sorry," her voice had a genuine sound of pity in it. Ellie didn't bother to acknowledge it, knowing that the pity wasn't something she needed. After all, she didn't know anyone in the Fireflies that was supposed to take her out west.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel finished up his conversation with his brother, walking away with that same bittersweetness that he had felt right after entering the dam. He had certainly missed him, and he had expected something perhaps… different than the way that it had gone. He swallowed, stepping out of the interior into the Wyoming sunlight. _I never wanna see your goddamn face again. _Joel winced at the words in his mind, letting out a huff of breath into the thin air. It would be over soon. This whole ordeal; just another memory floating away in his dust.

After a moment of reflection, Joel noticed Ellie and… Andrea, sitting and talking on a bridge. Again, that bittersweet feeling swathed him, and he shuddered. He couldn't really go through with this, could he? Joel had already talked to Tommy about taking her… and that had gone more or less as Joel thought his encounter with his baby brother would go. Now here he was… he didn't want to tell Ellie. He couldn't… he couldn't tell her, nor could he even take her to wherever those goddamn Fireflies were. Tommy had brought up too much, and the picture, while a nice offer, hurt. No point dwelling in the past any longer, though. It was time to push into the future. Joel walked onto the bridge, full hairs standing up on the back of his neck.

The waterfall oozed and gushed with gleaming water. It was… a beautiful sight, he decided. All of it. He leaned against the railing, a broken and faltering smile on his face. "What are you two up to?" Joel asked, his eyes betraying his mouth.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie didn't have time to reply, their attention being diverted to the voice of Joel nearby, who had approached them from the opposite side of the bridge. Ellie mentally filed away her doubt about the Fireflies, deciding it was best not to talk about that in front of the person taking her to them. She replied to Joel's question with a slight shrug. "Just talking. How'd things go with Tommy?" _Hopefully he told you where the Fireflies are located, so we can get going. Sooner we get this thing done, the better._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's smile was finally drug away, an already unstable expression collapsing under the mention of Tommy. He didn't quite catch what the two were talking about. Probably nothing important. Hopefully Ellie hadn't blabbed about being the cure for mankind. Only Tommy needed to know about that. Joel scratched at the back of his head, taking his other hand and placing it on the railing, so he could rest. Flecks of water flung onto his face, and he blinked the ones that got too close to his eyes away.

"Alright. We were... just talking too." He stuffed his tongue into the side of his cheek, creating a bump in the left side of his face. Clicking his mouth, he lowered his eyes and looked at Andrea. "You mind if me and her talk in private?" He swallowed, hoping the woman wouldn't suspect anything major. Why should she? Joel was just Tommy's brother... who was, by all accounts, a good guy.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea simply nodded to Joel's request, pushing herself to her feet. There was a bond apparent between the two, one that she thought she'd never see between Joel and anyone else, not after what happened to his daughter. It was… nice, to see him in a light that wasn't darkened by the deeds he's done in the past. Some people, they were irredeemable. She classed Negan in that group, along with a couple others, like the Governor. However, Joel… there just might be a chance for him to come back. Just enough that holding a grudge based on everything Tommy had told her felt unfair for him.

As she stood up, her eyes focused on the courtyard below, a movement in the woods catching her eye. _About time you came back. _She thought as the faint _clip-clippity-clop_of a horse, audible despite the water surrounding her, pierced the air. Turning her attention to Joel and Ellie, she finally spoke up. "Alright, you two, I'll catch up to you later. Ellie, if you want, when you're done, meet me in the courtyard. Couple of us will be heading out on a horse ride, you and Clementine are more than welcome to join."

Ellie's face seemed to light up at that, the words tumbling out of her mouth. "That sounds _awesome _."

"Good," she chuckled. "I'll see you there."

With that, she walked off, heading towards the courtyard below.

**Dot [Ellie]**

While Andrea walked away, Ellie turned back towards Joel, biting her lip. Once she was sure the woman was out of earshot, she spoke up once more. "So, did he tell you where the Fireflies are?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel frowned, the waterfall nearby nearly drowning out their speech as the two began to talk. Andrea was gone now, leaving the pair behind, as it had been so long ago. Joel crossed his arms, his eyes shifting uncomfortably over the water.

"No, he didn't." He spoke finally, eager to get this over with. What was he supposed to say? "Look, we might have to hang around a few more days. Tommy just needs some time to think. I do too." It wasn't necessarily a lie. Joel didn't find himself in a position to where he wanted to lie; unlike Lee, who had confided in telling him of Clementine's parents. Something swirled and swished about in his stomach, bubbling and sending a nauseating feeling to his brain.

**Dot [Ellie]**

'_We might have to hang around for a few more days.'_

Seeing how Andrea and Tommy had this place running, she didn't even mind staying for a few days. After spending so much time on the road, sleeping in a real bed was more than enough to convince her to stay. As long as they eventually head off to find the Fireflies. They've come this far, and she'll see it through until the very end. The world depended on it.

"It's a nice place," she commented, turning and leaning her back against the railing. "I mean, if the dam's like this, then I can't wait to see their _real _place. It's amazing what they've managed to do with all of this." She let out a sigh, scratching at the back of her neck. She knew by the tone of his voice that he didn't like the fact they were going to have to wait around. She didn't either, to an extent, but… "I think we all need to rest… after everything. We earned it. Right?" She finished, her gaze meeting Joel's.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Yeah. I reckon we did earn it." The remains of his smile echoed across his face, only the bittersweet feeling he grasped earlier flowing through him. He swallowed, glancing at his feet, then back up at Ellie. After all of this... did he really wanna go through with pawning her off to Tommy? But it wasn't a question of what he wanted. He _needed _to get rid of her, just like he told Tommy back inside. Whether Tommy would ever go for it, he didn't know. Especially after Joel shoved him into that locker... Joel had apologized after, but even the sincere "sorry" wouldn't mend all wounds.

"Come on, let's go bring you to the horses. Andrea'll be waiting." He hadn't told her of his plans. That was what he was supposed to do... but he hadn't. Was it obvious he was hiding something? Was it obvious that he hadn't been wearing his heart on his sleeve? Perhaps so. "Do you even know how to ride a horse?" He questioned, more amused than anything else at this proposition.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie let out a half-chuckle at Joel's question, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Yeah. Winston, this soldier back in the zone… he gave me lessons."

Thinking back to Winston, it felt like such a long time ago. Back before Riley had died, back before _Winston _had died. It had been a pain in the ass at first, but she grew to love riding the horse. Used to be one of the few things she looked forward to, besides hanging out with Riley. Getting to ride one again was more than enough to have her feeling more excited than she'd been in a _long _time.

She returned her gaze to Joel, biting her lip before asking one final question. "Are you going to come? On the ride?"

Maybe Joel still had things to work out with Tommy, so she doubted it, but it was worth a shot.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel smiled. "Really? Hm." He continued their trek, mind a-wandering about the premises. He hadn't heard much of the girl, even though she talked so much. Didn't seem that big a fan of talking about her past to people she didn't know. He could relate. "No, I gotta get some sleep in a real bed. Thanks for the offer though." How much sleep he actually would get was very dependent on... whatever or so. He patted the girl on the back, then walked off in the other direction. "Have fun, kiddo."


	21. Reunion, V

_12:55 PM_

**Dot [Andrea]**

It wasn't a long walk back to the entrance entrance of the dam. Andrea's mind occupied itself with thoughts of Ellie and Joel, and the mysteries behind their companionship. For Joel to drag her all the way to Wyoming from Massachusetts, there had to be a reason behind it. Joel, while inherently violent in his past, did things with a purpose; everything had a reason. What made the girl special? What made him choose to take her with him all the way to find Tommy? And where did the others fit into the picture? Lee and Clem, she knew they'd found each other on the road, but chose to travel together for… some reason. It wasn't like she hadn't been in that position before, in fact, most of her old group had met under similar circumstances, and they survived together for what felt like years. Their purpose being to survive, to find a place to thrive, which eventually… they did, for however long it lasted. Maybe the promise of a better future was enough to bring all these folks together under a single goal. Maybe Joel was just… unconsciously trying to fill that void in his life from Sarah's death, finding a presumably orphaned girl and taking her under his wing. She both respected and pitied him for that, being reminded of his dead daughter wasn't something she'd wish on the guy, no matter _what _he did.

With a sigh, she pushed those thoughts away, focusing on where she was going. She'd already found herself turning the corner and entering the main yard, glancing around. Her eyes focused on Clementine, who was sitting on a bench near the edge of the yard, close to where the cafeteria door was. While she waited for the scouting party to get back inside the wall, she approached the girl. What better time to ask if she wanted to join Ellie and her on the ride on the horses?

"Figured I'd find you here," she opened with, trying to smile despite the fact the awkward tension from earlier still lingered in the air. "I just spoke with Ellie. We're gonna be heading out for a horse ride around the valley, if you want to come with." _I think it'd be beneficial for all of us. Just get out into the fresh air for a little while._

**shootyoureyeout [Carl Grimes]**

It was uncommon for Carl to not know when anything came up, especially new people, considering it itched him a bit inside thinking about newcomers. Not that he didn't think they could use the extra hands and it's good for them to help, but because it was hard for him to trust that they could be nothing else but just new survivors. He had a clear understanding that occasionally you have to do bad things to survive, however he knew very well that people also grew into bad people as a way of life. Upon hearing around and listening to small chats of others, Carl picked up the news fairly quick, but not enough to satisfy his curiosity. Maybe it was something he picked up from his father or just that he was incapable of not being somewhat in the circle of control, Carl couldn't hold back when he found out Andrea was going out with them. He needed to be there. He needed to see them. He just wasn't sure if it was because he was scared or if he was smart.

He followed closely until he realized they were going riding and made sure to head to the horses. Carl didn't want to be left out of something like this and he'd make sure that Andrea would let him.

**Art [Clementine]**

Once Lee was gone, Clementine found herself staring into space once again, hugging one knee while she sat on that same rickety bench. Being around so many people, within walls again…? That felt both surreal, and… kind of comforting, almost. That place wasn't anything like the farm, or the motel though, obviously. It was massive, way bigger than anything she'd ever seen. The jury was still out, but… if things didn't pan out with the Fireflies, maybe giving Jackson a shot wouldn't be the worst idea. Sure beat the not-so-pleasant life of making a go of it out there, and that was based on the food _alone _. One night in that place, and Lee and the others would probably have to drag her out of there. _I'd kill for a bath…_

It wasn't long until that brief moment of reflection was cut short. The woman from before, Andrea, pitching her a horse ride in a valley nearby. "You guys have horses?" Clem was left floored by the suggestion. _I mean, riding an actual horse? _That's the kind of stuff she'd spend daydreaming about way back when. _No fucking way. _There was no hiding the excitement in her voice once the girl attempted to conjure up a response. "Y - Yeah, okay! That sounds… super cool. Thanks."

Plus, if Ellie was going, she couldn't help but want to go too.

Clementine stood up, again, from the bench, wiping away the strands of hair stuck to her clothes. The thought did cross her mind, that she didn't really know how to ride a horse. Feed one, maybe, but definitely not ride one. Did Ellie...? Riding a horse… oh man, just thinking about it had her smiling like an idiot. "When are we leaving?"

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea smiled as the girl's face seemed to light up at the thought of riding a horse. One thing that was nice about having a bunch of teenagers around was that - sometimes - they were easy to get excited about something. Things like horse riding, for some people, that was more than enough excitement to keep them occupied. Unfortunately, if they stuck around, they'll probably hate the fact they'll be going to school again, but… that was a problem for another time, and only if they actually stay.

"No time like the present, right?" She replied to the girl's question, quickly indicating the stables on the far side of the yard with a jerk of her head. "How about we go find you a horse and wait for your friend to join us?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem nodded at Andrea with a wide smile plastered on her face, gently making her way towards the stables the woman had pointed her to. Memories of her old home came flooding in the moment she stepped inside a place with so many animals cooped together. It was a little intimidating at first, seeing it for the first time, but not one sliver less awesome. One of the horses, his coat colored red dune, had his head lowered, extended just far enough to reach Clem while she nervously walked through the narrow stable, taking the girl by surprise. He looked cute, his head swinging from side to side seeking the attention of the passersby.

Clementine could hardly contain herself, slowly approaching the horse and reaching out her hand, delicately stroking its neck. "Awh... hi there." His ears appeared to be sticking up, pointed at her, the horse drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly and audibly through its nostrils. _You're so adorable…_

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea followed Clementine to the stable, smiling as the girl had already found herself drawn in to the nearest horse she could find. Andrea leaned against the wooden wall behind her, letting the girl enjoy the moment. She glanced around the stable, looking for anyone else. She noticed Carl standing on the other side of the stable. Somehow, she'd missed him all morning, ever since the newcomers arrived. Had he been here this whole time? Possibly. Nevertheless, as Clementine was busy with the horse, she approached Carl, who appeared to have noticed her already.

"Let me guess," she opened, a hint of amusement in her tone. "You want to come too?" She had a feeling Carl was already aware that they were going out on the horses, he seemed to be expecting her, based on the look he was giving her.

**shootyoureyeout [Carl Grimes]**

There was a voice he'd never heard before on the opposite end of the stable, making Carl immediately shuffle into view to get an eyeful of whoever wandered in. Andrea, whom he'd easily point out, and someone smaller already reaching out to the horses. A heat of challenge filled his chest when realizing she was about the same age as him. Carl couldn't tell much about her and before he decided on making the first move to learn more, Andrea spotted him. The heat that was previously in his chest rose to his ears when hearing her tone.

"I'd say that was a pretty good first guess..." He glanced away before looking back at her as strong as he could manage with one eye. "You shouldn't go alone anyways, so I figured it'd be good for more than one person to go on a ride with-" Carl stepped to the side and nodded in the girl's direction before lowering his voice. "-anyone new."

**Dot [Andrea]**

Ah, so that's what this was about. She couldn't say she was surprised. Carl had always been wary of strangers, dating back to their days in Alexandria. A lot of the time, the distrust was warranted, and sometimes, his intuitions had proved themselves to be correct. Of course, Andrea's distrust lied within the adults of the group of newcomers, and not the teenagers. Nevertheless, she wouldn't deny Carl the opportunity; after all, if they stick around, they'll have to get along. All of them, including the adults. Might as well start early.

"Fair enough," she replied, shaking her head in amusement. Taking a step back towards the girl, she cleared her throat, trying to catch the girl's attention. She appeared to still be engrossed into petting the horse's neck, and probably hadn't even noticed Carl's presence yet. "Clementine, this is Carl. He's, uh… a good friend of mine." It was hard to narrow down what Carl was to her into a solid title. Rick and her had been… close, before Alexandria fell, but it never had time to really go anywhere, certainly not before Carl would've found out about it. In his father's absence, and their miraculous reunion after _years _apart, Andrea had done her best in trying to make sure Carl stayed out of trouble. She wasn't his mother, and never would be, but as long as he was safe, then she was doing her job correctly. Right? "He'll be joining us on the ride. I figure, with the power back up and running, we'll all head back to Jackson, meet up with your other friends there. It's not that far, so we'll take one of the mountain passes, skirt around to the other valley. Sound good to you?"

**shootyoureyeout [Carl Grimes]**

Carl chewed at the inside of his lip, trying not to roll his eye at the small introduction given when he easily could've done it himself. He didn't remember much about before, in the Zone, but this felt like a first day of school introduction that his mom would force so he'd get distracted and she could sneak away. Except this wasn't school and it was more of a 'Hello- I guess we don't have to kill each other' confirmation. The idea caused him to smirk before he stepped forward and eyed the girl, Clementine. He mentally repeated her name before getting used to it, then managed to shortly wave. "Hi." Carl mumbled with a nod, waiting to see how she'd take him in. He stood tall, not to challenge her but to see if she could handle her own. He knew he wasn't a normal sight with a gaping hole and all which made greetings like this all the more entertaining.

**Art [Clementine]**

Fixated entirely on the needy horse, Clem failed to notice the boy standing near the extremity of the stable, seemingly waiting impatiently for her and Andrea to show. It took until the latter called out her name for the girl to shift her gaze away from the horse, an expectant look in her eyes that disappeared in what felt like a split second… replaced by one of genuine horror.

_Holy shit…!_

Clementine swallowed hard, chest pounding and legs weakening at the sight: a boy with the right side of his face - starting from his eye, and descending all the way to his cheek - torn into a fleshy, gruesome mess, leaving only a gaping hole in what once used to be the boy's eye. It was hard enough to breathe, let alone say a word… He looked about the same age as her, which only made it _that _much more terrifying. How could something so cruel happen to someone so young…? Clem couldn't even look at him in the eye, crossing one of her arms in some effort to alleviate the shock. Her voice had never been so low, faint enough to the point of being almost inaudible. "N - Nice to meet you, Carl." She tried, as hard as her body allowed her to, but trying to hide her discomposure was about as fruitless as attempting to stare at anywhere else other than her own feet.

**shootyoureyeout [Carl Grimes]**

It was expected and just as much as she was trying to hide her uneasiness, Carl was trying to hide the amusement covering his face. He understood her reaction as he, too, felt the same way when it first occurred. It was hard to look at it and he hated it until he realized it was just as much a part of him as anything else. The bandages have been long gone since and he wore his shredded socket with pride. "You'll get used to it. I did and I have to live with it." Carl bluntly spoke about it as there was no need to ignore it now considering her reaction.

**Art [Clementine]**

His outspokenness took the girl by surprise, almost as much as… _everything else _did. As the initial shock gradually subsided, Clementine did what little she could, taking a deep breath for the sake of gathering enough courage to raise her head again. Shifting her widened eyes back to Carl, the girl simply stood there unresponsively, trying to somehow figure out what to say to him, and falling awfully short. "I'm…" Clem sounded unsure, her tone unchangeably soft and apologetic. She couldn't even blurt out the whole thing, the words refusing to escape her lips, all while her own discomfort became increasingly more apparent. "I'm sorry…"

**shootyoureyeout [Carl Grimes]**

An apology was something he didn't want and often it was the only thing offered in his presence. Carl swallowed his deep dislike for her response once taking into account the likelihood she's ever had to speak to someone that looked just about half rotten. Instead, Carl shrugged and looked over to the horse Clementine previously was adoring. "Don't be, it's fine. I just like to put it out there first- not that it's not already out there, but ya'know..." Carl trailed off and shrugged once more before finally reaching over to the horse.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

At a distance, far enough away where one could observe without being noticed… another young girl watched.

Sitting atop a grassy mound, Lydia observed the small group of people amassing at the horse stables below. Setting aside her lunchbox and worker gloves, she silently chewed on a sandwich she had made for herself. This morning had mainly consisted of helping out the workers with a few things. On days like this, when school was out, she liked being productive, it helped her stay occupied and keep her mind off certain things. Not to mention, compared to Jackson, the dam was a ton more relaxing and quiet. She liked coming here from time to time to help out.

Through the grapevine, she heard that apparently Tommy's brother had arrived, along with another guy and some kids her age. Which she could only now confirm because she was pretty sure she was staring right at them…

It looked like Carl was going out too. Because of that fact alone, Lydia thought about joining them on the ride, but was deterred. She could almost hear Andrea forcing her to talk to those new girls; it was just something she wasn't in the mood for right now. It was probably better to… for once, just leave him alone to do his own thing… besides, she saw him enough at school. _I was the one that ended things between us anyway, doubt he wants me around every second. _She felt as though she was too confusing and unstable to be around right now, with the way she had been acting the past few months. It wasn't fair to do that to him… even after all this time being here, she was still… adjusting. It was probably better for them to both just be friends right now.

It wasn't long before she noticed Carl was talking to someone by the horses, her eyes immediately locking on to the new girl with the ball cap. Lydia found herself quickly taking another bite out of her sandwich, hoping the taste would direct her thoughts elsewhere. However, she continued to closely observe from a distance, still not close enough to hear what they were saying. From what she could see, Andrea was trying to get them friendly with each other, the other new girl with red hair approaching the stable soon after.

A nasty scowl unwillingly crept on her face as her fingers dug into her sandwich, gripping it tighter in her hands as she watched them all talk and prepare to head out on something she would usually be invited to.

She told herself she was fine with this.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie found herself strolling towards the stable at a brisk pace, her hands stuffed into her jean pockets. The more she took in the community around her, the more the fact it was such a vast, established place settled in her brain. This was just the tip of the iceberg, not even the _real _community, yet it still felt intimidatingly large, with more people than she'd seen in months, since Boston. She felt so out-of-place, a feeling she was all too familiar with, dating back to her first days in the Boston quarantine zone. She could only imagine how Clementine felt, having spent almost her entire life outside walls, especially outside communities on this scale. It must feel… like suffocating, an anxiety that stemmed from social ineptness and claustrophobia. She was sure that Clementine had neither of those things, but that probably best represented how she imagined the feeling would be like. She didn't envy her, yet she also found herself wanting to protect her, slowly inch her in to a place like this. They weren't going to be here long, but they'd still have to fit in for the duration of their stay.

Nevertheless, she was sure Clementine would find a way to do just that.

As she approached the stable, she could see Clementine and Andrea talking with a third person, shielded from her view. By the time she was inside, however, she had already seen a glimpse of the boy's face, and the gaping hole on his face. She visibly recoiled, although she hoped that they were too engrossed in their own conversation to notice her presence yet. Immediately, she felt shitty for even feeling like that, realizing then that whatever had happened to him must've been traumatic. She gulped, forcing herself to smile as she finally stood next to Clementine. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Hope I didn't miss anything good."

_Hard to miss that eye hole you've got there, though…_

Andrea's smile seemed to widen in that moment, although Ellie had a feeling it was as forced as her own. "We were just about to pick out horses, so you're just in time." She turned back towards the boy next to her. Ellie couldn't quite make out the expression on her face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, the woman turning around to grab a horse at the back of the stable.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine genuinely smiled at Carl's remark, despite feeling at fault for creating that clumsy situation in the first place. She couldn't even begin to imagine how tough that must've been on him… hopefully he didn't _already _hate her for it. That faint smile lingered at the sudden sight of Ellie, who'd smoothly snuck up on the two of them, the girl now standing next to her.

"Hey," Clem casually spoke to the other girl, still a tad shaken up from what had just ensued. It took a few seconds for Clementine to get her bearings, though she wasted no time in addressing Ellie. There was plenty still lingering in her mind since they last saw each other, and there didn't seem to be a time better than the present to get it all out of her chest. "Did you hear from Joel at all?" Tommy and the Fireflies; just thinking about something so weighty already had Clem looking more serious. They'd come all this way… she didn't want to be kept in the dark for any longer.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie smile faded slightly, thinking back to her conversation with Joel. Right now, they knew nothing, and it seemed that Tommy was holding out on telling them where the Fireflies were. Based on the fact that Joel told Andrea that he wanted to speak to Ellie in private, she was beginning to think he didn't want Andrea knowing about it. At least, not yet. Given how she reacted about the Fireflies earlier, though, he didn't blame him. She didn't have a chance to tell him about it, but the need for secrecy - at least, for now - made sense.

Finally, she spoke up, keeping her tone fairly light. "Yeah, I did. I'll tell you about it when we get to Jackson, though." She looked towards the girl out of the corner of her eye, wishing she could just telepathically tell her what she was thinking. _We haven't learned anything yet. _Nevertheless, it seemed that Andrea hadn't picked up on it, which was… good. While the two had talked, she already was getting things ready to go, grabbing a horse for herself. Because of this, Ellie turned towards Clementine, adding one final thing in a lowered tone. "Not much to tell, though."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

By the time Lee had made his way over to the stables, it seemed that they were already on their horses. He knew of their planned departure prior to this, but that still didn't make him a little worried given Clem's little to no experience on riding a horse. Even so, it looked like she wasn't doing too bad with the new folks teaching her the ropes.

In a way, Lee was relieved that they had gotten that discussion out of the way early on, they were both probably much happier because of it. His elbows rested on the wooden fence as he leaned forward and interlocked his hands, observing how she was chatting amongst other people. Lee had thought about for a long time but actually seeing it unfold was all the more rewarding.

_This _is what he always wanted for her, surrounded by people her age, friends… behind the safety of walls, guarded by like-minded, decent human beings. After a little bit of digging and asking around, he found out that they even had a goddamn _school _here. She could even finally have a proper education without having to sleep with one eye open at night, it was just simply too exciting to believe.

_It's a long shot, but I wonder if they'd ever have any job openings for teachers…? Yeah don't get too carried away now, doubt they even teach the subject these days... _After all, he still wasn't sure how long they were going to be staying for, but what he saw looked promising so far.

Before long, he made his way to Andrea's side, who was getting ready to lead them all out into the woods. Part of him wanted to hop on a horse, but he didn't really feel like being humiliated and laughed at by a bunch of kids for how much he'd suck at it. Even then, he felt like, for once, he'd just hang back and let Clem enjoy herself with the new folks.

"So you're sure they'll be safe out there?" He asked with a tinge of concern, half of him knew he shouldn't worry too much. However being out on the road for so long demanded him to be cautious of practically everything.

**Dot [Andrea]**

After learning that Clementine had never been on a horse before, Andrea did her best to show her the ropes. Ellie had insisted on helping as much as she could, to which Andrea eventually conceded with. Not having to do it on her own made things easier, but she didn't want to _embarrass _Clementine. Maybe having a friend help her out would be better, though, so it was probably best that way. She knew there'd be pressure on the girl's shoulders while Carl was around, as someone the girl wasn't well-acquainted with, but Carl had mostly kept to himself, to which Andrea was grateful. The sun was already beginning its descent, the early afternoon air feeling warm and moist from the earlier rainfall. When she was confident that Clementine would be able to ride the horse effectively, she gathered everyone up and headed towards the gate, where Lee met them.

She met his worried gaze with a confident, yet understanding look. She knew how he was feeling, having gone through it half a dozen times with Carl since his return, especially after the Whisperers, and his introduction to Lydia. Like it or not, Carl was growing up, much faster than he had been back at Alexandria. Being away from his father, having all this freedom that he didn't have as a young child, they brought out sides of him that Andrea hadn't seen yet, and she couldn't help but try and ground him. To, at least, slow down how fast he was growing up. It wasn't really working, but she'd continue to try, until the day comes where she'd have to stop.

Some day, Lee will have to, too.

"We patrol both valleys," she reassured Lee, trying to give some measure of comfort to the man. "We've had incidents in the past, and we learned from them. We make sure to keep the area clear of infected and the dead as much as humanly possible. Worst thing that could happen is that one of the girl's might get mud all over them," she let out a half-chuckle. "They'll be fine. She'll be fine. We'll see all of you back at Jackson."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He let out a stifled chuckle, crossing his arms as he nodded towards Andrea. Maybe Clem and Ellie had put her up to it but she was selling it to him really well. Regardless, he decided he trusted her.

Here he stood, about to let her _actually _do this. He looked further down the single file line of horses until he spotted Clementine, slowly approaching the side of her horse. She looked so grown up, sitting high and mighty on it, although it probably would be an intimidating yet exciting experience for her. He'd spare her the lecture and just let her soak in the fun. After all, something like this was an extremely rare occasion.

"Hey, you'll be great out there… just stick close to the others and follow Andrea's instructions at all times, okay?" It may have been gut-wrenching and worrisome for him, but he had to let her go… it was a step in the right direction, even if it was a little harder than he thought.

**Art [Clementine]**

Wobbling from side to side, Clem did the best she could to keep her shoulders and back straight so as to not fall flat on her face. It really felt unlike anything else, being up there, towering above the whole world while the light afternoon breeze struck against her hair. Mounting the horse was probably the most frightening part - even when he looked as harmless as the red-dune horse from before - but nevertheless, with Andrea's help, all it took was a little push for the girl to get the hang of it… mostly. Andrea was doing most of the hard stuff, really, though Clementine could steer the horse soundly enough as long as he stuck to trotting.

She _was _a little jealous of Ellie, who, unlike her, was a total natural at it. It'd probably feel embarrassing were it not for the fact that she was helping her throughout the whole learning process, which Clem was honestly really thankful for. On the way to the gates, Lee waved her over with a smile, and she didn't waste a second making her way to him. It was more of the usual 'Be careful' speech, to which she quickly nodded to in response, ever aware of his talent for constantly worrying about her, for every little thing. "I got it," Clementine reassured him with a snicker.

"We'll be back soon. Promise."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_Better let her leave now, before I start having second thoughts. _"Alright." He spoke with a slight smirk as he took a step back from the horse. "Stay safe and have fun." As Clementine departed through the gates with the rest of the kids, he couldn't help but wave to her one last time as she disappeared down the track with the rest. He still couldn't shake the underlying feeling of worry in his gut but he pushed it aside, just this once.

He supposed it was time to head over to Jackson soon with Joel to meet them. _Speaking of, where the hell is he? _Now that he thought about it he hadn't seen him since he'd wandered off with Tommy. It had been a long while since Tommy strolled off with him, surely they'd have been done talking by now… so if Joel wasn't here of all places then where was he...? Regardless it was probably best to try and find him to see how things went, something to keep his mind occupied off the trail ride at least.


	22. Jackson, I

_1:48 PM - Mountain trail leading to the valley south of Jackson_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The trail was quiet, yet somehow appeared to be so full of life. Insects whizzed around Ellie's head, and the soft click-clacking of horse hooves added a sense of calm to the ambiance, only interrupted when said insect got too close to her ear. The trail had been winding up the side of a large mountain looming above them, where it'd come back down on the other side, and into the other valley Andrea had mentioned. She silently looked forward to reaching the top, just to see the immense landscape surrounding them in all its glory.

Up ahead, Carl and Andrea trotted near each other, managing to keep a steady pace for Clementine, who lagged behind. Ellie kept her horse beside the girl's, the two engaging in quiet conversation as they rode along. She could tell that Clementine was nervous, despite the fact it seemed that she was trying her best to hide it. Spending so much time with her, she became easier to read, unlike how enigmatic and stone-walled she had first seemed when they met in Pittsburgh. Now, her emotions were like visual cues, things she would pick up on nearly instantaneously and know exactly what the girl was thinking about.

She'd only briefly been able to do that with Riley, but their situation has led to more time being spent together than she ever had with her best friend. Maybe that was why Ellie was so attached to Clementine, as if letting her disappear into the community meant that she'd never see her again. It was an illogical fear, but it played on her mind on repeat, like a broken record waiting for the owner to finally pull the tonearm off it. As much as she wanted to just stuff the thought into some sort of mental trash can, it refused to go away, plaguing her thoughts. Nevertheless, she tried not to show it, smiling as Clementine's horse neighed loudly, hopping over a small tree root that stood in their way.

She let out a sigh. "What do you think Jackson's going to be like?" She decided to ask, a random question that had popped into her head a second before the words escaped her lips. "I - I mean, the dam's cool, but the real place must be like… cool_er_, right?" _Way cooler than sleeping out in the cold every night. That's for sure._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine cowered in anticipation, the horse she rode on hurdling over a tree root and propelling itself through the air on the spur of the moment, with its small, helpless passenger following suit. "Ow, you scared me…!" The girl angrily grumbled to the horse, plainly not so used to him moving so sporadically. He, however, simply neighed in response, Clem choosing to interpret that as the horse's way of taunting her. _Jerk..._

Muffled by the horse's boisterous cries, was the much softer sound of Ellie's voice, who steadily rode beside her. Clementine tried to play it cool, obviously, pretending not to have been scared shitless by that measly jump.

"Andrea did say we'd be _'pleasantly surprised'_, didn't she?" The girl deadpanned, playfully putting emphasis on the words Andrea had used back in the cafeteria. "I think cool_er_'s probably it." _Hopefully…_

It might've been tough, a little on the intimidating side here and there, but Clem was having a blast riding a horse for the first time. Not quite like she'd imagined it based on the story books she used to read, but still awesome to the point of being almost breathtaking. Unbeknownst to Andrea - at least for the moment - in the thick of her excitement, Clementine had already nicknamed her horse _'Whiskers'_, due to the lengthy untrimmed hair growing on his muzzle. It was still a love-hate relationship between the two of them, but the girl was confident she could turn the tables… eventually. Regardless, riding through that mountain trail gave Clementine a lot of time to think… and _that_ she did, for a long while, until she finally spoke up again.

"Y'know, I…" Clementine tried to open up with, falling short a whopping two words in. _Great start, numskull…_ The girl pursed her lips, staring off into the valley ahead of them, before opening her mouth to speak once more. "I've never really been to a place like that, with… so many people. Ever…" Clem squeezed her hands together uncomfortably, averting her gaze for the briefest of instants. "Feels kind of nuts, actually."

"Just, I... I guess…" Again, she fumbled through her words, the girl sighing softly before locking her gaze on Ellie. "...Stick close, 'kay?"

"I think I'd probably freak out on my own…"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie found herself caught off-guard by what Clementine said, in a way that she didn't quite understand. Her heart was beating faster, and she took in a deep breath to try and calm it down. Knowing that Clementine wanted her around meant more to her than the girl probably knew; they've been through so much together that imagining when they first met, and how at odds they used to be, seemed just… ridiculous. Seeing that anxiety resting within Clementine, the fear of being alone in a place so vast, that'd been a feeling she knew all too well, from her early days at Boston. She wanted to spare her that pain, in any way she could.

She finally shifted her gaze back to Clementine, unable to help the small smile that was plastered on her face. "I'll always be there for you. That's what friends are for, right?" She averted her gaze for a half-second, continuing in a quieter tone. "No matter what we find in Jackson, or with the Fireflies, or, well… _anything_. We've got each other's backs." If there was anything she believed in, it was that.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's mouth nearly fell open, her lips quivering as a result of the impossible task that was suppressing the heartfelt smile forming on her face.

'_I'll always be there for you.'_

She really hadn't seen that coming, not from Ellie, but… all things considered, maybe it was stupid _not to_. That immune girl she met three months ago was more than just _'some friend'_ now. Ellie was _way_ beyond that, somebody she had seriously built a connection with. Clem hadn't grown that close to someone in… fucking ages, and it couldn't have felt more awesome to hear those words from that very same someone.

Finally, Clementine returned Ellie's smile with a lively grin, shyly looking away ever so slightly. "Thanks," she softly spoke, hands firmly clasped on the horse's reins. "I... I mean it."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's smile widened, a wave of emotion washing over her, just enough to force her to look away, towards where her horse was trotting. She couldn't help but feel… giddy. Like everything they've been through had some greater meaning, and their friendship was a testament to that. Here they were, hundreds of miles away from where they first met… riding horses, and the threat of the infected was barely a worry. She never thought she'd be able to feel like that again, and it felt almost insane to do so. A part of her was worried to let her guard down, to not take Andrea's words at face value and keep her eyes on her surroundings, but how could she when her breathing was hitching, and her emotions were running rampant? Happiness, contentment… among other things. She wanted it to be like this forever, she realized. And, someday, it will. They just had to push on for a little longer, find the Fireflies, and cure this thing. The rest would come soon enough.

And with Clementine by her side, the journey would be worth it.

"It's… no problem," she managed to say, finally, as a means to convey at least _some_ of the emotions she was feeling. "And I meant it… too."

She didn't quite know what to say after that, letting the sound of leaves rustling in the wind take over. If she could follow these trails for hours, she would. There was something far more peaceful about being on a horse, surrounded by friends and new acquaintances, that made everything feel so… serene. If only her heart wasn't beating so fast, maybe she'd be able to relax a bit more… but… well, she couldn't have _everything_.

**Dot [Andrea]**

The dense forest surrounding them opened up to reveal just how far up the mountain they've traveled. The trail ran along a ridge on the mountain, overlooking the valley below, and the distant, white-peaked mountains surrounding the landscape. Below, the valley stretched on for miles in every direction, and in the distance lied their destination. Although the walled section of Jackson was small compared to the _entire_ city, it was still impressive, far better than any community Andrea had ever stayed in, save for the Atlanta Quarantine Zone. They weren't on that level yet, but with time… anything was possible. The next step was to expand, and keep expanding, until some semblance of civilization could be brought back from the ashes. Had she found this place immediately after the destruction of Alexandria, she wouldn't believe that. She still found herself doubting it from time to time, but… they were doing it. They were building something here that could stand the test of time, they just had to work hard at building it.

She stopped her horse, slowly petting its neck as she looked back at the children following her. There was a sense of awe that was clearly visible in the newcomers' eyes. For her, the sight remained as jaw-dropping as the day she first came up here. This was why she chose this trail, to show the beauty of the landscape in a way you couldn't see from the ground. From up here, all those petty arguments and desperate scrounging of food felt so… small. Distant problems that could be fixed and _would_ be fixed. It was only a matter of time.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She called back towards Ellie and Clementine, slowly turning her horse so she could look towards them from the side. "It's views like this that make it all worth it. It's even prettier in the winter. Just… fields of white as far as the eyes can see."

**Art [Clementine]**

_Unreal…_ Clem was at a loss for words, staring dumbfounded at the sprawling city of Jackson standing hundreds of feet beneath them. "Whoa, are you kidding…?" She uttered faintly, a tender smile stretched across her lips, eyes as wide as they could be. Even the horse looked impressed; spreading his front legs out to the side and leaning back slightly. Clementine felt the same way, for the most part. Intimidated by the sheer size of that place, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach from looking over the edge of that towering mountain. Clem's gaze shifted directly to her friend, a look of disbelief plastered on her face. "You're seeing that too, right?" She asked in jest, her voice weakened solely thanks to how gorgeous that view was. _Andrea really wasn't kidding…_

**Dot [Ellie]**

It was a sight to behold, that much Ellie was able to conclude in the first couple seconds she spent staring in awe at the landscape surrounding them. Although the community of Jackson was small compared to the entire town, the walls surrounding a large section of the downtown area, it was more than impressive for a bunch of survivors alone in the middle of nowhere. This kind of dedication and engineering would've only been possible through FEDRA, but yet… here they were. Proving everyone wrong.

And seeing how Clementine's face lit up so quickly at the sight made it all sweeter. She was starting to hate the fact she was the reason they weren't going to be staying, tearing her friend away from a place that's so vast and beautiful to find a cure. But, at least, they'd have a place to come back to, right? They save the world and retire here. They'll settle down, stop running and actually _live_. No military orphanages, no FEDRA, no Saviors, no… nothing. Just people working together towards something that others thought impossible. She didn't think that way, though. Not anymore. Not after everything they've been through, and the people she's met. They were at a crossroads here, but it _could_ be the final destination, after everything's over and done with.

She found herself looking in Clementine's direction for longer than she'd intended, as if the joy that filled the girl's face was enough to leave her dumbfounded. She didn't even know why, but did that really matter? She was here with her. With her _really_ cool haircut, and awesome leather jacket, and…

"It's… beautiful," she finally replied to the girl's question, almost forcing herself to look away from her friend and to the said view. Normally, she wouldn't feel so anxious about going to a place like this, yet she… it was definitely there, she thought. That nagging feeling, its intentions and true meaning being almost indecipherable. She chose to attribute it to her journey here, from being alone with Joel to being in a place _filled_ with people. It was the only logical reason, right? It had to be. Her rapidly beating heart was just a side effect of that, and it'd subside once she was within those walls.

They just had to make it there first.

**Shadow Dot [Carl Grimes]**

While Clementine and Ellie stared in awe at the surrounding landscape, Carl simply directed his horse to stop next to Andrea's. It wasn't that he wasn't impressed with everything around him, he'd just grown accustomed to it. The mountains and large hills provided easy choke points to defend their home, at least, and their remote location made it _less_ likely they'd run into any other groups out here. After the Saviors, having only the infected to deal with was almost a relief. If only his father was here, then everything would be… well, _alright_.

Shifting on his horse, he focused his gaze on the two newcomers. He still didn't trust them yet, but he was beginning to think they weren't really a threat. At least, not these two. The other two he wasn't so sure about. Still, he'd keep his eye on them all the same. "Ever been to a place like this?" He asked, more out of curiosity than anything else. They seemed so surprised to see a _working_ community, so he had his doubts. After all, most places like this have fallen apart by now, whether from internal or external forces. He could probably count on one hand how many places he knew still existed out there that wasn't a shithole.

**Art [Clementine]**

Cutting short Clementine's already chaotic train of thought was a question from Carl directed at them, the boy looking a little thrown by their reaction. "N - Not really, no." Clementine explained, a hint of fluster in her voice. Well, Ellie had, sort of, but that didn't seem like the time or place to go into that. "Never..." The girl continued, her disoriented tone barely audible whilst at odds with the strong gust of wind pushing through the ridge of that mountain. Clem hastily cleared her throat, blinking repeatedly in an effort to get her bearings. "Guess we should… get going, then." _Geez... You've been through so much worse, what's a little crowd of people…?_

* * *

_1:55 PM_

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Tommy hadn't been inclined to join Joel with the others, after such shocking news. He spent a long time thinking, thinking about that girl and about Joel and about… _it_. He'd given up hope for a cure long ago, but he'd never heard of anyone being immune. Could a cure even be made? Was this some trick? With a groan, he set his forehead down on his desk.

All he knew was that he couldn't just ignore this, even if Joel was still a prick and he didn't trust the Fireflies. They'd figure out what to do from here and he'd do what he could to help his brother. Maybe he'd be able to convince the other two to stay instead; going out looking for the Fireflies like they are…

He sat up and rubbed his bruised forehead, mentally preparing himself to go face everyone. He'd let only Andrea know of Ellie's… condition. They'd give the new group a quick tour of Jackson, and then they could decide what to do next. Tommy threw on his jacket and grabbed his gun, shooting one more wistful look around the office that had increasingly been his quiet place. With one more deep breath, he stepped out into the hall.

First, he checked the empty cafeteria, already expecting it to be void of the people he was looking for, and then made his way to the courtyard. When he saw the sky again, he was surprised to see the courtyard was empty as well but for the people who had jobs in the facility. Joel and another man stood at the gate, most likely waiting on him.

Giving a lazy wave as he approached the duo, he apologized for his tardiness. "Sorry if I kept you boys waiting." They must have been left behind when Andrea took the group to Jackson. Having not introduced himself before, he held his hand out to the older man with a friendly smile. "I hope you've enjoyed the sights, so far. The name's Tommy." The man had seemed very cautious when he'd entered, looking at every little detail around him - obviously not some meathead.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After arriving at the gates and finally managing to get a word in with Joel, Lee was slightly taken off-guard as to why he remained so vague about the details of his discussion with Tommy. All he managed to get out of him was that they… _'needed more time to sort things out.'_ It seemed like they were most definitely going to be here for at least a few more days, nevertheless Lee wasn't going to complain… after the last few months, he figured they all needed a break.

The wait wasn't excruciatingly long but Joel wasn't in the most talkative mood. Lee was almost glad when he saw Joel's brother finally approaching, at least this awkward, silent tension that surrounded them would be lifted off his shoulders.

As Tommy extended his hand without haste, the former history buff extended his. At first impression, he seemed like an alright guy. "Lee." He gave his name in return to the southern man as he shook his hand back. "Thanks for letting us in here. We appreciate the hospitality."

"I was actually telling Andrea before she took the kids out, it really is an impressive place." He spoke with a smile, figuring it was best to at least thank the man that had allowed them entry. Now that he managed to get a proper look, there definitely was a resemblance between him and his older brother. Tommy, however, definitely seemed the more… 'passive' of the two.

"And from what I've been told, Jackson is even better."

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Tommy couldn't help but smile at Lee's praise. At his comment on Jackson, his assumption that they were waiting to be taken to the town was confirmed. "We're happy to have guests. It's a rare occasion, after all." Shooting Joel a look, he stepped forward and unlatched the gate, satisfied at the _click_ of guns armed and ready to defend the open door. The trail leading away from the dam and into the town wasn't too long - just to the highway on the other side of the treeline and down that road to the city, close enough so the dam could still be the head-of-operations for the community.

The path cleared, he turned to the other men. "Well, we have a little bit of walking to do to get there, so we might as well get started." Taking one last look at the gray cinder-block he called his home, he called up to the man standing at the top of the gate once they were out. "No one leaves unless they're done working, and no one enters until either Andrea or I get back. Clear?" The guard nodded his acknowledgment and Tommy wasted no time starting down the trail with the other men in tow, his voice already rising in the trees again. "When we get there, Andrea's gonna make some comment on how long I took, just you watch…"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel blew air out of his nose, a wry smile on his face. "Ain't that just how it is." Attempts to repair his relationship with Tommy would be difficult, but he had to lay one brick at a time. And the wall he was building was a crumbling one, and his cement was already beginning to dry. He stumbled along after them, his rifle slung across his back. He was really hoping Ellie was going to be fine back there on those trails. If she knew how to ride a horse like she said, she'd have to be, wouldn't she?

Moving through the gates went like clockwork. Easy enough, especially with the top dog Tommy on point. They were headed for Jackson, sure enough, and apparently there were even more folks down out that way. "How many people do you even have? Thought that was plenty back at the plant." Joel mused, looking to Tommy for some help on this particular subject. His baby brother... leading an entire town. How about that.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

The little group of men reached the treeline, and Tommy could see the road through the foliage. Joel had begun talking behind him, and he only let his attention be divided when he was sure their surroundings were secure, after he'd had a minute to look around. Only the people who stayed at the dam were the guards on the wall and him and Andrea. Everyone else there made the trek from Jackson to the dam to work, and back again as the sun went down, and the full staff of the complex didn't make up a large portion of the people in the town.

After another minute of quiet footsteps in the grass and they almost reached the highway, he turned his head to regard Joel's question. "We're nearly twenty families strong, down in the city. Give or take the men who always guard the dam." It wasn't even a hundred people, but with the exclusion of all of the other people they'd seen, they ensured their own safety. Tommy would never put a starving stranger over his own people, no matter how harsh it seemed. "We're pretty careful about who we let in. Have you found any other settlements between here and Pittsburgh?" It would've been nice to know that there were other people cutting themselves off from FEDRA and the Fireflies.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

At that moment, Lee exchanged a short look towards Joel. Lee couldn't tell if the look he received was urging him not to reveal too many details about 'that place' or something else entirely. _Screw it. Probably best to start this one off honest... as can be._

"Yeah. We have, actually." The former professor spoke up in the direction of the younger brother. There were definitely other people faring decently out there without the support of the Government or the Fireflies, but Lee was almost certain someone like Tommy wouldn't sympathize with the type of people they were.

"If you're planning on a road trip anytime soon, I'd stay far away from Pittsburgh. Place is crawling with bandits, infected and god knows what else. I'm telling you now, it was a nightmare trying to get through there." He considered that place a frightening wake up call, a culmination of everything he and Clementine had been trying to avoid for years.

"A group calling themselves the uh…? Saviors, I think it was." _God awful name since they do the direct damn opposite of what it implies._ "They occupy everything in between there and Kansas City, had a few close calls but we made it out."

"There was this settlement… 'Paradise' they called it, but uh… on the road, we've heard rumors that it's just smoke and mirrors, run by that Savior group behind the scenes." He spoke whilst remembering all that Tom had told them of the place.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Now, that was interesting. An independent power called the 'Saviors' with enough strength to cause rumors. Rumors could be dangerous, but any information was important when Tommy didn't get out much. Pittsburgh wasn't a surprise, there were more than a handful of cities like that, but he'd make sure to record it somewhere when he got back to his office nonetheless. If a new faction had risen up to power like what Lee was claiming, either they were _very_ careful with FEDRA or FEDRA was scared to oppose them.

He hoped it was the former.

The road was empty but for a few ancient automobiles that they'd pushed to the side years ago, and the afternoon sun beat down on them without the shelter of the trees. He grinned upon hearing about 'Paradise,' shaking his head and waving a hand to the fauna of the mid-summer. "Who needs a Savior's Paradise when you could be _here?_" This was Paradise, as far as he was concerned.

Tommy still had questions, however, so he quickly cleared his throat and continued. "But, that sure sounds like a shitshow. Don't the feds usually flip out when someone else rises to power?" If watching the Fireflies from their rise to power to now had taught him anything, it was that they didn't want any competition.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Tommy and his people had it _very_ lucky. The longer they spoke, the more Lee began to realize this. This hydroelectric dam that was powering the Jackson community, it was far enough away that these ragtag group of thugs hadn't gotten a whiff of it. There was no reason for those Saviors to travel further up west anyway.

"Yeah, but there's just not much they can do about it now, that place is way too far out of their reach to take back." The government these days had strong control, but only in specific areas. Every couple of years, it was common to hear about another one of their 'settlements' falling. "Surprised they've lasted as long as they have… I've heard they're still going strong in certain places, but their scuffles with the Fireflies have kept them pretty occupied." The former professor wasn't exactly sympathetic towards the feds after seeing the things they've done. Half of that horrible shit was just as bad as the bandits they'd seen back out on the road.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Tommy had nothing to say, opting to brood over his thoughts for the remainder of the walk. In the west, he only heard what the few travelers they encountered told him. Not like anything had changed, really. The only news was that FEDRA was wearing down, which could mean a lot of things. He didn't like either of the factions, but he knew that their prominence kept even more undesirable people from showing themselves. People turned bloodthirsty and mad by the apocalypse. If FEDRA finally caved, the Fireflies would have more than they anticipated on their hands.

They spent the rest of the journey in relative silence.


	23. Jackson, II

_2:10 PM_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Jackson managed to be even _more_ impressive from inside the walls. An obscene amount of people roamed the streets, going to work or playing with their kids, or… doing who knows what. She'd been in places like this before, but the ambiance here was so vastly different. In the quarantine zone, no one _wanted_ to be there. FEDRA made sure of that. But, here, there was a feeling of contentment that permeated the air like a thick fog.

Andrea led them through the streets, towards where they were meant to drop off the horses. Several passing survivors greeted her, in which she quickly responded, before taking a left turn. The stable came into view at the end of the street, near the north entrance. Ellie's gaze cycled between their surroundings, Clementine, Andrea, and then Carl, trying to take in every detail that she could about this place. It was just too good to be true. She could hardly believe her eyes.

Finally, they reached the stable, and Andrea led them inside. While Carl helped her herd the horses into their stalls, Ellie simply leaned against the wooden wall of one of the stalls, watching the scene before turning her attention to Clementine, who stood next to her.

"Hey… you okay?" She asked in a whisper, knowing that everything Clementine was seeing must've been overwhelming for her. Hell, she lived in a quarantine zone, and this was still kinda freaky. She could only imagine how the girl was feeling.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine couldn't recall ever feeling that way before, surrounded on all sides by people of different ages and backgrounds, all of them staring and waving at them in what felt like an unending parade. It was as astonishing as it was bizarre, the girl lowering the tip of her cap to shield herself from the passing gazes. After so long wandering through desolated cities, she had to ask herself if that's what one was meant to - or, at least, used to - look like, before everything fell apart. The entire thing felt so surreal, Clem half expected to wake up back in the dam before long.

After Andrea helped her dismount Whiskers, Clementine peeked out onto the street outside, staring in amazement at that crowd of people doing nothing more than going about their daily lives. That was probably the most outlandish part of it all, almost like they didn't care about the walkers, or the bandits just beyond those sturdy walls. Heck, maybe they didn't _have to,_ though that'd probably be wishing for too much.

When Ellie asked the old three-word question, Clem didn't have a clue of what to say to her, peering anxiously at the cluster of Jackson residents from inside the stable. "I'll let you know when I figure it out," she whispered back, trying to contain the modest panic rising in her chest, and only being partially successful.

**Shadow Dot [Carl Grimes]**

The horses were finally back in their stalls, and Andrea mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Carl before gesturing for him to head back towards the entrance of the stable. While he waited for her to finish up, he found himself leaning against the wooden barrier separating him from a horse's stall behind him, his gaze focusing on the two girls as they conversed in quiet tones.

_I guess this is the part Andrea wants me to show them around._ He mused, frowning slightly as he pushed away from the stall. It wouldn't be so bad, right? Being a tour guide wasn't _exactly_ his specialty, but he had nothing better to do right now.

"If you guys want a tour of the place, I can show you around," he offered finally, shrugging his shoulders. He could feel Andrea's gaze on him from deeper in the stable, but he ignored it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie was the first to answer, smiling slightly. "Yeah, that'd be cool. I wouldn't know where to start." In a way, she wanted to jump on this chance to try and make some friends around here. They were going to have to stay for a couple days, so might as well find people to talk to. Clementine seemed to be thinking the same, though she merely answered Carl's offer with a small nod.

However, before Carl could begin to show them around, Andrea's sudden "hey, wait" had them all turn towards her.

"I gotta talk to Ellie about something right quick. Carl, why don't you start showing Clementine around? Ellie'll catch up when we're done."

Carl nodded after a moment, gesturing towards Clementine to follow him out of the stables. Ellie was left to look towards Andrea with a questioning gaze, wondering just where the hell she was going with this, and how long it was going to take.

Andrea let out a sigh, gesturing for Ellie to head outside. "C'mon, let's take a walk."

* * *

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's mind was still reeling from… well, everything. How huge this place was, how _lively_ it seemed, or how breath-taking it all was. The rainclouds that had dominated the sky before had dissipated into the mountains, leaving room for the sun to warm up the earth. By this point, Ellie had already settled on lugging her pink and white jacket around, until Andrea had led her to a town square not too far from the stables. She set down her backpack and stuffed the article of clothing inside, before finally plopping herself down on the wooden bench. Andrea sat down next to her, her eyes scanning the small crowds of people moving to and fro in the streets surrounding them. For a moment, neither of them spoke, each having enough on their minds to think about for the time being.

Instead, her gaze wandered around her, taking in the sights. In the middle of the plaza stood a large statue of a man riding a horse, a remnant of a time when cowboys and Indians roamed America, and Clint Eastwood would roll up into town in his badass outfit. She knew that wasn't _really_ the case, but it was more amusing to imagine the actor living in that time-period, rather than playing a role in a movie or two she managed to snag while living in Boston. With the fall of civilization, they were almost right back into that era, even though she'd probably… prefer the original.

"So…"

Andrea's voice pulled her away from those daydreams of cowboys and ranchers, forcing her to focus her gaze on the woman next to her.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea chewed on the words she wanted to say for a moment, trying to think of the best way to phrase them. Dealing with this situation wasn't exactly high on her want-to-do list, but it needed addressing at some point. Given that Joel had brought Ellie all the way here, there had to be something going on there, right? Based on everything Tommy had told her about what happened to Joel's daughter, Sarah, it was strange to see him traveling with another kid, almost of similar age to her. She remembered how she felt when Billy and Ben died, and how hard it was to move on from that, and into 'parenting' Carl. That heartache that would never go away, like someone grasping the organ and squeezing it tightly. She couldn't imagine what that feeling must be like for Joel, losing his _real_ daughter.

Sighing, she forced those thoughts away. Getting emotional right now wasn't the _best_ idea. "You and Joel seem pretty close." She decided to start with that, just to gauge _how_ she should broach the subject with the girl, if she should at all.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The question caught Ellie off-guard, her brows furrowing. She'd gotten used to Joel, as much as he had probably gotten used to her. She liked having him around, despite how much he could be a dickhead from time to time. Biting her lip, she simply shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. We all relied on each other to get here."

**Dot [Andrea]**

"It's just…" Andrea trailed off again, tapping her fingers against her knee. There was no way to diplomatically broach the subject, so she decided to just let it out. "…Did he ever tell you that he had a daughter once?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"What? No way," Ellie couldn't help but blurt those words out. She couldn't see Joel, in a million years, with a kid. His dickishness had been enough to irritate her for the first several weeks of their journey. He seemed so inexperienced with teenagers, to the point that he tried _too hard_ to maintain control - even though Ellie fought back at every turn. But maybe… she let out a heavy breath, letting her gaze fall to her sneakers. Maybe there'd been a reason behind the way he acted for so long, much more than she'd been aware of.

"W - What happened to her?"

Given how she wasn't around, she already assumed the worst.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea struggled to remember every detail Tommy had told her, dating back to the moment Tommy went to pick up Sarah and Joel, to the moment Joel was held up by a soldier near the river on the outskirts of Austin. One of the strangest thoughts she'd had when he told her this was the fact that she wasn't too much older than Sarah when it all began, off by maybe a year or two. Now, she was nearing her thirties, and the first _real_ generation of kids after the apocalypse began were reaching that age she'd been. Time had flown by, and would probably only get faster from here on out. Nevertheless, she told the girl every detail she could remember. Maybe having her know meant that she could somehow… fix the issues that Joel held close to his heart. She wanted to believe that he was a good man, and that he could be brought back from all those things he'd done, but she firmly believed that it was Ellie that had to help him through that. It was the only way she'd let Joel stay in Jackson, even if she didn't really have much say on the matter. Not when it comes to getting in between Tommy and his brother.

Sighing, she brought the story to a close, returning her gaze to the young girl. "I'm not sure how you and Joel met, but… I think you're good for him, and if he's done well by you… maybe you'll both get a second chance here. God knows you've both earned it."

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Sarah._ Joel had a daughter named Sarah. She couldn't find any words to say after Andrea finished, instead focusing on the chirping of birds in the distance, and the rustling of leaves through the plaza. Had she been prepared for this moment, maybe she would've known what to do, or what to say, or how to feel, but she didn't have that luxury. Did Joel really see her as a replacement for his dead daughter? Or did he try and disassociate her from Sarah, which easily explained his behavior when they first met? Nothing made sense, yet it all somehow fit together in her mind, at the same time.

"Thanks… for telling me," she finally replied, her mouth feeling dry from just how _heavy_ this entire situation was. "I - I guess I never really _saw_ him as someone who had kids before. It's kinda… hard to believe."

"Yeah," Andrea breathed, struggling to put a smile on her face, it seemed. Her eyes pulled away from Ellie, focusing on something in the distance, before she eventually stood up. "Well, uh… seems like the rest of your group just made it here. Why don't we go check in on them, hm?"

Ellie simply nodded, her mind too preoccupied to really formulate an answer. Instead, she followed the woman towards the south gate, where she could see Joel, Lee, and Tommy conversing with a guard.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

When they entered the complex, Tommy stepped away from the group and pulled the gatekeeper to the side. Above all things, listening to the judgment of the people he trusted was what Tommy thought was most important in a leader. The man that controlled who entered and exited the town was one of those people. When the guests were at an ample distance, Tommy spoke. "Apparently, it's more commonplace nowadays to see FEDRA lose their territories, and they're losing power."

Eddie was quiet for a moment. "It was bound to happen eventually. The Fireflies always had the advantage of gaining support - the feds just took over cities." Tommy and Eddie had been located to the same base in Colorado all those years ago, and he'd managed to reunite with his old friend once he and Andrea came back to the area. They'd found him hiding out in the woods, scraping by with what he could catch for food, and he hadn't hesitated to join the little family all the way back then. "We're probably safe, anyways. The Fireflies know we don't have anything they want, so they shouldn't bother us."

Unfortunately, he was missing the point. "FEDRA have a lot of power, and it's influential," Tommy retorted. Had it really been so long? "I'm talking about the other people out there who are organized. What happens when they're suddenly unopposed?"

Understanding dawned on Eddie's face, and he glanced around him before lowering his voice to speak. "Are you talking about the Whisperers?" Most people at Jackson didn't know the full extent of the threat they had faced back then, many having not been here long enough to witness it. The gatekeeper, however, knew it all.

Tommy nodded. "I love that travelers have been stopping by so frequently and there have been familiar faces, but we need to be ready in case _undesirables_ try to sneak in, looking to catch a smaller fish while the government is starting to wear out." The dam was a restricted area to just about anyone that didn't have a reason to be there, but the city of Jackson was less so. The rest of the city was walled and barricaded - the only obvious entrance is the gate. It was up to the judgment of Eddie and his crew to let outside travelers enter for a short while to do their business, but Tommy tried to encourage it. If he could help someone and they could help him, then he was fine with strangers, but he would _not_ let savages get near his people.

Eddie just shrugged. "I think you're paranoid. If they were still a problem, they'd have come back for us by now." Tommy narrowed his eyes, but his friend beat him to the punch. "But it doesn't hurt to be prepared. I'll keep my eyes open, okay?"

He grinned. "Good. Your eyes are better than mine." Giving Eddie a quick pat on the back, he finally stepped into Jackson. It was a beautiful day, and the town seemed especially lively. It would be fun to show them around.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_Astonished_ was practically the only word Lee could think of to describe how he felt about this place. In terms of size, it definitely made the hydroelectric dam feel like an apartment complex in comparison. Nevertheless, massive places like these still made the former history professor slightly jumpy, the thought always lingering at the back of his mind that at any moment, someone would recognize him from the FEDRA zones. It was a small world nowadays and it was hard to tell how many people from there had migrated here. The name Everett was just a burden for him now, something he wished he could grind up into dust and throw into the wind. He hadn't done that last name proud by his family by any means, it was just a name associated with murder… Hell, they even found a way to pin him for 'suspicion of associating with Fireflies' in some of the posters. It just went to show that if you screwed with FEDRA, they'd screw you back ten times harder.

_I'm sticking to first names for a reason, and it's worked so far._

As the three of them were led further into the community, Tommy seemed to be discussing a few things with the gate guard when he spotted Ellie and Andrea walking up on them. Underlying immediate worry filled his chest as he didn't see Clementine with them but figured she might have been at the stables still, if something was wrong Tommy would have been contacted via radio by now.

"Hey, good to see we're all here in one piece." He spoke through a jesting grin as they approached. "So, did you guys have fun out there?" He was pretty curious to know how Clementine had fared on her first horse ride. He guessed part of him regretted not coming with and wanted to know what he had missed out on.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"This place is pretty great," Ellie replied through a half-smile, looking between Lee and Joel at regular intervals. The fact that he had a daughter was still settling in her mind, and she wasn't sure if she should even say anything about it. Given how she died... it's probably for the best that she _didn't_. Andrea patted her shoulder, before adding a comment of her own.

"They did well. You boys took your sweet time, though." There was an amused chuckle in her voice, which made Ellie's smile widen.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He chuckled quietly at Andrea's remark, which was seemingly aimed at Tommy. _Guess he called it._ Regardless, Ellie looked like she had a good time, he just wondered if it was the same for Clem. It was a relief to hear from Andrea that there were no slip-ups or unexpected problems out there. _They really do have this area locked down good._

He focused his attention to the young girl, deeming that she would be the most likely to know.

"You know where Clementine ran off to?" He asked through a light expression, trying not to come off as overly worried, he did wonder why she wasn't here though.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's thoughts diverted to the girl in question, thinking back to the moment Andrea pulled her away from a tour of the community. She definitely still wanted one, after this was all said and done. "She, uh... went off with Carl to check the place out. Should be around here somewhere."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee nodded. At least she was getting to know the place, trying to fit in. That was something Lee knew would be hard for her to do, and he was proud of her for facing that problem head-on. "Alright, I'm gonna go look for her. See you around?" He directed his question to Ellie, who nodded with a smile. Without another word, he strolled deeper into the community.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Lee had wandered off for some reason, leaving Joel and- _Her._ The immune one. Putting on a smile, he approached the duo. "You should introduce me to the little lady, Brother Dearest." Even if she made him uncomfortable, he'd still be _pleasant._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel swallowed, a fastening gulp of spit that only solidified his stance with Tommy. They had... differing views, he supposed. Especially on the point of Ellie, who was otherwise oblivious to her status of being pawned off. He provided a weak smile, looking at the girl. "This is Ellie, as you know. Met her in Boston, got paid to smuggle her, as you know." He looked at her, and then back at his brother. _Selfish..._ Selfish perhaps didn't even begin to cover it. Trying to send his brother across the country, away from his people, just because he couldn't handle his emotions. And the girl? No telling how she'd respond to it. She'd sure as shit not be gleeful about the situation.

Joel wiped his sleeve over his mouth. It might have been selfish... but _fuck_ if he didn't need this. Just as he had told Tommy earlier, this wasn't a matter of choice. He needed this to happen, or else... he was scared to think about what might happen.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Hi," Ellie awkwardly waved towards Tommy. It was a strange feeling, knowing more about Tommy than he knew about her. Thanks to Andrea, she knew a _lot_ more about **both** of them. Maybe that was a good thing, but knowing what she did about Joel… she wasn't sure how to feel about it yet. It made her feel more awkward than she wanted to be, and she didn't really know how to approach Joel about Sarah, or if she should _ever_.

Andrea made an excuse to leave, patting her on the shoulder, and leaving her with Joel and Tommy. Ellie's gaze diverted to the community around her before glancing back at Tommy. "You guys have a pretty _awesome_ place." That much she could say with certainty. The overall ambiance here had a much friendlier feel to it compared to what she was used to in Boston. It made it almost unbearable to think about the fact they'll have to leave, but she needed to see this through. For the world's sake.

Didn't mean they couldn't enjoy themselves while they were here, though.


	24. Campfire, I

_9:23 PM - Soccer field in Jackson_

**Dot [Ellie]**

She didn't know _how_, but Ellie was already starting to feel at home in Jackson. Maybe the fact she used to live in a quarantine zone attributed to that, or the fact there were so many friendly people in the community. Nevertheless, for a single, long moment, she felt… relaxed, far beyond anything she'd ever felt before. Was this how it was like before? She didn't really have an answer to that, but she enjoyed every minute she'd spent here. It helped that she wasn't alone, like she had been in Boston. She had Joel, Clementine, and Lee. Andrea and Tommy had done a **lot** to make sure they felt at home here, and she couldn't be more grateful for that, but at the same time… she felt a twinge of guilt in the pit of her stomach, knowing that every minute they spend here is one more minute someone else out there would die. Because they were relaxing instead of finding the cure. The colliding feelings were wreaking havoc to her brain, and she found herself smiling one moment, only to frown when nobody was looking. All of the weight she placed on her shoulders since the day she found out she was immune kept pressing down on her, harder and harder, as if it was growing with each passing second, yet she chose to ignore it, to try and live in _this_ moment.

Because she was safe, inside a community, with her best friend and someone she'd grown more attached to than she thought would've been possible. This journey that they embarked on together, not only with Joel, but with Lee and Clementine, it's made her friendship with every single one of them more important to her than she would admit aloud. And this place… it offered a safe haven, a place they could return to after they made it to the Fireflies. The goal wasn't to stay with that group anymore, it was to save the world, and retire here, and that would be the idea she'd pitch to Joel when this was all over.

They just had to get there first.

Night had fallen quickly, and the semi-warm air was replaced by the cool, refreshing breeze blowing from the mountains. Ellie found herself strolling down one of the streets alongside Clementine, who had been unusually quiet since they arrived. She didn't really blame her; this place wasn't… _all that_ approachable to someone used to being with only one other person, so it must've been a lot to take in. Ellie didn't pry too much, choosing to let the girl get used to things on her own than bombard her. Instead, Ellie balanced herself on the thin concrete barriers at the end of the parking spaces running parallel to the street, alongside several run-down stores, only some of which were still being used for _something_. Clementine, on the other hand, simply walked along the sidewalk, her hands stuffed into her pockets.

Joel had mentioned that Tommy was setting up some sort of get-together in the field by the town square, so that everyone could 'get to know each other'. At first, Ellie hadn't been all that interested, a small part of her wanting to just lie down in one of the beds in the house Tommy had lent them and sleep for who knows how long, but it didn't take much to convince her to go. The fact that Clementine was going was more than enough for her, although the added bonus of talking with some of the other kids in the community wasn't so bad either. She liked to think that she was sociable, although that fell flat on its head sometimes, depending on her mood. Today, though, the mixed bag of emotions made it hard to really tell _which_ way she was leaning.

Still, it wasn't the worst idea to make new friends, so she'd take advantage of that.

The field came into view as Ellie slipped off the final barrier, rejoining Clementine on the sidewalk. Two fires burned brightly in the middle of the field, one being surrounded by the adults, and the other, as far as she could tell, had Carl and two others she didn't recognize sitting by it**.** _Guess I know where we'll be sitting then._

Lee had left early to join the get-together, while Joel had remained behind to do who knows what, but would join in soon enough, she imagined. As they made their way across the street to the field, Ellie swiveled around, walking backwards next to Clementine.

"You gotta admit," she started, a hint of amusement in her voice. "This is pretty fucking cool. Just… the whole thing. I wonder if they've got marshmallows?"

_Please have marshmallows. I would __**die**__._

**Art [Clementine]**

Being in this place left her feeling out of her element, an outcast in a place filled with _way_ too many people. Between enjoying the change of scenery and hating it at the same time… Clem just couldn't figure out how to feel.

There had to be something wrong with her.

It didn't make it any easier to cope with, having to go to this dumb gathering. Lee convinced her to, of course… and yet, somehow it still felt like she was being forced to attend. She may as well have been. Ellie had offered to walk her there, to which Clementine responded indifferently, still too absorbed in her own thoughts to give anything, or any_one_ its befitting attention. That, she continued to be, the entire way to the soccer field. It was cold, and Ellie was rambling on about marshmallows. It couldn't get any worse. "...Sure," Clem blurted back, trying not to make evident the utter frustration in her voice. _I'm not gonna last the night…_

**Dot [Ellie]**

_One word answers. Yeah… this is gonna be… difficult._

Still, she was up to the challenge. Had to be, right? That's what friends were for.

They made the rest of the way to the campfire in silence, Ellie returning to walking forward before she managed to trip on something. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, standing at the edge of the flickering light alongside Clementine. She quickly waved towards Carl and the others, deciding that she would probably have to be the one to announce their arrival. "Hey. Gang's all here, huh?" She glanced towards the other fire burning about thirty feet away, laughter resonating in the air. It was nice to see, and it brought her back to that night in the radio tower, where she'd found herself thinking too much about the Fireflies, and managing to stumble upon the van that helped get them halfway across the country.

Ellie was the first one to sit down, opposite of where Carl sat. To her disappointment, she didn't notice any bags of marshmallows sitting around, but it had been wishful thinking anyway. They've probably all expired by now.

**Shadow Dot [Dina]**

Ever since Dina heard there were new folks in town, she found herself desperately wanting to meet them. It wasn't every day kids their age showed up, especially with Tommy's _brother_ of all people, and the whole prospect of meeting them had her feeling ecstatic.

So, when they finally showed up at the get-together, she couldn't suppress her smile.

"Oh hey, you're the new girls, right?" Dina beamed as she shifted in her spot. "I'm Dina. How's Jackson treating you two?"

**ScoLder [Carl Grimes]**

Dusk quickly faded to night as the fire was built and began to burn. Carl had been there to set up the fire he found himself at, losing his mind in the flickering flames. With his body positioned forward, forearms resting on his knees, Carl paid no attention to the others around him. His mind was too occupied.

It was Lydia. For the past couple weeks at least, Carl always caught his thoughts trailing back to her. Ever since she told him what they had at first wasn't 'real', he had been utterly confused. Now they were just friends, whatever that meant. Carl hated it. He hated her for it. Yet he loved her all the same. Carl had been going with the flow of things for a while. Being Lydia's 'friend' and pretending that the past didn't exist.

But he was done with it.

By the time Carl and the rest of the group had arrived back at the Jackson Community, he had psyched himself up. After giving the two newcomers a tour of the place, Ellie joining in a bit later, he eventually found Lydia and asked her to come to the campfire tonight. He knew it probably wasn't her thing, but he had to give it a shot.

"_Maybe..._" she had said before trodding off, without giving Carl a chance to respond. And now Carl sat, staring at the fire. Waiting for Lydia's 'maybe' to turn into a 'yes'. He would wait here all night if he had too. Until the fire is just embers and dawn breaks.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie simply shrugged her shoulders as she shifted in her spot, trying to find the most comfortable bit of ground she could find. The feeling of grass and still-damp soil was somewhat soothing, but at the same time, uncomfortable. That feeling in itself easily summed up how she felt inside, a conflicting set of emotions that seemed to defy each other, yet co-existed. Still, she nodded her head to girl's question, letting out a breath. "Yeah, it's pretty great. I hear you guys even have a _pool_. This place is like… paradise, compared to Boston." She lifted her gaze away form the fire and towards the girl, Dina, smiling. "I'm Ellie by the way. And that's Clementine." She hooked a finger towards her friend.

**ScoLder [Carl Grimes]**

Conversation started to pick up at the bonfire between Dina and Ellie. He'd known Dina for a while, but the two new girls less so, so he figured he should get to know them better now. _There's no use in just waiting for her to show up. Might as well make the most of it._ Carl shifted his gaze from the fire to the ground in front of him. Staring at his feet for a moment, he waited for his vision to readjust to the darkness. Finally, he turned his head and joined the conversation.

"It definitely is a nice community." Carl stated. Short and to the point. He hoped someone else would say something after him too.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem anxiously picked a spot next to Ellie before laying down on the ground, leaning back on her arms while observing the rest engross themselves in small-talk. She really did feel like a fish out of water in that place, to an uncomfortable degree. Granted, nothing was keeping her from just getting up and leaving, but... that'd be even _more_ awkward at that point. Hence, the girl kept seated without saying a word, hoping, to little avail, that the entire thing would end before long.

Clementine's hand drifted through the patches of humid grass, colliding with a twig situated rather close to her. Trying to occupy herself somehow, the girl threw it at the fire in the center, watching it be consumed by the growing flames. She hadn't really been following the conversation, but something did get her head to perk up: The sound of that boy's voice, Carl. It wasn't all that surprising to see him there as well, all things considered, but the thought of the scene she made back in the stable had Clem wincing the moment she noticed him.

From then on, things somehow got twice as awkward; Clementine pretending to look elsewhere any time Carl glanced at her general direction. Maybe she could make things… _less_ weird, if she tried talking with him. Anything seemed better than just _staring_ without saying anything… From what she'd managed to pick up, they were talking about Jackson and how great it was… or something. It sounded like the perfect subject to bounce off of.

"Been here long?" Clementine coolly asked the boy, thinking he _had to be_ given how friendly he was with Andrea, but curious nonetheless.

**ScoLder [Carl Grimes]**

Carl shot his gaze from the ground in front of the fire to Clementine. She seemed to be acting normal. He honestly felt bad about the first time they met. It was hard for him to look himself in the face after he was shot, but eventually he got used to it. It became a part of Carl. And he didn't expect anyone to be unfazed by it at first, but Clem seemed to be already.

"A little bit over two years." Carl answered Clem. It felt weird to say out loud but the last couple years of his life had been spent at the Jackson community. The last time he spent this much time at a community was Alexandria. Alexandria had been a lot of lasts for Carl. Last time he saw his dad, and pretty much everyone except Andrea. The last time he actually felt safe, which was the stupidest thing he had done in his entire life.

"It's a nice place." Carl continued. "One of the best communities I've been to, especially considering it's still around..." Carl slightly trailed off, referring to basically every place he had been to, which all ended up getting destroyed. It made him feel sad, but he knew that it was only a matter of time until this community fell too.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Right…" Clementine nodded gloomily, the boy's brief remark being sufficient for her to piece together what he meant. It spoke true for Clem in particular, given the fact that she'd never even _seen_ a community that wasn't in complete shambles before, most of them nothing more than ruins. She imagined it was probably the same for Carl, except… he must've been there to see it happen, more than once. "_This_ is my first, sort of," Clementine explained with a short sigh, elaborating on what she told him back in the horse ride earlier.

"Lee and I've been on the road for a long time, just the two of us… so, I'm not- I mean, it just _feels_ a little…" The girl stopped mid-sentence, nervously twirling her hair in a frantic attempt to articulate. "... weird, I guess."

"We're not staying long, though, I don't think."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

_You can still turn back…_

At a considerable distance away from behind the stump of a tall tree stood a figure, her mind whirling in doubt. She continued to use the tree and the darkness as cover whilst she peeked into the clearing of the old soccer field. She could barely make out Carl and Dina by the fire, the rest of the figures she just assumed to be _them._ Lydia closed her eyes and pressed the back of her head against the tree stump, tilting her head upwards as she let out an aggravated sigh. She was practically forcing herself to come to this stupid gathering. This whole soccer field campfire get-together bullcrap was such an obvious stunt by Tommy and Andrea for everyone to get to know the new people. It came off so forced and cringey to her, it wasn't even funny… it just really looked like Tommy was trying too hard to get them liked by everyone just because they were his brother's friends…

_Yeah more like freeloaders, we've turned away others before… they just get special treatment because of an oversight._

Nonetheless, Carl had dropped by after his _oh so amazing_ prance about with the two new girls on that trail ride. He'd told her that there would be a get-together for the new people earlier and wanted her to come. Lydia really wasn't sure if he was trying to make up for not inviting her to the horse ride, so she just responded with a solid 'maybe' to play it safe in case she didn't come. But here she was now anyway… the girl probably would have rather stayed home but the feeling of missing out again would be too much. She guessed she just sort of _expected_ an invite to the trail ride from him, was that what had her so riled up...? No, it was that the two new girls took her place and went with him… it was such a stupid thing, but could she really blame Carl for wanting to move on and do other things without her?

After contemplating her options for a brief moment, she finally gave in, rolling her eyes at herself. _Fuck it…_

Lydia began to walk into the open field with both of her arms tucked under her elbows as a defense against the slight chill. She didn't really know _what_ she was approaching or getting herself into, but she could hear basic chatter the closer she got. It wasn't long before she could make the familiar sights out... the girl with the ballcap, the other one with the reddish hair that looked like she was the source of all the racket, both around her age it looked. Her eyes then drifted towards Dina, someone else she didn't really… honestly, there were less people here than she was expecting, which would make it all the more difficult for her to just blend in and not have to talk to them.

When she finally appeared into their view, she was pretty confused on what to do next. Either way, this was really awkward, and she didn't even know if they noticed her arrival. Her eyes trailed over to Carl who was clearly too distracted talking to the girl with the hat to take notice.

"Hi guys…" She spoke quietly whilst trying to politely cut in on the conversation... since she probably _should_ at least make herself known to them, offering a simple wave towards the new people with a half-smile. Directing it at no one in particular. Her arms interlocked over her knees as she sat down near the fire somewhat close to where Carl was. Maybe it came off as really shy... but whatever. Lydia's only defense against the slight chill was the fire along with her hoodie. She wore it with the hood up, her distinct locks of blonde hair sticking out of both sides of the hood, being nearly impossible to miss.

"Sorry I'm late, hope I haven't been keeping anyone waiting… or something." The blonde spoke almost meekly, like she could feel everyone's eyes on her. It was pretty much a cover remark to seem nice in case they _actually_ were waiting on her before wanting to do something because of Carl, which she really doubted... They probably didn't even know she existed until now. Maybe all this awkwardness was just in her head, but naturally Lydia felt on edge since she didn't really know them yet. _Guess I'll give it a shot…_

**Dot [Ellie]**

It was nice to see Clementine talking, after barely saying two words to her on the way here. She'd been worried that the girl's apparent shyness would force her to keep quiet, although the night was still young. Still, she let the two talk while she fiddled with a twig, sticking it into the fire until the end of it glowed with the flames. She pulled it out again, blowing out the fire, before her gaze was forced onto a new arrival. Another girl had sat down close to Carl, her features masked by the hood of her sweater, although she was able to make out a _couple_ of details, mainly that she was pretty, and had long, blonde hair. She had a quiet, collected air about her, and Ellie decided to answer the girl's introduction with a simple wave of her hand.

"Hey, hi. We've just been… talking, really. Only just got here ourselves." She let out a slight chuckle, trying to alleviate the awkwardness in the air. "I'm Ellie… nice to meet you," she finished with, smiling. It was nice to see someone else her age here besides Carl, not that she had any… issues with him. Dina also seemed nice, too, but Ellie found herself struggling to come up with anything to say to her. It's been just her and Clementine for months, though, so having _more_ people to talk to was… refreshing, despite all of that.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Judging by all the racket she heard while walking up, she liked to talk… _a lot_. That was Lydia's first impression of the redheaded girl that introduced herself as Ellie. Although she was pleasantly surprised and perhaps caught off guard by how, well… _nice_ she seemed to be. Not really what she was expecting at all.

_You need a person like her to break the ice at 'things' like this, if everyone here was like me it would be pretty boring, I guess._

"Lydia." She responded with her own name and a small smile towards Ellie, short and sweet. She still refrained from talking too much since she didn't necessarily want to be in the spotlight of chatter for too long, but figured it was a given since she just got here… late.

"It's nice to finally meet you all, I've heard things..." _Wow, really? creepy much?_ Lydia quickly wished she retracted that comment, thinking it came off a tad too ominous. Why was thinking of nice stuff to say on the fly so difficult?

She quickly spoke again without letting the silence drag on for another second, almost stammering with the delivery. "Uh, about when you guys got here, I mean… being friends with Tommy's brother and all. It's true right?" She asked no one in particular.

**Art [Clementine]**

_Another girl?_ Despite not showing it, Clem was left floored by the sight of what was, fairly unmistakingly, another girl their age; Lydia. Just the prospect of it had her mind meandering, though she tried her best to shake that bombshell away so as to answer Lydia's question without having her voice crack from sheer uneasiness. 'Friends' was pushing it, needless to say. "We _know_ him, yeah," she said in a low and rather uncertain sounding pitch of voice, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

Clementine then tilted her head to the side, feeling prone to inquire something herself. "Why...?" It sounded perhaps a touch more boorish than intended, but only because of Clem's vague hunch that this other girl meant to insinuate something by it.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Here she was genuinely trying to make conversation, and it was _actually_ working so far.

That was until Lydia's head shot towards the nameless girl with the ballcap and short-ish hair… that tone, the blonde didn't like it one bit. The leaf she had picked up and was playing with a moment ago she began grinding up in her hand.

"Oh, y'know, it's been awhile since they've let new people in, so when it happens it kinda gets around pretty fast here." When she spoke, the former meek and friendly tone had seemingly dissipated, still keeping her delivery friendly, but with a confrontive tinge on it, as if she were mimicking the tone she received right back at the other girl but not making it _too_ obvious. Whether it was enough for the hat girl to realize, Lydia was uncertain. That girl didn't even give her name, and like hell Lydia was going to enquire for it now. Why would she want to know the name of someone that was, quite frankly, acting like… _a dick._ Realizing that she may have overshot it there, she dialed her demeanor back a bit, taking off the confrontive tone for the sake of everyone around them.

"I didn't even know Tommy had a brother, so I just had to confirm it for myself." She spoke again towards Ellie's less approachable bitch friend. Lydia then let the pieces of the crumbled leaf leave her hand and hit the ground, picking up a new one and continuing to twiddle with it.

**Art [Clementine]**

Lydia seemed… friendly enough, Clem figured. Maybe a little strange. Not 'Ellie strange', just… kind of weird. The way she kept looking at _her_ in particular, a hostile glare nearly omnipresent, had her thrown off balance from the moment Lydia laid eyes on her, though Clem felt bent on chalking that up to her own imagination. Still, something felt off… a vexing, lingering feeling that she was missing something, like this other girl was trying to provoke her for whatever reason. In the end, Clementine did nothing more than squint her eyes, exhaling sharply through her nose before averting her gaze from the girl, choosing to keep any undeserved lip to herself.

Surely it was all in her head.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie couldn't help but hiss in her breath, the action quieted by the crackle of the flames in front of her. It didn't take a genius to see that things were getting _tense_, based on the way Clementine and Lydia were staring at each other. She cleared her throat after a moment, looking between each kid around the fire. "Right, yeah... how about we play a game? Something to get to know each other, or... something?"

_Anything that isn't what...this is._

**Shadow Dot [Dina]**

When things started getting a bit tense, Dina found herself hoping that Jesse would finally show up. Her boyfriend was usually good with situations like this… calming everyone down and stuff. That, and being the only one here without someone else kinda sucked, but she'd come here to get to know the new girls, right? Guess she was gonna have to follow through on that one.

When Ellie finally broke the awkward silence with the prospect of a game, Dina's face lit up, and she shifted in her spot to sit straighter. "Whatcha got in mind?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Uh…" Ellie's voice trailed off for a moment, her nose scrunching as she struggled to think of something. "Well, Clem and I played this game once… someone asks a question, and the person they ask _has_ to answer it. If they chicken out, they're out. Sound good?" She glanced between the others before letting out a heavy breath. "Okay, I'll start us off, then. This one's for everyone, and the person with the coolest answer will get to pick. What's the coolest thing you've ever seen or done?"

**Shadow Dot [Dina]**

Ellie's question left Dina mulling over an answer, struggling to come up with anything interesting. She'd spent most of her life behind walls, with brief periods in between, like before she got here. In that time, her parents were more interested in running and hiding than visiting cool places.

When she eventually figured something out, she couldn't help but smile at the memory. "One time, my Dad took me up to the tallest mountain here in Jackson. Climbed up the whole thing. It was awesome."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The moment Ellie mentioned wanting to play some kind of questioning_'game',_ Lydia felt herself physically get sick to her stomach. If there was one thing she hated more than forcing herself to socialize with people she didn't know... it was being put on the spot, something this game would definitely do to her. Given her past, answering overly-intrusive questions were the last thing she wanted to do. Dina was the first to get the game going... to her surprise, she couldn't tell if it was a bluff or not. She didn't seem all that strong, so climbing up an entire mountain just seemed so… strange. Still, she found herself curious, thoughts of climbing that high intriguing her. "What was it like...?" She nervously asked, dreading her turn in this stupid thing.

**Shadow Dot [Dina]**

"Scary, a little." Dina admitted, shrugging her shoulders with a weak smile. She remembered standing on the ridge facing over the valley, a step away from a fall her anxious mind had already imagined a hundred times while on their way up there. "But the view was worth it."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Nodding slightly at the explanation, Lydia was left kind of impressed. What followed was a dragging silence as Lydia scanned everyone around the fireplace, seemingly trying to figure out just 'who' was going next. That was until her eyes landed on Carl, who gave her a quick nonchalant nod that would probably be hardly noticeable by the rest, as if he was encouraging her to _go ahead and speak._ She got that he wanted her to socialize more, but she didn't want to be judged.

"Guess it's… my turn then." She finally gave into the silence, smacking her lips together awkwardly as she tried to think of something. "Um..."

"I guess the coolest thing I've seen is… well, when the electricity here _is_ working." Her eyes trailed off for a moment, before continuing, remembering what her and Carl sometimes occupied their time with a lot in the past. "We have this thing called a PlayStation… with a bunch of controllers, you can play all kinds of really cool video games."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Whoa, no way!" Ellie found herself exclaiming, finding it almost _unbelievable_ that someone still had a _PlayStation_. As much as she found Dina's story a tad on the unbelievable side, Lydia's was pretty much _astronomical_. Still, she couldn't contain her excitement. The thought of playing a video game was more than enough to leave her giddy, bringing her back to that morning she spent in the mall with Riley, pretending to play The Turning as Angel Knives. Playing the real thing would be… hopefully everything she had hoped for. "How the hell did you guys find a working PlayStation? That's like… _really_ fucking cool."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Living here for so long, it was hard to remember that other kids weren't as lucky. That was, until she saw Ellie's reaction to the news. A small chuckle ended up escaping her lips, mainly because it was kinda funny how excited she was about it.

"I mean, yeah… I guess it is pretty cool." She spoke whilst also attempting not to boast too much about it. "It was already here from a while back, but I think they found it when they were still moving in and setting up the community in one of the houses here with a bunch of other junk, was just a lucky find."

**Art [Clementine]**

After Dina and Lydia had their turns, the other kids around the campfire - Ellie, in particular - began to look at Clementine expectantly, leading the girl to sigh in consternation. "I guess there was this one time…" She finally gave in, partly just wanting everyone to quit staring at her.

Nothing came to mind at first, not really. She'd gone through some really messed up, almost unthinkable stuff, but nothing she really deemed 'cool'. Of course, everyone else was waiting for an answer, so Clem settled for the closest thing to that she could think of. "We got captured by these soldiers once, me and my old group." Carver. Ellie didn't know about what happened… and Clem wasn't sure she felt comfortable _talking_ about it, but this was a start, at least. "They had us tied inside this… military truck, so they could take us back to a quarantine zone in Charlotte."

"...but they didn't get all of us. My friend Luke got away before they caught our group." Clementine paused, meeting the other kids' attentive gazes, before carrying on with the story. "Anyone else, I think, would've just… left us, you know? Like, what would you even do against so many soldiers...? But Luke, he chased after us. We drove on for miles and he kept on their trail the whole time, for days." That day he snuck up on her in the comic book shop felt almost otherworldly. She remembered thinking he was crazy, and stupid, and all kinds of things for pulling that stunt, but never before had she been so glad to see him. "He snuck inside the quarantine zone, and then helped us bust out of there."

"He got caught too. That moron." Clem smiled wryly, thinking back almost fondly to what had to have been one of the scariest moments in her entire life, keeping a stolen walkie-talkie inside her front pocket while that psychopath, Carver, threatened to kill all of them because of it. "We got out, though. All of us. And it was thanks to him." The girl stared at her feet briefly as the story concluded, before moving her eyes back up once more, biting her lip.

"I - I think that's the, uh… coolest thing I've ever seen."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie listened intently to Clementine's story about Luke, someone that she wasn't all too familiar with based on what the girl's told her in the past. Really, she didn't know _all that much_ about the girl's past, beyond a few snippets here and there. Whoever Luke was, he seemed like a good guy. That was the only real conclusion she could come up with, and she could tell that Clementine respected Luke far more than she was letting on. Especially with the 'moron'. She had a way of calling the people she seemingly liked the most names, something that Ellie had picked up on back during their stay at the house in Pittsburgh. There was never a day that passed that the 'Stupid' nickname wasn't mentioned, and she was sure that Luke had probably gone through a similar experience with the girl, back when he was… well, alive. Given how almost everyone in her old group had died, as far as she was aware, it was the only logical conclusion she could come to.

"He sounds like a cool guy," Ellie finally said, smiling towards Clementine warmly. It was about the only thing she could think of to say, and she quickly forced her gaze away after a couple of seconds, focusing on Carl across the way. The last one to answer; she'd just have to see if his answer would top the others.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl wouldn't admit it, but the chance to tell others about something cool he saw filled him with excitement. He was in the company of new faces, people who Tommy trusted, and it had been a long time since he'd met new people _relatively_ his age. Only a fool would pass up the chance to make friends. They certainly seemed alright to him - Especially that Clementine girl. Someone who made an effort to get to know him despite his appearance was always good friend material. It was a wonder why they wouldn't be staying for long, but he'd seen many people come and go these days. It wouldn't stop him from playing along.

He flipped through his mental catalogue of grotesque and bizarre experiences, trying to find something that might impress them. Since they seemed to be going around the fire, he got to listen to the others before himself, and an idea formed in his head. Instead of something shocking and strenuous that he'd seen someone conquer, why not share an exotic experience? Lydia had a PlayStation, so she _might_ have already won, but he was sure there was something he'd seen that _they_ hadn't.

A lump settled in his throat as the rest of the people at the fire quieted down and directed their attention toward him. Speaking in front of others didn't bother him, but he still didn't really _know_ these people - Besides Lydia and Dina, of course. It felt foreign to share an old or personal story so openly, but the right story couldn't hurt. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he began.

"A long time ago, when I was still with my dad, we lived in this community called Alexandria. There were a few other groups nearby, and there was one called The Kingdom; Not the name I'd have picked for it, but their leader _was_ pretty dramatic. He called himself 'King Ezekiel,' and he… he had a pet tiger that he kept on a chain. Not tied down to anything, he _carried_ the chain." Thinking back on the first time he saw the bold figure stroll into the gates of Alexandria, Shiva at his side, an echo of that same wonderous feeling rose up. He could almost still feel her surprisingly soft orange fur under his fingers, from the few times he'd been allowed to touch the great cat. "He called her Shiva, and I couldn't top that."

His story wasn't lame, right? Tigers were cool. When would they have ever seen a live tiger? Thoroughly satisfied with his contribution, he leaned back and grinned across the fire to the redheaded girl, Ellie. "You're sitting at the fire, too. What's the coolest thing _you've_ ever seen?" He wouldn't let the person who came up with the game weasel out of playing it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Whoa, are you fucking kidding?_ The very thought of seeing a _real_ tiger, let alone one that someone kept as a **pet** was pushing the boundaries of believability. One of the few animals she'd taken a serious interest in when she read about them, she wasn't sure if she'd be super fucking excited to see a tiger or shitting her pants… or both. Before she could reply, though, Carl was already asking her the coolest thing _she's_ seen, which luckily, she'd been thinking about while listening to everyone else.

"Well, uh…" she trailed off for a moment, trying to figure out the best to way to formulate what she wanted to say. Digging up those old memories were already beginning to have a toll on her, but it didn't make the experience any less the coolest thing she's seen. "Back in Boston, there was this mall. I used to go there a lot with my friend. The last time we went there, she took me to this arcade. None of the games _worked_, but there was this one… the Turning. She told me to close my eyes and pretend I was playing it. She was describing what would be happening on the screen, and the whole experience was so…"

She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes for a moment, as if imagining herself back in that moment, her fingers placed on the controls, and her best friend's voice in her left ear. She always admired that about Riley, just how… creative she was. Ellie was never able to out-pace her in that department, and probably never would've. She breathed in, opening her eyes.

"…exhilarating."

**Art [Clementine]**

_There's no way,_ Clementine avidly thought with a faint smile, Carl's story somehow sounding twice, maybe four times as ridiculous as Dina's. I mean, come on, a pet tiger? A kingdom? It all sounded like something straight out of Mom's story books… which, oddly enough, is probably what had Clem captivated to such an awesome degree. She didn't _really_ believe him, though. Carl didn't strike her as the joking type, granted, but that entire story was just too hard to swallow.

Still, made up or not, it _was_ pretty cool.

Ellie was next, drawing Clem's attention before the fourteen-year-old even said a word. She didn't know what to expect - when dealing with Ellie, you sort of never did - yet in hindsight, Clementine figured she should have seen it coming.

Riley, of course. It was in the mall, too, the same one Ellie spoke about that night a few months ago. The hardest part was trying not to gloom while Ellie talked… trying not to get too hung up on her choice of words, 'the last time they went there'. It felt pretty strange, being the only one in that circle of other kids who knew the astronomical stuff that went down right after Ellie's story ended, though she imagined that was probably for the best.

That aside, Clementine couldn't… _really_ grasp what had Ellie so exhilarated about what she described. It didn't help that she barely knew what an arcade was, but… anyway.

Clem fell silent, more so than she already was, if one can believe it. Moving and stretching her toes inside her boots to appease the tension, one that she was likely the only one feeling. After two, or three, what felt like a dozen seconds of silence, Clementine finally said something. "She sounds really nice." 'Sounded' nearly escaping the girl's lips instead, Clem averting her gaze once more. There wasn't anything she could say to make Ellie feel better… maybe it would've been better had she not said anything in the first place...

**Dot [Ellie]**

"She was…" Ellie breathed, looking between the girl sitting next to her and the ground in a quick movement. She didn't want to dwell on it, though, the memory becoming harder to digest as time dragged on. After a moment, she cleared her throat, trying her best to put that smile back on her face for everyone else. It was better that way.

"Anyway," she continued, in almost a sing-song voice. "_If_ you're not lying, Carl, seeing a tiger is pretty fucking cool. You get the win, but only because I _want_ to believe it," she let out a half-chuckle, hoping that was enough for the boy to understand that she was just joking around. "So, go ahead, choose someone to ask."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl couldn't help but feel that there was more to Ellie's story that meets the eye, and that it wasn't all _great._ But it wasn't his business, was it? They were strangers, and this friend had obviously been very important. People mourned best with those they trusted, after all, and he didn't think he'd ever had a friend that close besides Lydia. It was an unusually tender and personal story, even if details were left out.

Everyone seemed amazed by his story, but he was a little surprised they believed him. He probably wouldn't have, if he were in their place. Clearing his throat, he spoke with a smile, "I almost can't believe it myself, it was so long ago… but it actually happened, no bluff." He chuckled and settled back into silence, trying to decide what to ask next, and who would get the question. Something not too personal, but interesting enough for them to hear. Worthy of the opportunity given to him.

His gaze found Clementine - Or, more specifically, the stained and ragged cap that adorned her head. The words had left before he really thought too hard about it, since he _had_ thought it was interesting before. "Where'd you get your hat, Clementine?" The symbol on the front wasn't totally faded, so it could still have passed for a sports cap. Carl wasn't nearly as versed in pre-infection sports teams as many of the adults he met seemed to be, so he didn't know _what_ the hat represented, but she wouldn't wear such a thing unless it was important to her somehow.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine flinched slightly at the boy's question, biting her lip whilst she faced away from him. Mom and dad… the frightening thought of never getting to see them again. It was all too fresh in the girl's mind for that question not to feel uncomfortable. Carl didn't mean it, of course, so she'd try to put on a brave face, even if at the time, doing so seemed almost impossible. "It was my dad's," Clem replied, a hint of strain in her voice. The girl forcing a smile that faded away in what felt like an instant. "He's not… around anymore," she explained, her words lacking any sort of confidence. Clementine couldn't believe that, _think of_ her father being dead. She flat-out refused to… and yet, after so many years, it felt so dumb to try and claim to anyone that he wasn't.

_I know… I know you're not dead._

"... but I'm holding onto it for him," she finished, lightly flicking the tip of her hat upwards. It was her attempt at ending that sob story on a positive note, following by shifting the subject away from her dad for the same purpose.

"It's, uh… It's a baseball thing," Clementine noted, noticing the persistent looks directed at the large 'D' engraved on her cap. "I don't really know anything about it, so don't ask," she added with a chuckle, a little flustered at the thought, all things considered. Either way, baseball was just one in a long list of stuff she'd probably never get to see for herself.

A short-lived silence filled the soccer field following Clementine's answer, the girl herself uncomfortably pressing her hands together before coming to an abrupt realization.

"Is it… my turn?" Clem asked with wide eyes and a hushed tone, turning her head towards Ellie, who sat to her right. It was kind of difficult to digest her likely _dozens_ of curiosities into one simple question, though it only took a few seconds before she came to one natural conclusion. "I guess this one's for Carl, Lydia, and Dina."

"Where you guys from? Is it far, or…?" Clementine trailed off, pausing mid-sentence. The thought occurring to her that it'd probably be easier for them to open up if she did it first. "I grew up in a farm sort of close to Atlanta. Reminds me a lot of this place, actually, except… tinier." Clem looked at the other three expectantly, fairly excited to learn more about them.

**Shadow Dot [Dina]**

Dina listened closely as Clementine told the group about how she'd gotten her hat. When she'd brought up her dad, she could easily hear the discomfort in Clementine's voice, and Dina found herself frowning, feeling bad for what the girl's been through. When she tossed a question their way, Dina tried to relax, holding herself up with her hands planted on the ground behind her.

"I used to live out in Arizona, back when I was around… nine. Maybe ten? The heat was unbearable."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia couldn't help but softly smirk in Carl's direction when he decided to share the story about the tiger, which, in her opinion, had to be the coolest one out of the lot. She wasn't surprised at all when Ellie picked him as the winner. Well, maybe a little bit... since she figured some people here would of course be too narrow-minded to believe him. Yeah, he totally deserved the win.

Lydia was utterly thrilled that her hoodie masked most of the features on her face to save Carl the embarrassment of seeing her almost roll her eyes as soon as she spotted his gaze going towards the other girl. She knew this was just a harmless game, but she just couldn't help but find it… aggravating at how Carl practically hadn't noticed her even show up here because of how busy he was talking to her. Now without even a second thought, his attention of course was once again directed towards her to be his first pick.

She tucked her knees in closer to her chest as she quietly sighed, leaning her chin on the tip of her knees as the current conversation moved on to the girl's dad. She supposed it was cool of him to hand off something to her… something like that was hardly relatable to Lydia since she never even met hers, thinking about how things may or may not have changed had he been around was just depressing. Lydia, in response, drowned out the conversation in favor of her own thoughts. She was admittedly trying to figure out what the hell she would say if it was her time to talk again. _They both have some super cool or nice story about a time with their friend…_ Truth be told she was trying to think of any story she might've had that could compare, but it was either too personal or too painful. Her life before running into the Jackson survivors wasn't all that interesting or noteworthy, nothing she wanted to remember let alone ever talk about.

She lifted her head slightly as she heard her name get called out among some others. _Oh god, she's really picking me as well?_ The sudden shock was soon replaced with acceptance that she would now have to come up with type of answer soon. It was a crap question to answer, at least for her. She wasn't really from anywhere, her time with the Whisperers was basically spent constantly on the move. The young girl's home used to be with the roamers… for a long time.

Ellie's sociable attributes were certain signs of most likely originating from some kind of populated area. That Clem girl less so, but apparently, she did have a farm for a while. Lydia was almost certain the two of them had it better off than she did back then… and she just didn't quite know how to feel about that. It was just one more thing nagging at her from the moment she came across them. There was a brief moment of silence after Dina spoke, which she guessed was her cue to speak up, averting her gaze to the girl opposite her.

"You mentioned being on a farm for a while, sounds nice." There was evidently a tad more energy in her voice than before, mostly because she really wanted to drive her point across. "_Unlike you_, I never really had a place like that, grew up on the road from the start. Always moving all the time." The girl paused, figuring she was obliged to explain a tad more, although she was picky with how much she wanted to reveal.

"The group I used to be with before I came across Jackson… liked to move. A lot. Anyway, if you wanna get... technical, I remember staying around Washington D.C. for a bit when I was heaps younger, so pretty far."

**Art [Clementine]**

Dina's answer was pretty run-of-the-mill, and she found herself wondering what Arizona was like. Hot, apparently. Still, she had little time to dwell on it. Lydia was next, pulling Clem away from her thoughts with the sound of her voice.

The weird looks, the remarks… even the way she talked. Clementine had that impression from the moment that other girl introduced herself, but now she knew for sure Lydia was trying to get under her skin.

"Unlike me...?" Clementine asked with a scoff, her gaze - then turned into a glare - now directed at the blonde girl with the hoodie. What the fuck was her problem? It's like every time Lydia said anything to her it was meant to sound condescending. Clem's scowl became gradually more noticeable, the girl facing away from the hooded girl so as to keep herself from saying something she'd probably regret. Clementine didn't know what Lydia even _meant_ by that. As if they got to pick the place they grew up in.

"It's not like I had it easy…" Clementine quietly stated, a hint of contempt apparent in her voice. She wanted to tell this girl off _so bad_… but her and Ellie were there to make friends… last thing she wanted was to squander that chance for the both of them.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

_That_ was certainly a surprise; Clementine was looking for her parents, just like he had been. If she insisted that they were alive, he wouldn't say anything to crush that hope. Carl was sure that his Dad was alive somewhere, but his hopes of finding him again were less solid. It was just too big and unpredictable of a world. In everyone's own ways, he supposed, people like to lie to themselves to make things seem better - He'd never know if his dad was alive, if he never found him. What else was he to do? After all, he was only human, too.

The question the group got in return was simple to answer for _him,_ but not for Lydia. Her full story was more than those around the campfire could probably bear. When he glanced over, and saw the bitter look on her face, he almost felt bad for her. It wasn't like she'd dump her heart out for them all, but he knew that thinking about it at all upset her. Listening to her story with mild discomfort, he hoped Clementine didn't get upset about her… _Attitude._ She was like that a lot lately, and he hoped they weren't already fighting. The strange, short-haired girl was too interesting for them to hate each other _that_ quickly.

Trying to draw their attention away from each other, he cleared his throat loudly and addressed Clementine, "You really grew up near Atlanta? That's where I was, for the longest time… till I was about 10. I met Andrea not long before we escaped. She helped us." He couldn't help but smile at the thought of the blonde woman, the one piece of his life before Negan. "We escaped, were on the move for a while. The last place we were all together was where I saw the tiger. Alexandria." He paused for a moment, to gather his thoughts. "Now we're here, basically."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

There it was, what that Clementine girl was trying to hide from everyone. Lydia suspected it from the moment Clementine's first words reached her, the feelings they had were clearly mutual towards one another. _I fucking knew it._

Ballcap girl clearly took that comment to heart, not like she was surprised at Clementine's reaction, but it still managed to infuriate her, nonetheless. Locking her eyes with the girl opposite her, she remained expressionless as she attempted to hold it together, returning the glare straight back at her. Right then and there Lydia imagined just wiping that filthy scowl right off her stupid face and how good it'd feel. Clementine was clearly trying to show her up in front of everyone at the fire by making those comments, but she sure as hell wasn't going to sit here and let that _cow_ keep scoffing and glaring at her, no way.

Just as she was going to open her mouth, Carl intervened, cutting her off as to which she responded by averting her shielded frustrated gaze to the fire. It was probably really obvious to everyone else at this point… more so that Carl was trying to snuff out the flame before it got too big. So, she waited, just for the right moment… In fact she was sure _he_ knew what was coming just as much as she did, he wasn't going to let Carl get her off the hook that easy.

_Just you wait…_

As soon as Carl stopped speaking… almost as if Lydia was itching to, she immediately butted in right after, not caring at all if it looked rude.

"I think I'll go next now that everyone's answered, because I have a question that I'm _really_ curious about." She spoke up with a prissy and overfriendly tone, she didn't give a shit about acting nice anymore… in fact she _wanted_ her to know she was being sarcastic, although still taking care not to seem _too_ overdramatic. This wasn't a side of her she predicted showing tonight, but she couldn't help that it was coming out one way or another.

"This one's for either Ellie or Clem to answer, our two new girls." She spoke whilst averting her gaze between them with a smile, more so keeping it right on Clementine. She didn't care if it was one week, one month… or even one year. Lydia just wanted that girl to know that she wasn't welcome here, at least not by her.

"Just how long are you guys going to be staying for?" She spoke after a brief pause, this time accompanied with one even bigger fake smile to boot.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The tension in the air grew with every word that was exchanged between Clementine and Lydia, and Ellie had tried her best to ignore it. She hoped that the game would make everyone open up, have a little bit of harmless fun and enjoy the quiet evening. Based on Lydia's answer to Clementine's question, and then Clem's subsequent reaction, and _then_ Lydia's **own** question following it, that was never going to be the case. This entire thing was turning out to be a mistake. She could feel her breath hitching as Lydia's quiet voice turned into something akin to a sneer, dripping with sarcasm that'd probably melt through steel. Lydia didn't want them to be there, that much was made clear from the get-go. The worst part of it all was that Ellie couldn't really figure out _why_. What had her so worked up about them? Was it because of Carl? Based on the way they looked at each other, there was history there. It must really hurt to see him talking with a couple of girls. She found herself thinking, her own expression turning into a glare as Lydia's question sunk into the air around them, absolving the friendly, fun vibe in one, swift stroke.

Ellie wasn't sure what came over her, but she was tired of hearing Lydia's voice, and tired of her treating them like they were pests. She opened her mouth to reply, her tone harsh. "Long enough." It was the only answer that Lydia needed. If she wanted to play the 'bitch' game, Ellie would respond in kind.

"How about this, then?" Ellie continued, shifting in her spot next to Clementine as her voice began to sound similar to Lydia's. "Let's raise the stakes. Truth or truth isn't really cutting it, so what about some Truth or Dare? I'll start. Lydia, I dare you to stop acting like an arrogant bitch."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl had hoped striking better conversation would help the girls take their minds off of _themselves,_ but they had different ideas. He watched helplessly as Ellie was dragged in and it became a mud-slinging competition, caught trying to think of something he should say to cool down the situation. When Lydia asked them her question, bearing that obnoxious voice she used when she was angry, he knew he had to do something. Otherwise, for all he knew, someone could really get hurt. They still didn't _know_ these people.

"Lydia, maybe we should go..." He went to place a hand on her shoulder, but she just jerked away. _Why can't you people act reasonable?_ Ellie was retorting now, and Lydia was looking angrier by the second. Tempers were already high, and _did Ellie just call Lydia a bitch?_ Time seemed to slow down, and he reached out to her again, more firmly this time. This had to stop. "We need to-"

That was when she charged.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"W- What?" She spoke in disbelief, coming out in almost a hush.

Her mouth hung open for a split second as her eyes widened, dumbfounded. They were words she just didn't see coming, not from the redhead at least. The next thing she felt was her heart start to pound, adrenaline giving it a jumpstart as rage began to bubble up inside of her. She felt a hand on her shoulder that was most certainly Carl, as to which she aggressively shrugged off, paying him no mind.

At that split moment, she lost it. _**I'LL FUCKING RIP THAT BITCH APART!**_

She lunged up from the ground, nose flaring up to accompany her deep breaths as she stomped straight over towards where Ellie was sitting, which wasn't that far, fists balled up at her sides. Pure rage was oozing out of her, teeth gritted.

"You wanna raise the stakes?" Her voice almost quivered from how uncontrollably raged and upset she was. Her eyes feeling like they were going to well up from the adrenaline alone. Without a second thought, she charged up some spit before sending it flying straight towards Ellie's face. "I dare you to swallow that you little fucking whore!" She screamed towards her, unable to control herself.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie expected a reaction, but not quite what she'd gotten. Lydia pushed herself to her feet and circled the fire towards her so quickly that Ellie didn't even have time to react. When Lydia spit at her, the saliva splashing against her face, running down her cheek, Ellie angrily wiped it away with her sleeve, glaring towards Lydia with a newfound sense of hatred. Her comment earlier was to call out the girl on her hostility, but this…? Her cheeks burned red in anger, and she felt her fists clenching as she began to push herself to her feet, preparing to face Lydia. Ellie wasn't going to fucking back down just because of _spit_. Before she could do anything, however, Clementine had already gotten to her feet, getting in between her and Lydia.

She didn't expect what happened next.

**Art [Clementine]**

She watched, dazed, taken wholly aback by Ellie's words. Clementine was pissed off too, maybe just as much as Ellie was, but even for _her_ that sounded like it was going too far. The girl's widened amber eyes bounced between the girl in question, Lydia, and Carl, the latter two seemingly just as shocked as she was. "E - Ellie…" Through a sorely trembling voice, Clementine uttered her friend's name, disbelief melded within the depths of her mutter.

Lydia took it much more harshly.

The blonde rose from the grassy terrain all too suddenly, Clementine's feet practically moving on their own, telling her she should as well. An intuitive response to the furious glower directed at them. She swore first, calling Ellie a word she only vaguely knew the meaning of, before pressing her lips together and spitting on Ellie's face. An empathic _pthoo_ making its way to Clem's ears, before the girl was even remotely able to grasp what had happened in front of her.

Everything that followed was instinctual. Feral, almost.

Clem's knees straightened upwards, the girl standing up in one abrupt motion, her large eyes flaring in rage. No thoughts went through her head, nothing at all. Only the urge to let all that anger out, while her teeth grinded violently together.

Clementine brought her hand to Lydia's face, her clenched fist colliding with the girl's cheekbone and sending her staggering backwards, Clementine's furious gaze unwavering, as she watched the girl fall with a grimace.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

A piercing pain shot through the side of her mouth as her head swung back, letting out a pained gasp as her eyes squeezed shut. Stumbling back slightly as she hunched over and fell on her butt, gripping the side of her face. Stunned for a moment, she wasn't sure what the hell just happened, that was until her vision found… Clementine, of course.

She was going to tear that bitch apart, that's what she was going to do. It didn't matter which one of her friends got in the way, nothing was stopping her now. They _didn't_ even belong here, and she had no problem putting them in their place. Letting out a loud scream as she scrambled to her feet and charged towards Clementine, an explosive culmination of pent up anger between them finally reaching its boiling point.

It took her a mere second before she was onto the shorter girl, then continuing to bowl her over and take her to the ground, clawing at her as she attempted to wrap them around the other girl's throat. Lydia's fingernails began to squeeze into her neck like a tightening vice grip, leaving distinct scratch marks on her right cheek and down her neck. Finally, she raised her right hand up, preparing to return the favor with a punch of her own.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Clementine moved faster than Ellie expected, punching Lydia with enough force to knock the girl on her ass. At this point, she knew that things were going too far, that this was never her intention. She didn't want it to escalate into a fight, even though she should've… expected that, and when Lydia pushed herself back to her feet and grabbed Clementine by the throat, rearing her free hand to punch Clementine back, Ellie couldn't hold back any longer. She couldn't let anyone hurt Clementine - hurt her friend. Without an ounce of hesitation, she leapt forward, grabbing Lydia's arm to stop her from throwing the punch. Lydia fought against her, trying to knock Ellie off, which she eventually did. As Ellie fell to the ground, she grunted, cursing.

"Jesus fucking Christ, just… **STOP**!" She shouted the word as loud as she could, hoping that someone at the other fire would hear and put an end to this fucking… shitshow. "What the hell is wrong with you, you fucking crazy bitch?!"

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

_God dammit!_ Letting out an angry curse, Carl got up after Lydia. "Shit!" Sparks were flying into the air as burning wood was kicked to the side, the heat and the shouting giving him a surge of adrenaline. Before he even got there, punches were being thrown. He clamped his hands down on his friend's shoulders and pulled, trying to get the two apart before Lydia _seriously_ hurt Clem - and he was sure she planned to. With all of his strength, he dragged her off of Clementine and pushed her into the dirt, away from the fight.

"Stop! Everybody stop!" He strained his voice, barely drowning out everyone else's shouts. Every one of George Carlin's seven dirty words was flying from Lydia's mouth at Clementine, and the two girls were rebounding with vigor. "_Everyone shut the fuck up!_" He wasn't thinking of what might have caused this anymore, he was only thinking of how to finish it. "I don't know what's going on, but it ends right now." There was a pause, and he was silent. Meeting both of their gazes once, he helped Lydia to her feet and led her away from the soccer field. _As long as we can get some space away from those girls._

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

She didn't care how horrible it looked, all she knew was that seeing that smart-mouthed, gutless tramp grovel below her in the dirt gave her more satisfaction than she could fathom in that moment. It wasn't long before she felt a force much stronger than Ellie attempting to pull her off, none other than Carl she was sure.

"Let me the fuck go!" She yelped as she struggled against his grip… but he was too strong. She quickly raised her right hand, managing to bring it down on the left side of Clementine's face before Carl fully pulled her off and shoved her into the ground.

There was a brief pause as the adrenaline was still rushing through her. Panting heavily, she looked over to the other girls with a frighteningly poisonous gaze. She knew she wasn't going to get to them now, not with Carl here. That still didn't stop her from trying to lunge at them again as soon as he helped her up to try and take her away, but he managed to grab her around the waist from behind, partially lifting her feet off the ground as he began to drag her off.

"**FUCK YOU, SLUTS!"** She screamed as loud as her lungs would allow her to at them. Lydia continued to struggle and attempt to break free in her frenzied state as she was hauled off down the soccer field and eventually out of sight.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine had little means of fighting back, having been tackled down to the grass by a frenzied Lydia. Clementine's legs moved back and forth frantically, to no avail, whilst Lydia wrapped her hands around her neck, sinking her nails into her skin. All at once, Clem's quickened breaths stopped carrying air to her lungs, not a thing coming in or out through the girl's clenched teeth. Ellie tried to help, as far as Clementine's blurred vision allowed her to see, yet Lydia knocked the girl away all the same.

Before Carl could break them apart, Clementine felt the blonde's fist strike her left eye; the ear ringing that followed giving away the fact long before the sharp, excruciating pain did. The instant Lydia's hands broke away from her neck, Clementine's body jolted upward into a kneeling position, her left hand instinctively reaching for her neck as she let out a barking cough. There was no describing how **fucking pissed** she was, the hostile, grim stare directed at Lydia as she was dragged away being the sole and most evident thing conveying that emotion. Adrenaline pressed Clementine to chase after the blonde, the girl's injured eye twitching in rage, and she most certainly would have, were it not for the fact that she was gasping for air.

"**I FUCKING HATE YOU!**" shouted Clem amidst her coughing, the girl's right hand firmly planted on the grass.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As soon as Carl intervened and began to drag Lydia off, Ellie scrambled to her feet, rushing towards Clementine. She could hear the unbridled rage in the girl's voice, and she shared it in equal measure. She wanted to chase after them, to give that bitch what she had coming for hurting Clementine but didn't. There was going to be hell to pay for this, and it was only a matter of time before someone at the other fire rushed over here, if they weren't already on their way. Everything had happened so fast that she wasn't sure if they even had a chance to react, or even _see_ what happened. However, there was no hiding their hate-fueled shouts, likely the _entire_ place would've heard it. At that moment, she didn't care, she just wanted to make sure that Clementine was okay.

Falling to her knees in front of the girl, she instinctively placed her hands on the girl's face, turning her towards herself so she could see the damage in the firelight. What she saw physically pained her, and it felt as if she was choking on the lump forming in her throat. She had claw marks all over her neck from where Lydia had been choking her, and the skin around her left eye was already beginning to turn blue. "_Shit_, I'm - **fuck** \- I'm so…" The words tumbled out of her mouth uselessly, and she let go of the girl, fists clenching. This was all her fucking fault. Because she got tired of listening to that bitch acting so fucking… _condescending_. She just wanted to put her in her place, to show that they weren't going to let her walk all over them, and it backfired. Hard. She didn't even know what to say, or if there was anything she could say, but Clementine's words echoed in her mind like a battle cry, and it took all of her strength to not shout after the two disappearing off the field.

She wouldn't have had a chance to say it anyway.

"What the hell is going on over here?!"

Andrea's voice was more than enough to send ice through Ellie's veins, and she turned away from Clementine and towards the woman as she approached, looking between herself, Clementine, and Dina angrily. Ellie found herself gulping, slowly pushing herself to her feet. Here came the _fun_ part.

"I called her out for treating us like shit, and she went absolutely fucking psycho!"

There wasn't any point lying. Likely they'd be questioned on what happened, and Dina would probably tell her anyway. Right now, it was better to just… face the music.

"And you punched her," Andrea spoke harshly, looking towards Clementine with a shake of her head. She let out a heavy sigh, before approaching Clementine in quick steps, helping her to her feet, before looking over her wounds. "She got you good. We'll have our doctor take a look at it in the morning, but for now… I'm taking you two home." She turned towards Dina on the other side of the fire, her tone something far more civil, yet the anger still boiled underneath. "Dina, you're more than welcome to join us at the other fire. Tell them that I'll be right back." She turned back towards Ellie and Clementine. _If looks could kill…_ "You two, c'mon."

**Art [Clementine]**

By the time her coughing subsided, and her sight became less fuzzy, Clem was met with Andrea's towering shadow looming over her and Ellie alike. A sign of… _probably_ nothing good. It hit her like a freight train, all of it at once. They were there for less than a day, and she'd already gotten into a fight with another kid. How was she going to explain it to Andrea? How was she… gonna explain it to Lee? God, and the tone in Andrea's voice... the looks she was giving them. There was no bigger evidence that they had messed up really bad.

When Andrea looked at her, disappointment practically written in her expression, Clementine felt an anxiety no walker or clicker could ever hope to emit from her. She felt unfit to return her gaze, to look her in the eye. Most of the anger she felt against the other girl being replaced by unmitigated embarrassment.

"_And you punched her._"

"I - I…" Clementine weakly attempted to articulate, falling utterly short as the woman examined her wounds. Clem could feel her heart pounding at the mention of 'being taken home', and she was sure Andrea could as well. She tried desperately to think of some excuse, at least something to say, _anything_, but it was no use. They fucked up. There wasn't much else to it than that.

Ellie and she went home through the same road they came through before, Andrea walking closely behind them to ensure they'd actually _get there_. Clem didn't even know where to start with Ellie… a thank you, an apology… a scold, even? Not that she had any moral high ground to do anything of the sort. Not after the stunt she pulled.

"You okay?" Clementine asked her friend in a mellow tone, partly due to just how bad her throat ached. Between all the crap that happened and was _about to_ happen to them, she at least found some comfort in knowing Ellie didn't get hurt. It _was_ for her that she got into that fight, after all... sort of, anyway.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The whole thing felt like they were being marched to death row, only it was Andrea's disappointed looks and the eventual confrontation with Joel and Lee about what happened that met them at the end of this walk. She should've just… kept her stupid mouth shut. Maybe she did deserve that nickname, after all. When Clementine asked if she was okay, Ellie let out a sigh, quiet enough that she hoped it wouldn't carry to Andrea behind them.

She flicked her gaze towards the girl, trying to put on a brave face for her. "I'm supposed to ask you that." Still, she felt mentally beaten by the encounter. She couldn't stop Lydia from choking her best friend and feeling so helpless in that moment only made her feel… she sighed again, pushing away those thoughts. She'd have time to dwell on them later, since undoubtedly, Joel and Lee wouldn't be letting them out for the rest of the night, let alone the rest of their stay here. She finally finished in a drawn-out breath, "I'm okay…"

The house came into view before they knew it, the two convicts ascending the steps onto the porch, before Andrea gave each of them a passing glance, knocking on the door. She wasn't ready for this moment, even though she knew it wasn't going to just… wait for her. _Face the music… yeah… right._

It certainly wasn't going to be music that she's heard before.

* * *

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

A little further down the soccer field, Carl finally seemed to grasp enough incentive to finally let her go after they were far enough away from the messy scene. Muttering profanity under her breath, she jerked herself away from him. Moving away and placing her left hand on the stump of a tree, hunching over to catch her breath. Her heart continued to thump as the adrenaline only now began to wear off.

She felt sick to her stomach, whether it was a mix of anger or regret causing it, she just didn't know. _I knew I shouldn't have gone… I knew it, I knew it, I knew it._ Lydia repeated in her mind to herself, she supposed at first glance she didn't like them all that much. However, out of some small semblance of hope to try and make new friends, she tried to give it a shot. This only confirmed what she previously thought. The both of them were total fucking assholes. Clementine clearly didn't like her from the minute she showed up at the campfire, and Ellie's mouth needed an adjustment.

_Well fuck them, now I have dirt on them both._ Make no mistake, Lydia was going to make this the biggest issue she could. The girl wanted both of them _out_, gone… kicked to the curb. She figured someone would've heard the commotion by now, and it wouldn't be long before they found her too. Finally, after a brief moment, she turned her frustrations towards Carl, twisting herself around to face him.

"See...?" She gestured with both arms outstretched, as if she had just proven to him why she was so reluctant on meeting them.

"You never should've put me up to coming. This is why I didn't wanna go in the first place!" Lydia accusingly raised her voice at him, her eyes red and misty. If he hadn't asked her, she probably wouldn't have felt the pressure to actually show up. Well, now she knew that was a big mistake.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Holy _shit._

At the end of the soccer field, Carl released the still-struggling Lydia and doubled over to catch his breath. The coolness of the air, far away from the fire, was a welcomed respite from the heat of the situation. In his mind, there was no reasonable explanation for what had happened back at the fire. What had started as some passive-aggressive remarks had escalated into a full-fledged _brawl,_ with all reason or caution thrown to the wind. As his breathing normalized, he wasn't sure who to blame - Ellie called Lydia a bitch. Lydia acted… well, like Lydia. Clementine threw the first punch. It was on all three of them, so he couldn't start pointing fingers.

Lydia said something, prompting him to stand upright. His back popped as he straightened out and focused his one human eye on his friend, unable to keep the disappointment out of his face. Carl didn't move from his spot, only crossing his arms as he responded to the teary-eyed girl, "I didn't start your fight. I _ended_ it." This problem wouldn't get pinned on him, if he had anything to say about it. He shook his head and stepped forward, closing the distance between them somewhat. "What the hell happened back there?" He asked, hoping to get some sort of answer for all of his questions.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"You seriously didn't see how much of a bitch that girl was to me the moment I got there?!" Lydia snapped back, pondering over the way Clementine spoke to her as soon as she sat down. She was nice to literally _everyone_ else at first glance except her.

"That's funny, I thought you would've noticed since you were pretty much talking to her the _whole_ night..." She balled up her fists at her sides, looking at him dead in his one good eye as she spoke in a near accusing tone towards him.

The blonde crossed her arms, looking away from him with a scowl as she shifted her weight to one foot. "It doesn't even matter… they're both _so_ fucking dead…" She spoke with gritted teeth, before turning her back on Carl and beginning to walk the other direction.

"I'm going straight to Tommy and telling him everything, don't try to stop me." She spoke with her back towards him, continuing to storm off with only one goal set in mind.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl felt his emotions deadpan. Of course, she wouldn't be reasonable, not right after that fight. He didn't think Clementine was especially mean to anyone... The only evidence of conflict he had between them he saw was what had _just_ transpired. Quickly, he tried to retort, "I didn't-" Lydia rose her voice, talking _over_ him, and her words left him shocked.

_Is Lydia jealous of Clementine?_

Unsure of how he was supposed to feel, he stood and watched as she finally just turned and stomped off, _still_ yelling at him. Carl made no effort to follow, standing still in the soft nighttime breeze as she stormed away. _Poor Tommy…_


	25. Campfire, II

**Kentucky [Joel]**

A heavy knocking at the door woke Joel from his slumber. Rising from the couch, he left his feet dangling over the side of the ruined fabric. A heavy, throaty sigh left his mouth as he wiped a hand over his eyes. Those same sockets followed down his sleeved arm, right at that old cracked watch stuck to his wrist. "Hmph." He grunted, looking away and propelling himself off of the couch. He approached the door, bags in his eyes. Whoever this could be... hopefully it wasn't something too important. _Hopefully_ it would be over quick. Hopefully this whole thing at Tommy's would be over quick enough.

Joel opened the front door, seeing Andrea, standing with Ellie and Clementine not too far behind. What was this all about? "What's going on? Were they causing any trouble?" He raised his eyebrows, some confusion behind those hard, gray eyes.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie found her gaze darting between Andrea and Joel in rapid intervals, already wishing that she was anywhere else than here. She didn't like how this made her feel, how her heart constricted and twisted and… did every fucking thing that didn't feel… _right_. She found herself needing some sort of support to get through this, support that she wouldn't get, the temptation to just grab Clementine's hand and at least draw… _some measure_ of strength from the girl she admired for that very same strength. That wasn't going to happen, though, and she wasn't even sure if Clementine had any to spare.

Andrea was the first to speak, looking back at Ellie and Clementine briefly. "There was a fight. And… it appears that Ellie started it." _Bullshit. She started it the moment she acted like a total jerk to us._ "I don't know details, we'll talk that out in the morning, but I felt it was… necessary, to bring them home."

She's never felt so helpless in all of her life, even when she got into fights with the other children at the orphanage. This felt… different, worse. Maybe that stemmed from the fact that she actually… cared about what Joel thought of her, unlike the way she viewed her drill instructors in Boston. She wasn't ready for this. She would never be ready for this.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel winced. _A fight? Ellie started a... fight._ He took quick notice of the changing facial expressions on Ellie's face, a gulp descending down his throat. "Alright." He squinted, decisions orbiting his thoughts with rapid pace. _What did she want him to do about it?_ He supposed he **was** the closest thing to Ellie's guardian, but... what was he supposed to do about _this?_ Reprimand her? What in the hell was he supposed to do about it? "Alright, yeah, yeah. That's probably for the best." Joel sniffled, motioning his head back into the house. "C'mon, you two. Let's get inside."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It hadn't even been half an hour after Lee arrived back at the house. He had opted to come home a tad early from Tommy's little get together just to get a good night's sleep and settle in. Joel, of course, refused to, preferring to just stay home and sleep on that couch all night. He didn't really seem all that interested in getting to know anyone at the community at all. Lee just shrugged it off. To each their own, he supposed.

There was a knock on the door, as to which Lee turned the corner to see Andrea with Clem and Ellie, they'd arrived back a little earlier than he thought. It was nice gesture of Andrea to bring them back ho- _wait, a fight?_ He heard her say right before he approached, but by then Joel had closed the door. Leading the two girls as they walked inside with their heads hung low.

Ellie looked okay, but it wasn't until he saw Clementine that he truly grew even more concerned. Scratches, all over her face… not to mention some bruising under her left eye, surely this 'fight' had to be some kind of mistake. Lee knew Clementine had a…. temper, but there was no way she'd go out of her way to hurt someone for no reason.

"Jesus Christ, Clem!" He spoke in shock as he approached and mulled over the damage done to her face. Seeing her like this sent shockwaves down his spine. He really didn't know what to think, how the fight started, who hurt her… but they'd get to that soon.

"I'll get you to the doctors as soon as I can, just... go sit over there while I get an ice pack." He gestured over to the nearby couch in the living room. "_Then_ we're all gonna need to talk about this."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine didn't say a word, half hoping she could sneak past Joel and just head straight to her room before Lee could see her. Just thinking about his reaction already had her staring uncontrollably at the floor. He was gonna freak out…

...and then, not a second after the thought occurred to her, Lee's voice was already echoing through the house, Clem wincing, hunching up her shoulders in response. _Freak out,_ he did. Monumentally. Clementine felt obligated to say something to him, going as far as opening her mouth to do so, and still, nothing but a quiet whimper came out, the girl crossing one of her arms until he was done looking over her wounds.

Lee had asked her to sit down, and she obliged, lacking the bravery to do so little as _speaking_, let alone disobeying him.

"_Then, we're all gonna need to talk about this._"

Her heart wouldn't stop pounding, pulsating powerfully like a rapid drumbeat constantly out of rhythm. The girl sat with her ankles entwined, clasping and squeezing her hands… the minute Lee spent fetching that ice pack taking an eternity to end. He came back, eventually, holding the ice against her eye with delicate pressure in order to treat the injury. It hurt _a lot_, a sting that had the girl whimpering a second time. "I'm sorry," Clementine told him in a whisper, in spite of knowing full well it did little to help her case. They were going to ask the two of them what happened, and Clem didn't intend to stall, or try to lie her way out of it.

The way things were, there was no getting out of that situation.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's breaths were in rapid motions, verging on quiet hyperventilation. She found herself following Clementine to the couch, sitting next to the girl and wringing her hands together, her gaze focused on the floor beneath her. She waited for the questioning that was bound to come and watched as Lee tended to Clementine's eye out of the corner of her own.

How could she have been so stupid? How could she have dragged her friend into this? To get her in trouble with Lee? Had she been right all along? That she was the shitty friend that she always saw herself to be? She didn't have answers for any of it, her brain sent into haywire, as if her entire brain was connected to the wrong connector, sending a feedback loop through her.

Finally, when Clementine tried to apologize, she spoke up, her voice shaky and frail. "It's my fault. Clementine just..." she trailed off, sighing, "...tried to defend me."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Following along, Joel stood in front of the couch with bated breath. His eyes glanced between Clementine and Ellie, the realization of what happened finally flooding in. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, lost in thought and anxiety. He could guess the instigators of the fight from here, but what was he supposed to do? Get angry with them? By the looks on their faces, they were already living with enough punishment.

He swallowed, pursing his lips. Lee came back with the ice pack eventually, at which the two tried apologizing. Joel nodded, frowning. "Okay."

Once again, he glanced between the two, eventually eyes falling on the less hurt Ellie. "How bad are you two hurt?" He said. He'd let Lee get the rest of the information out of them, but he supposed that he could already guess enough about what happened back at the 'scene of the fight.'

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem stared at Joel apologetically, blinking once before turning away from the old smuggler. "We're fine…" She stated in a tone no louder than any previous one, guilt being the most prominent feature in her voice. Lee continued to press the ice against her eye, which by then, felt almost numb from the cold. Her face contorting ever so slightly from the pain, soft cries leaving through exhales whenever Lee put too much pressure on it.

Funny… Clementine couldn't even tell if that was Joel acting genuinely _concerned_ about them, or if he was just worried about his 'precious cargo' getting hurt in a fight. She sneered briefly at the thought, trying not to make the bitterness in her voice too evident before she spoke again.

"They didn't touch her."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Just relax." Lee replied softly as he continued to gently hold the ice pack to her eye, as if telling her she didn't need to apologize. Being a former teacher himself, he knew that if you put enough kids into a social setting, they could get up to all kinds of no good... _That's just the way it is, I guess. Or was… back in the old days._ Still however, Lee felt he could've done more to avoid this type of thing. After she spent so much time on the road and then having to be suddenly shoved into a massive environment again wasn't an easy ask of anyone. Clementine still needed some… work on her social skills and temper, he knew that. It was wrong of him to just send her off to this gathering and just hope she'd… assimilate easily, maybe he could've given her a few tips, more direction… something. After having to deal with the extreme ways of Carver, Lee felt a slight sensation of worry in the pit of his stomach. No doubt if something like this happened at Howe's, there'd be huge punishments. Tommy didn't seem to be like that, still… Lee didn't know him all too well yet, or how he operated things here. Whatever would come of this he'd make sure he could keep Clem out of the firing line as much as possible.

His gaze swapped between the two girls as Joel already seemed to be getting into question mode. With the two girls seemingly okay, Lee figured it was time to get to the bottom of this now. He'd heard bits and pieces from Ellie, but he needed the whole story... Especially if this was going to blow up tomorrow. "Okay, how did this start, and who else was involved?" He asked both of the girls, his gaze fanning between them.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie took in a deep breath, finally managing to meet Lee's gaze as he asked the question. Her first words were soft but grew more confident as she continued. "We were just playing a game. This girl, Lydia, was acting like a total dickhead like… the entire time. After a while, I just… got sick of it, told her to stop being a bitch. And she _spat_ on me." She paused, wringing her hands together. "Things got out of hand, and before I knew it, she was choking Clem, then Carl pulled her away. That's when Andrea showed up."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The way this whole thing started... the reasoning for the fight, it was over a game? Nonetheless, this just sounded so... trivial. Then again, most squabbles between kids were like that from his experience, small issues just blowing themselves out of proportion into big ones. Ellie was a good kid, and more so, had been a good friend to Clementine for a while. Lee had no reason not to believe her. He nodded, before sending a conflicted glare towards Joel, seeing what he had to say on the matter first before he'd give his own two cents on it. After all, if anyone would know if she was telling the truth, it'd be him. Of course, after that he'd need to confirm the story with Clem.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel sniffled, squinting with suspicion. Lee looked at him, noting his turn to speak but the older man didn't even notice. His breath settled, chest lowering into himself. "No, no. What do you mean, 'things got out of hand?'" He shook his head, studying the two girls in anticipation. "Listen... just tell me the full story. I'll... I won't get mad." He looked at Ellie. This was really something else, wasn't it? He had actually pulled the 'I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed' shtick out of his ass. Like he was some dumb parent again. Like he was some dumb parent again... "Alright?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's gaze instinctively drifted towards Clementine next to her, silently trying to convey the words in her mind. _I'm sorry, Clem._ She wanted to keep out the fact that Clementine had been the one to throw the first punch, but surely… if she didn't say anything, it'd just come out at whatever… _meeting_ Andrea had planned about this. It was safe to say she didn't really have any other options. Sighing, she responded to Joel's question. "After Lydia spit on me, and called me a whore, Clem punched her. That's when she grabbed Clem by the throat and punched her back."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"What…?" Lee stammered, trying to mask his disbelief at the story as best as he could.

"_Clem punched her_," She finally admitted, although the way Ellie kept attempting to list off all the violent things that other girl did after it got physical told him that she was trying to dress it up slightly, maybe to soften the blow of getting in trouble. Make no mistake, what happened after that was _because_ Clem threw the first punch, there was just no excuse for her to solve the issue _that_ way. At this point, it was pretty much clear to him.

Clementine… _his_ girl, was in the wrong. It sounded like all of them were.

Eyes slightly widened, he turned his gaze to Clementine, not really sure what to think. He knew she wouldn't stand for someone talking to Ellie like that… But, being the first one to get violent, Lee really thought she knew better than that. He figured he'd taught her how to defend herself from violence, not be the first one to incite it. This was just… so much of a far cry from the little girl he used to know. Regardless, the full story explained Clem's black eye… it started with words, and then from what he heard, it seemed like it just spiraled downhill from there.

"Clem... that's, _really_ what happened?" He turned to face her, shock evident on his face, in a way still holding out hope that it wasn't the case, that it was a mistake. He had to admit… so far this didn't look very good on both of them. _Just what in the hell am I going to say tomorrow?_

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine tightly grasped her knees, the pressure emanating from Lee's gaze beyond overwhelming. It took every ounce of Clem's strength for the girl to raise her head and stare him in the eye, the look she gave him one of sorrow, unambiguous regret. Clementine didn't say anything, nor would she have, if she had the means to.

Though, admittedly, her silence spoke more than anything the girl could've possibly articulated.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Her silence spoke volumes of her guilt, and sadly it all the more confirmed the predicament she was in. Lee's head drooped to the floor for a brief moment as he sighed out. Standing up for her friend wasn't wrong, but the way Clementine went about it… he knew he wasn't going to be able to defend. Yet regardless of that fact, he'd still find a way to _try_ and do just that tomorrow.

Whilst still applying the pressure on her eye, he half turned to face Joel. "I guess we try and iron this whole thing out with your brother tomorrow, seems like the only option we got."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's nose twitched, and he placed his hands on his hips. This was beyond his expertise; _she_ had never gotten into fights before. And besides that, Ellie... Ellie wasn't her, was she? No. It didn't matter anyways. Joel would be back in Boston soon enough, away from this memory of a place. Back in Boston... what did he even have left back there? Tess... she was gone. Bill probably wouldn't speak to him. So, what the hell was left for him there?

But then what was left for him here? He was a washed-up smuggler with a pension for violence to get his way. If he really thought about it, this world was built for him and he was built for this world. But hell if he wanted to live in it anymore.

_Boston._ That was the only place he belonged. That was the only thing he even knew anymore. This girl, Lee, Clementine, his brother Tommy... they weren't _him._ They were related to a different person, a different _Joel_, but not this one, not this one...

"Yeah. I'll talk to him about it." The palm of his hand stretched up to his temple, and he wiped his brow. Joel began to walk away, but not before taking a last glance at Ellie and Clementine. "You two... you're lucky to have friends as good as each other." And with that, he headed upstairs, eager to be alone with his thoughts.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie didn't know what to think. Lee seemed… disappointed, definitely, maybe even _mad_, but Joel…? She wasn't sure if it was because she couldn't really decipher what was going through his head, but it seemed like he was on their side, even if only by a little. His comment about her and Clementine made her look towards the girl next to her with a guilty gaze. She wanted to believe what Joel said, but found herself thinking otherwise. Would a good friend get her into a situation like that? Where she'd get injured trying to protect her? It felt selfish, that she got away without a scratch, and Clementine didn't. Well, she appreciated the fact that Clementine was more than willing to stand up for her, to fight back at the first sign of trouble. That was a quality that she admired in Clementine, yet… that guilty feeling wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she tried to rationalize it. Things should've been different. They could've fought back differently, but instead…

_What's done is done._

When Joel headed upstairs, and Lee finished tending to Clementine's wounds, Ellie slowly pushed herself to her feet. Despite no actual punishments being rendered on them, yet, she knew that they weren't going to be letting them back out. And, after everything that happened, she was more than happy to just… stay _home_. So, as Lee returned the ice pack to the kitchen, she turned towards Clementine, extending her hand out to help her off the couch. Together, they made their way upstairs, entering the room that they've claimed for their stay.

The reason Ellie had picked it wasn't just because it wasn't the master bedroom, but because of the decor. Posters lined the wall with very punk-rock-looking bands on them, along with what appeared to be movie posters, mostly ones she didn't recognize. There was a feeling that this room had been lived-in, and that the original owner had been… fairly cool, anyway.

Once the door was closed behind them, Ellie let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her face with her hands for a moment, before turning back to Clementine. She knew that she needed to say something, and her face had turned serious the instant she dropped her hands away from her face. These situations were starting to feel commonplace, moments where she found herself having to admit something to the girl, or apologize. It all started on that rooftop in Pittsburgh and kept reiterating itself time and time again. This time, at least, she knew what she had to say.

"I'm sorry, Clem…" her voice trailed off for a moment, cursing underneath her breath. She found herself staring at the bruises on Clementine's face and neck, finding herself drawn to them, almost to the point of tracing them with her finger, but she refrained from doing so. She didn't want to agitate them, only inflicting further pain on the girl. "Just… _fuck_, I wish… I wish you didn't get involved. I'm the one who fucked up, and you took the beating for me. I can't… forgive myself for that." She averted her gaze, towards the messy bed she's yet to clean up. Being tidy had never been her strong suit. "You didn't deserve it," she finished, her eyes flicking back to the girl.

Maybe it was just the culmination of all the shit they've dealt with today, but she found herself on the verge of tears. So much has happened, and it ended with _this_, of all things. She'd ruined what had been a fairly… good day, and had gotten her friend hurt in the process. Feeling shitty felt like an understatement.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine sluggishly climbed the steps leading to her room, the daze from Lydia's punch still very much present. It didn't sting as much, not after the ice, though Lee made sure to let her know it'd hurt like hell in the morning.

There was so much going through her head, it all melded together into one scribbled mishmash of a thought. Lee wasn't thrilled about the news… he would've probably been really mad had she not come home with so many bruises. Heck, maybe he _was_ and just chose not to show it. Clem couldn't really tell.

Clem shut the door, slowly enough so as to not make too loud a noise, and leaning her back against it after Ellie was already inside. She was… Ellie was upset, there was no dancing around it. Clementine could tell even from the corner of her eye. It wasn't because Joel and Lee were mad at them, though… not really. Clem listened to it, to Ellie's apology, although she did so begrudgingly. She didn't blame Ellie for what happened... of course not, nor did she regret standing up for her friend at that campfire.

… but that wasn't what Ellie wanted to hear, she wagered.

Sitting on the bed, Clementine rubbed the purplish… _thing_ swelling around her eye, before letting out a heavy, exhausted breath, the girl letting her torso plunge and bounce atop the mattress. "Sorry for what?" She asked, lying on her back. "The way you told her off … man, that was…" It was sort of impressive, that's what she wanted to say. Not that she approved of Ellie's choice of words or anything, but it took a special kind of courage to call someone out like that; An _Ellie_ kind of courage, more like. "I'm glad you said all that stuff… even if I got hurt because of it." It was a weird, maybe even _wrong_ thing to express, but it was something Clem felt all the same.

The girl paused for an instant, pushing herself up into a sitting, cross-legged position, only to find Ellie right by her side. What surprised Clementine when landing her eyes on Ellie, of all things, was seeing her friend misty-eyed, a faint semblance of tears forming under her eyes… over a dumb fight, no less. What that sight brought about from Clem was what almost felt like a _responsibility_ to cheer her up, seeing as she was partly to blame for it. "I just…" She tried to say something coherent, a slight crack in her voice making itself plain to hear.

"I don't want you to apologize, 'kay? We'll just… call it even. Y'know, from that one time you saved me back in Pittsburgh." Clementine referred to the walker they carried together, of course; the asshole who came back right as they were headed to the bridge. Reminiscing that far back always put a smile on her face… the thought of how much she hated Ellie back then being pretty amusing on its own.

"I… wouldn't mind a thanks, though," Clem pointed out with a sheepish smile, nudging the girl sitting next to her. "I mean, I did get my ass kicked for you, stupid."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie really should've expected the way Clementine reacted, yet she still found herself surprised all the same. While punishments for what happened haven't really been… discussed yet, and the possibility that maybe, just maybe… they'll get away with a metaphorical slap on the wrist. After all, it's not like they were staying here long, right? Just long enough to get some well-deserved rest, then hitting the road again, whenever Tommy eventually decides to tell them where to find the Fireflies.

It's not like she _hated_ the fact she called Lydia out, and hearing Clementine praise her for that was more than enough to leave a sloppy smile on her face. Both sides got a bit bruised, whether physically or psychologically, so maybe that evened everything out.

When Clementine decided to ask for a thanks, Ellie let out a slight giggle, rolling her eyes. She met the girl's gaze, clenching her hands around the edge of the mattress beneath her before letting go. "Thanks, Clem. I mean it." _This definitely doesn't make us even, though. I probably owe you like… __**two**__ saves from walkers, and some chocolate. At least._

Sighing, she let her back rest against the mattress, her feet dangling over the edge. How long had it been since she was last on a bed? Pittsburgh? Felt like ages ago, now. Just laying on it was enough for fatigue to pump its way through her veins. She looked up at the ceiling, wiping away the tears that had streamed down her face before wrapping her arms underneath her head.

"Joel was right, by the way," she continued suddenly, her tone quiet and almost… peaceful. "I _really_ am lucky to have a friend like you."

**Art [Clementine]**

That was all it took, and Clementine's cheeks had become a color to rival the pink shade in Ellie's jacket. In turn, it took the girl only a handful of seconds before she noticed the fact herself, turning her head to the side in an attempt to hide her rosy features from Ellie. _Geez… do you even listen to yourself?_ She thought with a timid smile, trying to mask whatever shakiness might've popped up in her voice before she spoke up again.

"You can count on me. Always," Clem stated with confidence, despite being _way_ too flustered to look at Ellie while doing so. It hurt to smile - literally, in this case - yet Clem found herself helpless to the grin she had from ear to ear, totally giddy at the thought of having a genuine friend in that eccentric girl from Boston. Finally, Clementine gleefully extended her fist towards Ellie, intending to give her a handshake, _but cooler._

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie couldn't help but smile as the words escaped Clementine's lips, the girl looking away from her for a moment. Hearing her say it out loud was… relieving, in ways she hadn't really been expecting. It wasn't that she'd been worried that Clementine didn't reciprocate her feelings towards her - well, in some cases… she did - but that Ellie saw their friendship growing into something more, something akin to what she had with Riley, maybe even better. _**Maybe.**_ They had each other's backs, and Ellie wasn't afraid to say that the baseball-capped girl was _definitely_ her best friend, even if she only had the one. She slowly pulled herself back into a sitting position, saying in a warm tone. "Ditto, Baseball Cap."

When Clementine extended her fist out, Ellie immediately went in for the fist bump, letting out an amused chuckle. Back when Ellie first tried to fist bump the girl, she didn't even know what _that_ was. She's come a long way. Hell, they've _both_ come a long way, in more ways than one. Seeing the girl's smile as their fists collided was more than enough to have her own cheeks reddening, but she chose to ignore it.

"We should probably get some sleep," Ellie decided to say after a moment, scrunching her nose for a moment in disappointment. "I'm sure there's going to be hell to pay with Queen Bitch in the morning, so we gotta be ready for that." _I bet she's already sucked up to Tommy and Andrea about it being __**all**__ our fault._

**Art [Clementine]**

"Yeah…" Clem reciprocated, something more akin to a shudder in her voice this time around. She didn't look forward to tomorrow in the least, her brows intensely drawing together in anticipation. _Please don't kick us out…_ Lydia would love that, she bet. In retrospect, Clementine had no idea what had her acting like such a dick in the first place. Was it something she said? That Lydia girl looked like she had the most violent grudge in the world against her, and yet Clem swore she'd never even met her before that night. It was fucking mind-boggling.

The girl reached to the right side of the bed, stretching her neck beforehand in hopes of easing some of the aching pain, before switching off the table lamp in the right corner of the room, letting out a long sigh as she did. Laying on the mattress without an ounce of strength left, the girl curled up on that very same side of the bed, shutting her eyes. "Good night, Ellie."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie laid on the left side of the bed, staring up at the ceiling as Clementine turned off the lamp. She had a lot on her mind, and silently hoped that wouldn't keep her from falling asleep. She wasn't sure if she could deal with Lydia if she was still tired. That'd be like playing with fire. When Clementine bid her goodnight, a soft "goodnight, Clem" escaped her, and she rolled over, away from the girl, closing her eyes.

* * *

_10:44 PM_

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Well, it sure had been a climactic day. Tommy got to reunite with his brother, he got to fight with his brother, and he met his brother's… Friends? Associates? Not family. Joel was still Joel, and he knew Joel better than anyone; These people were important to him, but not _all-important._ He was with them out of necessity. And so, how was he supposed to feel, harboring a fugitive and his pack of nobodies who meant everything? Help get this girl to the Fireflies, so they can kill her while trying to extract a cure that they know nothing about? Here he was, in the most important time and place in the _world,_ and what was he supposed to do?

With a groan, he leaned forward and put his face in his hands. There were too many questions and not enough answers, and it was getting _nothing_ done.

"What's going on?" He mumbled, waiting for a reply that the empty room couldn't provide. After such a day, he was little more than tired. Vaguely, he wondered if everyone was enjoying themselves at the get-together that _he_ arranged and _he_ failed to show up to, electing instead to brood over his thoughts. Sighing heavily, he lifted his head up and reached for his glass, relishing in the earthy flavor of the whiskey that his own people made. At least he had _that_ much.

Swirling the dark liquid around the glass, Tommy swallowed the last mouthful just in time to hear a heavy knock on his door. When the noise rung out, he froze, hoping the person would go away and assume he wasn't here. The knocking quieted for a moment, and he sighed in relief, setting his empty glass down with a thunderous _click._

The knocking began again. _Fuckin' fucked._ "I'm coming!" He shouted, standing up after taking another moment to wish he didn't have to. The knocking persisted. Grabbing his gun and stuffing it in his waistband _just in case,_ he went up to the door. There, beheld _Lydia,_ with the unmistakable imprint of a fist making an angry bruise on her face. She looked _furious-_ like the-one-time-he-almost-shot-Andrea-in-the-foot kind of furious. Silently, he wished he'd drunk more before she'd gotten here. "What happened?" He asked softly, beckoning her inside the office.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia timidly made her way into the office, averting her furious gaze towards her feet as Tommy ushered her towards a seat opposite his desk. After she nervously took her seat, the man soon circled around and calmly sat down opposite her. A distinct, undeniable smell filled her nostrils. It was pretty strong and caused her head to perk up. Lydia's eyes quickly fanned towards an empty glass on the side of his desk, accompanied by a labeless bottle still filled about halfway… _gross._ She quickly averted her gaze elsewhere to avoid staring at it for too long.

Sure, she could've gone to Andrea instead, the woman was close to if not pretty much in the same position of power Tommy was in. However, Lydia always found Andrea the… sterner of the two. Even though Lydia had practically known her as well as she knew Carl, she still always felt this recurring feeling at the back of her mind that Andrea didn't always… _approve_ of her, especially when it came to Carl. Tommy was definitely a soft, easy-going guy, which made him way easier to suck up to.

"The new girls attacked me… at the get-together." The young girl finally met his eyes as she lifted her head up to speak, her eyes still red and misty. She full well knew she was giving him a good look at the bruise on her cheek without going out of her way to.

Her head slightly veered off to the left as she averted her gaze, recalling her version of the events. "When I got there... I tried talking to them for the first time, but this girl with a ball cap, it had a 'D' symbol on it… She was acting really… _weird_ towards me, I don't know why."

"We were playing this questioning game and I thought it was going okay, then when it got to my turn… That's when it happened." She knew that she probably had a bitchy tone towards them at times, but that was only because Clementine did it to her first… besides she doubted those two dimwits would be able to prove it even if they tried.

"That Ellie kid, with the red hair… She suddenly called me a _bitch_ for no reason, we threw around some words... Then her friend, the one with the ballcap, just got up and punched me out of nowhere… I... tried to defend myself…" Lydia stammered, rubbing her eyes slightly, her tone going meeker by the minute.

"And that's when Carl broke it up… I - I didn't know what to do so I came straight here." She finished, rubbing the damage done to her cheek as she averted her gloomy gaze to the floor.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

A fight at the get-together? Rubbing his temples, Tommy tried to pinpoint _exactly_ where he had gone wrong, but the two girls didn't necessarily look like the brutish type. It wasn't what he expected at all. Lydia certainly seemed upset by the whole ordeal, and he would have acted the same if someone had done that to _his_ pretty face. She avoided eye-contact and talked while he sat across the desk, his fingers tapping lightly on the wood as he listened to her recap of the night.

He listened to her describe Clementine as the main culprit, which was an unpleasant surprise. The girl certainly carried herself like she didn't take any shit, so perhaps there had been a misunderstanding and it escalated. Reasonable among people their age, although he'd expected _Carl_ to keep watch over everything. The knuckle imprint was tiny, so he assumed Clementine also punched Lydia in the face; Even if he wanted to, he couldn't deny the evidence and let someone get off for it.

But, then again, this was _Lydia;_ She wasn't always the most reasonable, and it wasn't her fault. As he listened to her describe the fight and the moments leading up to it, Tommy felt like her explanation didn't make much sense - This girl was the _opposite_ of helpless. She had been silent for a minute now, and he finally cleared his throat and spoke, "How bad are they hurting, then?" He couldn't imagine a fight with Lydia where _not-Lydia_ came out unscratched. _Even if it looks like she might have met her match._

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Her eye ever so lightly twitched at his response. Unsure if it was because of the shooting pain from her cheek or her anger bubbling to the surface, maybe a mix of both. Lydia wasn't at all happy at his apparent 'concern' for them one bit. _I just told him all that and that's all he has to say?_ Maybe he knew she was bunging it on slightly, which then she'd have to give him credit for knowing more about her than she'd thought. That still didn't stop her from being frustrated, wanting some kind of resolve or action done by Tommy right at this moment.

"Why does it matter?!" She looked towards him with a scowl, raising her voice in frustration. "She went out of her way to attack me, everything that happened after that, she had coming!"

"I-..." She paused, squeezing her eyes shut for a sharp moment before exhaling, realizing she had almost lost it in front of Tommy. A calmer approach is what she was trying to go for here… screaming with him wasn't going to get it done. "Yeah, I punched her back... okay?" She shrugged, almost rolling her eyes. "**After** she hit me first! I was defending myself."

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

_There_ it was. The snap. Someone unprepared might flinch, but Tommy had grown accustomed to Lydia's temper. She probably wasn't being _completely_ honest about the fight, but he'd be questioning everyone tomorrow morning. Saying nothing, he watched expectantly as she calmed herself down. "No doubt, she regrets hitting you now," he said softly, imagining what the other girl must look like.

Leaning back in his chair, he took a long moment to think about what he was going to say next. "Obviously, this won't be tolerated." The answer she needed. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to gather everyone who was there in my office and we're going to question everyone, and some sort of consequence will come." And the answer _he_ needed. He took a quick breath and continuing quickly so she couldn't interrupt him, "But, I am glad that you came right to me and let me know that it happened. I suppose we can't be so trusting of strangers, even if they're with my brother." _What you don't know is, it's exactly what I should have expected._

He shook his head sadly and reached across the desk, pouring himself one more drink and placing the bottle on the floor behind his chair. Tommy wasn't sure if he should wait till the morning or go find Andrea and get a proper debrief on the situation, but he still had a weepy teenage girl to handle. "Do you want an ice pack for your face?" He suggested with what he hoped was an easy-going smile, despite the mounting pile of things he was thinking about. The ugly bruise couldn't be _comfortable,_ so maybe it would help her cool down.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

It wasn't exactly what she had in mind, the thought of having to face _both_ of them tomorrow enough to make her aggravated. However, there was a notable change in her attitude once Tommy said there would be consequences. For them, she assumed. Regardless, it was exactly what she needed to hear. Thus, it managed to profoundly calm her down.

"_I suppose we can't be so trusting of strangers, even if they're with my brother._"

_Fucking exactly._ That's what she was trying to get across to him this whole time. Letting a bunch of strangers in on a whim just because they were with his brother was already bypassing what they'd usually do. Not to mention already risky enough. They were already acting like they owned the place on the first day, even going as far to _assault_ her, a member of this community… Surely, he wouldn't let it fly.

"It's... okay." She spoke in a lighter tone this time. "I got one at home, I can handle it. Thanks though." As far as she was concerned, she'd done what she came here to do, there was no use wasting any more of his time or hers. Before long Lydia promptly excused herself as she began to exit his office, sending him an appreciative glance and thanking him once more before she left.

She couldn't help but smile imagining the ways those two sluts were gonna get punished.


	26. Punishment, I

_8:41 AM – July 28, 2025_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel had woken up an hour earlier, and now he was stuck in the humdrum of what to do. He stared at the ceiling from his mattress, head resting on the stiff bed. It was an uncomfortable sleep on such an old mattress, but it wasn't like that was an uncommon theme with him. He groaned, sitting up and rubbing his hand down the length of his face. _Another day._ Another day in Jackson, at that. He rose from the resting place, his old legs creaking and screeching at him with numb pain. The man walked away from his mattress and opened the door, stumbling into the hallway.

He questioned if he should eat, but instead decided to take a walk to the front porch. Yes, some fresh air would probably do him some good. Joel opened the screen door, stepping out into the warm Wyoming air. He took it in, shielding his eyes when the sunlight encroached his vision. He leaned up over the railing with his arms crossed, letting his mouth produce a low whistle. It was a beautiful day. It was a beautiful day indeed.

He stayed in that position, just thinking, for around four minutes before the door opened. It was Clementine, headed off to where he presumed was the infirmary. That was good, then. Joel wasn't sure what to say to her; so instead he gave a respectful nod and left it at that. She was brave, stepping up for Ellie like that. And Ellie was brave for returning the favor. They weren't really bad kids, were they? _No, not at all... not at all..._

Joel turned his head, remembering an object on the porch he had glanced over the other day. His eyes wandered, before discovering the instrument leaned up against the wall. He turned and stared down the withering acoustic guitar, fingers trembling for a moment. A soft nostalgia was overwhelming him, and he let a harsh breath out of his throat. After another moment of looking at the guitar, Joel walked towards it and picked it up by the neck.

The strings were harsh and wound tight, and Joel sat down on the decrepit oak chair that rested below the front window. He remembered the first time he saw this thing, when Tommy first introduced them to this house. He had subconsciously regarded it as a prop, just a toy that tacky kids or housewives laid out to look nice. But, no! The dusty thing was all too real, and Joel felt the familiar weight of a real guitar as he rested the upper body of it on his thigh.

His left hand found its way to the strings on the neck, while his right fell to the strings suspended above the sound hole. His shaking hand dropped to the cutting strings, and his knuckles flexed. In several movements, his fingers strummed and plucked, creating several notes that were decisively off-kilter. Of course it was untuned... why would it be? Joel's left hand left the neck and went to the tuners at the head, and he began strumming and tuning to get a good feel for the guitar.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It was refreshing to say the least. To, for once, wake up in a state of relaxation. Upon finally getting out of bed, Lee was pleasantly surprised, maybe even confused. He didn't wake up in a cold sweat. Or with a headache. There was no nagging sensation of the cold breeze dusting against his skin, no worry of having caught a chill overnight. Just warmth shielded by the brick walls of this house.

Clementine said she'd be getting to the infirmary early last night; he insisted on going with her. However, after giving his watch a glance, he realized she'd probably already left without him. Against his wishes... _Guess she wanted to let me sleep in for once._

He tiptoed down the stairs with due diligence, he had no clue who was still awake and who wasn't and rather wouldn't wake anyone up if he didn't have to. His first destination, of course, was the kitchen.

The kitchen soon came into sight as Lee's eyes trailed towards one of the cupboards.

_Don't suppose Tommy has any coffee for me in there?_ He decided to give it one last run through. _Didn't think so._ He closed it again. Water it was. He rummaged for a few moments before grabbing a small glass, filling it up all the way at the tap.

Just as he took his first sip, his brow furrowed in response to a strange sound. Where was it coming from? He didn't have to look far. Spotting the back of Joel's head right outside the front window. _Well shit, makes sense._ He'd seen that old thing lying around but he never would've guessed that _Joel_ of all people would take an interest to it.

Feeling like he also needed the air, Lee made his way to the front porch. Slowly walking outside, glass still in hand as he took the occasional sip here and there, he took a seat in another chair on the front porch. He felt like things had been going okay between himself and Joel before the 'Tom' incident. After that, things had been… awkward between them, to say the least. He needed to make an effort to get them back on talking terms, but then again… it took two to tango, and if Joel kept refusing to open up… _well_.

"Never really took you for a guitar guy." _Probably because I still barely know anything about you._ He spoke whilst glancing over to the former carpenter, an attempt to make some sort of conversation.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's head perked up as he saw the next visitor to the porch; that being Lee. Joel blinked, his hand still cradling the guitar by its head, but refusing to continue the tuning job. A conversation starter was thrown towards him immediately afterwards, and Joel coughed. He hadn't really had much conversation with anybody for the last few months since Tess. Not much other than small talk, and a few alright conversations with Ellie and sometimes Lee. The twang of the guitar lingered in the dry air, and Joel swallowed. "Yeah? What did you take me for then?" The lightest tugs of a smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Well, a bandit... at first." He exchanged a glance towards Joel, smiling for a brief moment before letting out a chuckle as soon as he saw the other man's smile form in response to his... _horrible_ humor. What Lee just said did hold some semblance of truth, however. Joel just had that look about him at first glance. That typical, scruffy bandit look, the type that was void of emotion and only out for the can of beans in your backpack. Yet here Lee was, sitting right next to him... taking in the morning air on the porch. It just went to show that first looks could be deceiving. Even though they didn't see eye to eye sometimes, he was still a man. That cared. Once they'd stopped chuckling, Lee paused for a moment before looking out into the vista surrounding them. He spoke with a more serious tone this time, perhaps even thankful. "This place... it's a good breather... from everything." _Drama with the kids never changes. But it's safe, at least._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He grinned, and actually gave a tiny laugh after Lee chuckled. He looked down at the porch, still smiling. "Yeah, I guess you did." Joel continued, turning back to the guitar to fine tune it. To just think, a couple months ago they had been fighting over whether or not to that Savior boy... _Tom._ Joel strummed the guitar again, only to get a jarring sound of significant out-of-tuneness. He listened to Lee's words, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, it is." He mused, rolling his tongue around in his mouth. "If you're thanking me, you shouldn't." _Why shouldn't he? Because the only reason you brought them all here is so you could ditch the girl? Because you can't_ handle _it. Can you?_ The inner voice in Joel's head bit at him, but he shook it away. "You should thank Tommy. I didn't even know this place existed, and from what I understand he helped set it all up."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Joel managed to pick up on it, and even then, he was having none of it. He supposed the Texan was just like that.

"Yeah... well. You easily could've never told us and gone your own way." Call it a stroke of luck, an angel sitting on your shoulder, whatever. It didn't change the fact that Lee was glad they crossed paths that day. Although he didn't know why Joel was giving himself less credit than he was due. The way he was so quick to direct it towards Tommy. Lee couldn't tell if he was simply getting annoyed at him for being slightly sappy or if the man actually thought he didn't deserve the thanks.

Another brief moment of silence passed. Seeing the morning sun glaze over the houses, neighbors he hadn't even met yet beginning to come out into the streets from their homes. It brought him back to different times, all those years ago. Lee's gaze shifted towards his feet, and then to the man beside him.

"Y'know, when Clementine and I were running with our old group..." He paused for a moment, considering if he really wanted to say this. "This had to be a good few years back. Not long after I met Clem." His eyes trailed off to the left, thinking. Every so often meeting Joel's gaze again.

"Back then we were trying to find places away from FEDRA. Came across this other group of former cancer survivors hiding out in Savannah. Long story short we ended up working together for a bit. There was this older man that led them, and he told me something." He shook his head, averting his gaze from the man. "He offered to take her off my hands… said that, one day, Clementine was going to ask for more than I could give her. I shot down his offer, obviously." He sighed out, finally looking back to the former carpenter.

"Now that she's getting older, I think I'm starting to finally understand what he meant." Lee admitted. Even after the betrayal their group suffered from Vernon, the old man _was_ right about one thing. With raising Clementine, it was all new for Lee, everyday bearing a new obstacle somehow. Lee realized he didn't want her to live in solitude anymore, he wanted her to be safe…to have a _proper_ life.

"She _does_ need more than I can give her now, and I was hoping she'd get that if we travelled west." He paused, unsure if it was right of him to be having second thoughts this soon. "What I'm trying to figure out is if the Fireflies can really trump a setup like this." Lee knew that Joel _had_ to get Ellie to the Fireflies, more people probably depended on it than he knew, but after everything they'd been through over the years, they finally scored it lucky with this community. Lee figured he had the right to be slightly selfish here, to at least consider the options for himself and Clementine, if it was worth leaving.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel coughed into his hand, sniffling as he listened to Lee's tale. "Yeah, suppose I could have." He wiped under his nose with his sleeve, satisfying an itch that had plagued it for half a second now. Joel didn't suppose he really deserved the thanks for this; why would he? He hadn't done shit but tell them where it was. And now he was gonna ditch them so he could go back to Boston... that was all he knew. And soon enough, this would be all he knew anymore. _Again._ He couldn't have that happen again.

The silence sifted through the air like thick mud, and they were both drowning in it. He looked at Lee, taking in the entirety of the story. An interesting story all around, and Joel felt like he just learned more and more about Lee every day. And Joel had barely said shit. "No. The Fireflies... this place is... better. But, that's not the issue. This is about a... a cure, Lee. I... she has to get to them." He supposed he found purpose in his life for some short time, even though he could give less of a shit about the outcome. And that purpose was soon to be gone, as if dust in the goddamn proverbial wind.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_Ellie. The cure._ Make no mistake... Lee had picked up on a few things over the time they'd grouped up. He didn't think Joel realized just how much that kid sought his approval. Was this all going straight over Joel's head…? Or maybe he was purposely going out of his way to avoid stuff like that. Lee still felt like it really wasn't his place to question or judge the other man.

Boston was a long way from here. Smuggler or not, no sane man would have accepted a job to come _this_ far. It just didn't seem logical or worth it for someone in his line of work. Either the reward was massive, or there was something else at play here. Something personal. Lee remembered the day where he asked Joel if he used to have kids, and the vague response he got... He still didn't know what '_yeah, let's keep moving_', meant. Since that day, he tried not to prod at things like that.

That did raise a good question though. What was next for Joel after he got her to the Fireflies? What about Ellie? Would they see them again if they decided to stay here? The answer he formed in his head wasn't very encouraging. Still, Lee had more time to think about this. No use stressing out about it at this moment.

"She's gonna get there. No doubt in my mind." Lee spoke encouragingly to the other man. Those two were capable and made quite the team. It was a lot like himself and Clem. _Speaking of,_ that's when he spotted her out of the corner of his eye. Heading straight towards them. That distinct hat of hers easy to spot from a mile away. Returning from the infirmary he figured.

"There you are. Morning." He gestured with a wave as she approached. He still felt a bit slack for sleeping in, wishing she'd woken him up to come with instead of going alone. "Everything go alright over there Clem?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Her face felt sore, and her left eye hurt to a degree that, up to that point for the young girl, was nearly unthinkable. Lee was right after all… that morning was _the worst._

After arriving at the hospital in town, a woman named Eleanor took care of her wounds. The nail cuts in her face weren't too horrible, all except for one near her chin, which unfortunately required stitches and some good cleaning. Eleanor was the one who pointed out the bruises in her neck, lightly scolding her for it in the process. Clementine didn't talk back, or say much, really, just wishing to get it over with as quickly as possible. Once her neck had been carefully bandaged and her face jam-packed with band-aids, Eleanor jokingly pointed out that she didn't have any lollipops left for her, a remark Clem didn't particularly get.

People gave her a lot of weird looks on the way back home, either because of the bandages, or because they'd heard about the fight from last night. Clem simply quickened her pace in response, scornfully stuffing her hands in her pockets. That fact alone had her walking over to the porch with haste, where she was met with Joel and... Lee.

"Sure," the girl quickly replied, an uneven glance bouncing between Lee and Joel, refusing to settle anywhere in their surroundings. Intimidating… and really, really uncomfortable. That's what it felt like, being glared at by the two adults. She tried to shake it off, grabbing something that _resembled_ a toast from one of the tables in what looked like an effort to act nonchalant about it. The girl ate the bread like a wild animal, small pieces sticking on the sides of her mouth as she savored the crunchy meal. It definitely felt more… normal, _better_ than eating canned stuff every morning. She stood frozen at the thought, Lee's eyes still fixated on her while she thought of something else to say.

Clementine then shrugged her shoulders, her frail gaze finally landing on him. "It still hurts." She regretted saying it, almost, but it was the only... _real_ answer she could settle on. _Please don't be mad still..._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"I bet, Clem. But it'll wear off, eventually." Hell, it hurt him just as much seeing her like that. At least it was nice gesture that they didn't give her any hassles at the infirmary. He could clearly see she just wanted to go inside now. The awkwardness and guilt she probably felt for her actions the prior night surely being the reason.

He still wanted to confront her about leaving without him, and with a slight shake of his head, the former professor sunk back into his seat, not wanting to make a scene in front of Joel. A brief moment of silence passed before Lee decided to change the subject.

"Andrea showed again last night, after you guys dozed off." Luckily, he had still been awake enough to answer the door. "We're meeting Tommy to get this whole thing sorted. We need to head off in about-" He paused, holding his left wrist up to his eyes to check his watch, then averting his gaze back to her. "Twenty minutes, so you'd best scoot on inside."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's fierce demeanor dithered in return to Lee's response, or lack thereof. After heading off earlier, wanting to just… get out for a bit and clear her head, she expected Lee to get angry about it. His head shake and request for her to head inside, however, said it all. The girl responded with a soft "okay", before doing as he asked. _One more thing he can get mad at me about…_ Clementine hesitated for an instant, while her hand still grasped the door handle. The passing thought that she should… _maybe_ apologize for leaving without Lee's permission. The thought went away just as soon as it popped in her head, Clem firmly shutting the door behind her with no semblance of reluctance.

Inside the house, the first thing that came to mind was Ellie; where she was, what she was doing. She was probably sleeping still, Clem imagined… and also envied. Lee said they were heading out in twenty minutes, so if that was the case, she'd probably have to go wake her up… or something. As dwelling on things wasn't her biggest forte, Clementine mentally shrugged and headed upstairs, intending to go back to her room and subsequently check up on her _'partner in crime'_.

* * *

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Everything about this place felt familiar, right down to the individual tiles laid out on the floor. The interior of the mall was left in darkness, illuminated only by the carousel in the center of the massive space. She remembered being here, both when the power wasn't working and when it __**was**__. She found herself sitting on the same horse she'd ridden before, although this time, the carousel remained eerily silent and unmoving. That moment had always been fleeting, an experience that had excited her at the time, and was snuffed out just as quickly. At least, when it came to an end, Riley had given her the new pun book. That had kept her occupied, keeping her mind away from the fact that she knew something was wrong, that there was a reason why Riley had dragged her all the way out there. She just didn't want to face it yet._

_Now, though, Riley was nowhere to be seen._

_She could hear voices in the distance, like echoes down a long corridor, and she clambered off the metal horse. She strained her ears to focus on the voices, but they were getting quieter, further away. One of the voices she could easily identify, belonging to Clementine. Strange. She'd never been here with Clem. Hell, had things been different, and the two would've met in Boston, she doubted they would've ever become friends. So, why was she here?_

_The other voice belonged to herself, a tender laugh following her indecipherable words. She began to take quick strides towards the source, what was noise before slowly becoming syllables, and then words._

_The world spun around her, and suddenly she found herself in a different area altogether, within the confines of the mall. She was walking through a darkened hallway, and Clementine strolled beside her, a smile wider than she's ever seen on the girl stretching across her face._

"_So, what'd you think?"_

"_It was alright," Ellie could hear herself reply, as if her lips and vocal chords were working on their own accord. The girl next to her simply glanced at her, seeming unconvinced. "Alright, yeah, it was pretty awesome."_

_Clementine let out a half-chuckle. "Yeah, I thought so."_

_Ellie stopped in her tracks, the baseball-capped girl following suit, sending Ellie a questioning glance. The whole thing felt almost… surreal, as if she had no real control over her body. It was doing everything on its own, and she was simply along for the ride. She felt that she should've been scared, or freaked out, or… __**something**__, but she hardly had time to dwell on that fact. Auto-pilot Ellie had already begun to talk, looking between Clementine and the hallway ahead at regular intervals._

"_Alright, what's this about? Why are we here?"_

_Ellie's thoughts exactly._

_At first, Clementine didn't answer, her smile softening into a serious look. Her gaze grew distant, shrugging her shoulders. "After, well… everything, I thought… you needed a distraction."_

"_A distraction?"_

"_From… what happened with Joel," Clementine finished, meeting her gaze. Ellie looked away, towards the hallway ahead, before she sighed._

"_I'm fine, Clem. I have to be, right?" Her words sounded hollow, even to Ellie, who found herself wishing that she could narrow her eyes in confusion at the scene unfolding around her. None of this made sense. She didn't know Clementine when she was in Boston, nor did she know Joel at this time, so why was she seeing and hearing about them, here? "Besides… I still got you around, so things aren't… __**all**__ bad."_

_That made the baseball-capped girl roll her eyes, although that serious look still remained. For a moment, silence filled the air, and the two continued to make their way down the hallway. Ellie could just about make out the faint sound of music in the air, far away, yet close enough to distinguish the fact that it was there and not just a bassy noise._

_Finally, though, that quiet calm was interrupted, Clementine shooting her a small gaze. "You can't always rely on me being around. People die. All the time."_

"_But not you." There was a hint of determination in Ellie's voice, and shock. Perhaps hearing something like that was not what she was expecting, or she refused to even acknowledge it._

_Clementine didn't seem to like that answer, a sigh escaping her lips. She looked withdrawn, and visibly weaker. Perhaps they've had this argument one too many times, and Ellie's refused to give in._

"_I'm not immune, stupid. If something were to happen…''_

"… _which it won't," Ellie interrupted._

"… _you need to learn to let go. __**I**__ need you to."_

_The scene changed again, the darkened hallway being replaced by an unfinished section of the mall. Scaffolds towered over them, and Ellie was sitting with her back against the concrete barrier surrounding an unfinished wall. Clementine was sat next to her, her hand on Ellie's knee. Sweat covered her face and arms, and she looked almost… exhausted._

_Ellie could feel tears in her eyes, but they refused to drop, as if waiting for their cue. Her voice was weak, almost inaudible, as she replied to Clementine's statement. "…I can't."_

"_You have to," Clementine insisted, her voice raspy. Ellie clenched her eyes shut, only opening them again as Clementine shuffled away from her. The baseball-capped girl pulled the right half of her leather jacket open, looking down at… a bite on her neck. It looked… bad, at least several hours old. Her eyes then returned to Ellie, desperation evident in her gaze. "Please?"_

_Ellie shook her head violently, those tears finally willing themselves to stream down her face as she sniffled hard. She buried her face against her arms, laying crossed against her knees. How could she let go? After everything they've been through? She refused to believe what her eyes were telling her, that this was all just a dream, and that she'd wake up, and Joel was still alive, and Clementine wouldn't be bit. Everything would be okay, and the worst thing she'd have to deal with would be just another teen drama. She much preferred that life, for what it was worth. Anything other than ending up alone, again. For what felt like the millionth time._

_In the end, they always found a way to leave her behind. Whether willingly, or through death. How much more of this could she take? How much more heartbreak could she take before there weren't any pieces left to put back together? How long could she run away from how she felt about Clementine, or even Joel, before there's no room left to care about anyone else?_

_How could she leave her like this?_

"… _Okay." Ellie's voice was more like a breath, soft and nearly drowned out by the sound of birds chirping in the distance. She lifted her head to look towards the girl, her infected friend that she'll never get to see again, and hoped to find that Clementine was at peace with her answer. Instead, she found something far more feral._

_She didn't even bother to defend herself as Clementine pounced on her, going straight for her jugular._

Ellie awoke in a cold sweat, jerking herself into a sitting position with an exasperated gasp. She struggled to breathe, her breath hitching in her throat as she laid her head against her knees. The room was dead silent, and one glance towards her left revealed that she was alone, the girl her nightmare had focused on long gone. At that moment, she was beginning to think that was a good thing. Last thing she wanted was to explain that horrible fucking dream to her, or, well, _anyone_.

She lifted her head, looking towards the digital clock on the bedside table. It flashed at her in a slow rhythm, the numbers **8:46 AM** appearing in a soft red. She let out a groan, sighing. She'd overslept.

She lifted the blanket off of her, the air in the room feeling cool and crisp compared to the uncomfortable warmth produced by her body heat. Her feet touched the wooden floor, and she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

_I'm not ready for this…_

Just the thought of dealing with Lydia at this meeting was enough to make her cringe. She didn't have much of a choice, though, but holding her tongue was going to be… difficult. She wanted to punch her, for hurting Clem, but now… now she wouldn't get that chance. It was probably for the best.

She stood up, stretching her arms with a long yawn. While her mind occupied itself with the nightmare, she gathered some clothes together. A plaid shirt, left behind in the closet, it's red hues faded with time, along with a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans from her backpack. She hung the articles over her arm, carrying them towards the bathroom.

When was the last time she had a shower? Let alone one that was _hot_? Even the showers in Boston were fucking cold, as if FEDRA didn't give a fuck if you were comfortable or not, which was probably true, if she was being honest. All they had cared about was making sure people stayed in the quarantine zones and killing Fireflies. Creature comforts were secondary, if they were even acknowledged at all.

She laid the clothes on the toilet lid, twisting the knobs of the shower until the water streamed out of the shower head at a temperature she liked. She undressed, tossing her old clothes in a pile in the corner of the bathroom, before slipping inside.

The water felt… _awesome_. That was the best way to describe it, like all of her worries were being washed away with it. For a while, she just let the water soak her, standing underneath the stream as her mind began to wander, back to the dream.

What did it even mean? Did it _even_ have a meaning? Thinking back to that night in the mall was hard enough without imagining Clem… dying. That was a fear she knew all too well, dating back to when they had first met. She didn't want anyone else dying for her, on this journey, especially the girl she'd grown to look up to as the closest person in her life right now. Just the very thought of it was enough to have her feeling nauseous, leaning her hand against the side of the shower wall to prevent herself from getting dizzy.

She fucking _hated_ this feeling, and she wished she knew what it was. It was not unlike how she felt around Riley, in those final moments with her. An attachment she didn't really understand at the time, but she had attributed to love. To how she thought she felt about Riley, and what led _to_ those final moments with her. The feeling of rocks in the pit of your stomach, of worry that she'd never see her again, and the butterflies from when they kissed. In hindsight, those feelings had hurt her in the end.

So why did she feel the same way about Clementine? That same gut feeling, an attachment to the girl that would only lead to another case of heartbreak, just like before. Part of her wanted to believe otherwise, she supposed, hoping for the best, but she couldn't escape that feeling, like an oncoming train in a long tunnel.

Sooner or later, it was going to hit her.

She began to clean herself off, using a bottle of liquid soap and shampoo sitting on a shelf inside the shower. She wanted to refuse to acknowledge any feelings she had about Clementine, but how could she? They've been there since Pittsburgh, affecting everything she said and did, including how choked up she was when Lydia attacked her. It was stupid, thinking that anything _good_ would come out of that. So, she'd be… better off just forgetting about it. Bury it inside and never letting it see the light of day. Shield herself from that pain, and the humiliation, and whatever else would come to plague her.

Once she was finished, she twisted the knobs back around, the stream of water slowly dissipating before stopping completely. She took in a deep breath, pulling the shower curtain back. She could already tell that this was going to be on her mind all day, and would only make things more… awkward, when night came again. Nevertheless, she had to put it aside, at least until after this meeting was over. One thing at a time.

The plaid shirt was a little too big, but Ellie didn't really mind, buttoning it up about halfway. She wiped away the moisture from the sink mirror, brushing her hair. She still wasn't used to seeing it down, and it's only gotten longer. She never really _liked_ getting haircuts, and the last one she had, Riley had given her, but it was definitely starting to get to the point of being 'too long'. She quickly tied it up in a bun, deciding to switch it up from her usual ponytail, and she spent a moment looking over herself in the mirror. Being clean again definitely made her feel better, and she actually… kinda liked the bun. It took a while longer, but it looked… good?

_Look out Lydia, your boy's gonna be swooning._ She rolled her eyes at her own joke, stifling a laugh. _Yeah, not in a million years._

She quickly brushed her teeth, using a toothbrush that'd been stored in a drawer beneath the sink. It looked relatively unused, which made it a bit… better. Having toothpaste also helped. _Seriously? Is there anything this place __**doesn't**__ have?_ After she was done, she returned the brush back to where she found it, letting out a deep sigh.

It was time to see Queen Bitch again.

She opened the door, heading out into the hallway. As she approached the corner, where the stairs headed down to the living room, a figure walked into the hallway in front of her, leaving her no time to stop herself from colliding into the girl. Clementine stumbled backward, but Ellie reached out for her arms, keeping her from getting knocked into the wall.

"Oh shit, hey…" Ellie breathed, awkwardly letting go of the girl. "Sorry, I didn't - I wasn't paying attention. How'd, uh… how'd the checkup go?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine opened the door to their room, only to find… not much at all. Ellie sure wasn't there, just her calling card: The messiest bed Clem had ever seen. _Didn't anyone in Boston teach you how to make a bed?_ She thought with narrowed eyes, just barely resisting the itch to tidy it back up herself. When Clementine turned around to face the hallway, she was instead directly faced with the redhead she'd been looking for. A surprise surely grand enough to make her body leap backwards, were it not for the fact that it did so on its own due to it bumping with Ellie's.

Ellie held her just in time, though. Clem's eyes, by then, already shut in anticipation for the impact that just narrowly didn't occur. "Geez, you scared me!" Clementine shouted, looking totally confounded, before the other girl let go of her arms. Ellie asked her about the checkup not a second after, Clem still trying to recover from almost falling on her ass. "I… I'm okay. Only got a few stitches, that's all." Clem went on to awkwardly scratch her cheek, only for her finger to scrape the bandage instead, causing the girl to wince in pain.

"Um… Lee says we're leaving in twenty minutes for… y'know," she informed her friend, an obvious lack of energy in her voice. It was bad enough for Ellie, but it'd be twice as awful for her; the one who hit Lydia… and the one who _actually started_ the fight. There was a very present feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her one way or another, she wasn't leaving that meeting unscathed.

Clementine was ready to head back downstairs, until for a brief instant, Ellie's hair seized the girl's attention, her amber eyes landing on the bun she'd concocted. The sight plenty enough to pull a tender smile from Clem's tired expression. "Cute hair."

Dot [Ellie]

_A few stitches? Ouch._ Ellie thought as Clementine began to talk about the meeting, something that Ellie was _dreading_ far more than the awkwardness of bumping into the girl just now. Hopefully this meeting would be over quickly, and they'd move on from this entire fucking thing. As Ellie prepared herself to follow the girl downstairs, Clementine's gaze focused on her, and the words that she hadn't be expecting escaped the baseball-capped girl's lips.

For a moment, Ellie wasn't sure what to say, her eyes widening ever so slightly. She hadn't really been… expecting a compliment, and to say that it had thrown her off would be an understatement. "Uh… thanks," she finally managed to reply, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yours looks good, too… I forgot to mention that, yesterday…"

She could feel her cheeks reddening slightly, and she mentally cursed herself.

_So much for burying it._


	27. Punisment, II

_9:32 AM_

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

A wave of calm settled over Tommy as he finally sat down at his desk. He'd woken up two short hours earlier, waiting for the time of judgement that _he_ had to pass with grim anxiety. This wasn't how he'd planned on spending today. Suddenly, the moments before lunchtime could decide the fate of both his brother and the walking chance for a cure under Joel's care. However, as he'd settled into his chair, he knew that he'd still be there to eat his meal afterwards, so it didn't make much of a difference to _him._ Now was the time for justice.

As he waited for everyone to assemble outside his office, he tried to arrange his thoughts. Lydia would have to recount her story again, for clarity, and hopefully she'd be less _obvious_ with her bias. He'd have to ask the other two girls, and Carl. Once everyone was inside and he and Andrea heard the stories, they'd have to discuss it in private to decide the course of action. Andrea wouldn't know that Ellie is immune, so that cat is gonna have to come out of the bag, one way or another. Infighting was generally met with serious punishment, largely because of the hassle it was to him and Andrea to deal with it, but this was even _worse_ than that.

He took a deep breath through his nose, exhaling with a heavy sigh. From the other side of the door, he could hear murmurs and shuffling feet, and decided he'd waited long enough for them all to arrive. Standing up, he stepped around his desk and crossed to the door, his hand hesitating on the doorknob for a few seconds. Then, with one more deep breath, he opened the door and beheld too many people. "Thank you all for coming." He spoke stiffly, beckoning them inside.

They filed awkwardly into the office, the room feeling smaller as the crowd entered. Tommy held the door open until they were all inside, Andrea included, so he could close it behind them. Retreating back to his chair, he sat down with his back straight and his hands clasped on his desk in front of him. He tried to not grimace at the sight of Clementine's face and neck, but it _was_ worse than he expected, and he couldn't help but let his sight linger. Tearing his eyes from the stitching in her chin, he swept his gaze over the whole lot. "You all know what we're here to discuss, so let's not waste any time." Taking a moment to make eye contact with each of the anxious children before him, he turned back to Clementine. "What happened last night?"

**Art [Clementine]**

When Tommy turned towards her, Clementine instinctively flinched, her eyebrows drawing together in dreadful anticipation.

The girl had next to no clue where to start, fiddling with her fingers while she waited for an answer that never came. Everyone was staring at her, glares ranging from lenient to outright piercing. There was no… _easy_ way of explaining it and sitting there in silence would only make things worse for her and Ellie.

"We got into a fight."

Strength - any sort of confidence - was unequivocally missing from her voice. Nothing but remorse, anger and an unshakable feeling of frustration.

"Ellie called Lydia out for being annoying, so she got up and spat on Ellie." Clem paused, the words that were meant to follow helplessly stuck under her throat. She hoped that they'd get it… not just Tommy, who'd kick them out otherwise, but Lee and Andrea too. Clementine wasn't about to defend what she did; hitting another girl. She was just so… _done_, after that whole night. Pissed off way past what she considered to be normal. Whatever _'normal'_ was nowadays. Maybe she just wasn't equipped to be around other kids... maybe Tommy would be right to kick her out. The only thing that mattered in the girl's head, was that she'd be blunt about it. She wasn't eight years old anymore… it was about time to start facing things like the grown-up she so valiantly claimed to be.

"I got mad, and I hit her."

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea stood next to where Tommy was sitting, her arms crossed over her chest. She learned a bit more about what happened to cause this fight from Dina, after she dragged the two girls back to the house they were staying in. She had a good idea on what happened, and why, and it was very obvious that Clementine was omitting certain parts of the events. For example, how Ellie had called Lydia an 'arrogant bitch'. Granted, the blame wasn't entirely on Ellie and Clementine. She was also very much aware of the fact that Lydia had, indeed, spat on Ellie, and called her a 'whore', then later calling them both 'sluts'. Both sides were to blame here, that much was made clear. She kept most of this to herself, deciding that she'd bring it up with Tommy if the children didn't do so themselves. Her gaze cycled between Clementine, Ellie, and finally, Lydia, a disapproving gaze that easily conveyed how she was feeling.

She hoped for better out of Lydia. After taking her in, introducing her to a life that wasn't… just savagery, she hoped that the girl would fit in, adapt. Instead, especially after her and Carl broke up, she became a recluse, and it only grew worse once these two arrived, it seemed.

Andrea wanted to be fair, and at the same time, she knew that _too_ harsh of a punishment was uncalled for. They were just children, after all. Teenagers. She did a lot worse, back when she was living in the Atlanta QZ. Still, there was no denying that _something_ had to be done, but it was just a matter of what.

As Clementine finished her side of the story, Andrea spoke up, her voice matter-of-fact. "You forgot to mention the fact that Ellie 'called Lydia out' by daring her to 'stop being an arrogant bitch'. Not saying that it's any _one_ person's fault, but please stick to the facts. That goes for all of you." She glanced towards Ellie and Lydia, extending that threat to the both of them. They were past shifting the blame onto someone; at this point, it's just a matter of _what to do_.

**Art [Clementine]**

Were she to shy away, _shrink_ in her seat any further, Clementine would likely be inches away from curling up into a ball. She felt the impact in each of Andrea's words as she painstakingly described each of Ellie's, leaving the girl unfit to even take a stab at a retort. Clem hoped maybe they'd cut Ellie some slack if she didn't throw her friend under the bus, but Andrea made it _pretty fucking clear_ that that wouldn't be the case, going as far as doing the throwing herself.

It got… awkward after that. Clementine nervously tapped her feet. Silent, again. She ended up shooting an apologetic look at Ellie, almost as if trying to communicate that she'd fucked up… however, the girl did nothing past that, her gaze promptly returning to the floor, where it momentarily belonged. Tommy, and by extent, Andrea, expected to hear the rest of the story, of course. During the course of that silence, Clementine's pout gradually turned into a frown, and later, a scowl.

Lydia hadn't said a word yet, and it pissed her off.

"Tell them what happened next." She addressed the blonde directly, raw anger nearly pouring out of her mouth, no matter how much Clem tried to suppress it.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

There was a certain sense of tension that lingered in the air like a bad odor. Lydia couldn't lie. It was a tad intimidating being here, given the various glares she was getting from certain people. However this is what she had asked for, and she sure as hell would make sure they all heard what she had to say. Lydia's gaze was averted in the general direction of the other two girls, although wavering it every time Andrea looked over to her.

Lydia felt her teeth grind as Clementine recounted her part of the story. _For being annoying...? Fuck off._ She only just managed to withhold the satisfaction she felt when Andrea called her out on her crap. _They_ were in the wrong, not her. That's what she'd been saying this whole time, and that's what she would be sticking to.

The girl felt her face flush with anger as she was put on the spot by Clementine, meeting her scowl. Was it anger, or was it the slight nerves she got from attempting to keep her composure? She couldn't really tell at this point.

_Gladly._ She mentally retorted at the other girls request, then switching her gaze between Andrea and Tommy, almost determined as she got straight to the point. The spitting thing had obviously already gotten out, and she wasn't going to deny it. Everything was going to come out one way or another, but there were certain things she thought were near impossible that Ellie and Clementine could outright prove. It was their word against hers, and she damn expected Carl to have her back too. They probably knew what she was like by now, still... Tommy wasn't there to witness most of the ordeal when it happened, neither was Andrea.

"Well, after she sucker punched me… I wasn't going to just sit there and eat punches. So yeah, I got mad too. It went to the ground and I _did_ hit her back." She admitted. "That's when Carl split us up."

"Still doesn't change that **she** started it by swearing me off for literally _no_ reason. When all I was trying to do was get to know them." The blonde directed her gaze towards the red head, singling her out.

"But I guess I was just being too '_annoying_' to hang around them." She finished by directly quoting how Clementine had described it, a slight sarcastic tinge in her tone evident.

**Dot [Ellie]**

While Clementine explained what happened to Tommy and Andrea, Ellie sat in her chair uncomfortably, waiting for the moment she'd have to explain herself too. Things weren't going well, and Andrea had already metaphorically bit off Clementine's head, before Clementine directed the explaining towards Lydia. She didn't expect anything less from the girl, pointing nearly _all_ the blame on them. She found herself scowling, rolling her eyes. This bitch was so fucking full of herself.

"Bullshit," Ellie finally decided to say, butting in. "_You_ started it by acting like we were just _getting in the way_. All because _Carl_ wanted to talk to us." She crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes. "And let's not forget the fact you called me a 'whore', and called _both_ of us 'sluts'."

"That's enough, Ellie," Andrea's voice interrupted her from going any further, her icy gaze enough to have Ellie shut her mouth momentarily. "This isn't about _who's_ to blame, it's about what we're going to do about it." She shifted in her spot, leaning over the desk with her palms flat on the metal surface. "Dina already told me what happened. I can see where you might've gotten the impression that Lydia was acting like she didn't want you there-"

"Oh, she made it pretty clear," Ellie stated under her breath, rolling her eyes. Andrea's glare narrowed further.

"-but _you_ should've been more civil about it. Same goes for you, Lydia." Andrea's attention then turned to the other girl. "You didn't have to _spit_ on her, and if you didn't, then Clementine wouldn't have felt inclined to 'defend' her friend. If you three had just discussed this like the _grown_ kids you are, we wouldn't even be here." She turned her gaze to Tommy next to her, as if waiting to hear what he thought about this whole situation. Ellie buried herself deeper in her chair, avoiding the gazes of Lee and Joel nearby. It was clear as day that they were going to get the short end of the stick in these 'punishments'. Why wouldn't they choose their own over her and Clementine?

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"Acting like you were just getting in the way. Really…? Just how _warped_ are you? All we were doing was talking and then you flipped out." The part about Carl got to her specifically, no matter how much she tried she couldn't keep her mouth closed about it. "Carl had nothing to do with _you_ spazzing out on me, I dunno why you're bringing him into this." _Because you clearly think you're so fucking great that he'd share you a second glance, that's why._ Then to top it all off, she started going on about the swear words that had been exchanged between them.

_Boo hoo. Get over it._

Andrea was quick to interject, her voice croaked for a split second as if she wanted to speak up again. Still aggravated that she didn't have her full support, but this is what Lydia had expected nonetheless. Shifting her gaze elsewhere, she decided to keep her mouth closed, for now. _She called me an arrogant bitch, there was nothing to 'discuss' after that._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The allegations, constant back and forth. Lee felt like he was back in the classroom himself. He didn't like seeing Clementine getting reprimanded, but he couldn't necessarily blame Andrea either. Dealing with something like this was probably the last thing these folks wanted to do. It wasn't looking too good for the girls. At the back of his mind he supposed what he was about to say came naturally, from his time teaching.

"Look, if I could just say something here." The man spoke up with his arms crossed, taking a step forward as he attempted to politely butt in after Andrea had finished speaking, realizing that Tommy might be making his decision soon. If he could talk some sense, or at least soften the blow on the kids it'd be worth a shot.

"I mean, especially at this age, kids fight. It happens. We sort it out and move on." Lee remembered being a kid himself, and he was sure all the rest of the grown folk in the room did too.

"Clementine is… still adjusting here. It's been a rough few months on the road for these two… I know it's no excuse for fighting, but, Joel and I can make sure it won't happen again… All I'm asking here is if you guys can cut them some slack, just this once." He asked, hoping that Andrea or Tommy would listen to reason.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Just the same old kid drama he had grown so unaccustomed to. Joel had only been around the drama where it somewhat needed to be; deals and exchanges around supplies and contraband, just a bunch of _business._ Sure, he had to knock a few heads around here and there, but it wasn't like it was purely barbaric despite the connotations around beating a man to death with your fists.

He mostly just hung in the back, grimacing at times. He listened fully to Lee's contribution, nodding along with him. He wasn't going to say anything; but a twang of guilt was pulling at his shirt, wasn't it? He sighed, coming off of the wall he had stuck his back to. "They're good kids, Tommy, they just ain't used to it in here, like Lee said." He hoped that the brotherly connection was still there. Tommy had to listen to his brother; he _had_ to.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

While words were thrown around the room, Tommy made an effort to be silent while they argued amongst themselves. He couldn't expect anything but twisted versions of the story, besides perhaps from _Carl,_ and Dina had already been interrogated by Andrea, which probably ensured a clean story. It was reassuring that she was there, to help him figure out what to do here. _I still don't know how to tell her about Ellie._ When she told them to be honest, he could mutter only a quiet 'thank you.' There were a lot of uncertainties in his mind.

He wasn't prompted to speak until Lee put in his two cents, which didn't count for more than a single coin. Before he could say anything to the ex-professor, however, Joel added to it with a few awkward words.

"Spare me your pieties." While he wasn't sure what to think of these youngsters in front of him, he certainly knew they weren't _children._ "You should know, Joel, that this isn't the same world. These aren't kids; They weren't kids from the moment they stepped out of the safe-zone." In Tommy's world, as immature as they could be, if you traveled through the wilderness and fended for yourself, you were an adult. Such a group couldn't survive if the children were hopeless. "In this world, we all live the same and we all die the same."

A twinge of remorse struck him, but he ignored it. Right now was the time to look like he was in charge, not to consider what the punishment might actually be. He couldn't just eject them from the community now. It was Joel, it was a _cure,_ even if one of those things didn't count for much right now. Things went into play making this decision that no one but him and Andrea could know about, and there was no way around that. Whatever punishment he thought of for _Lydia_ probably couldn't do worse to her than let the other two stay, at least.

"Regardless," he droned on, "Without fair enforcement of our rules, we're no more than savages. So let's continue." He raised a hand and beckoned Carl forward, who had been waiting quietly at the back of the room while the girls argued. The young man removed his hat as he stepped forward.

If Tommy wasn't mistaken, he looked nervous. When he stepped up, he made an obvious effort to stand more than an arm's length away from Lydia. "Well… I thought the night had been going fine. I was getting to know the new girls, and I guess I didn't really pick up on anything going on between them and Lydia." He glanced at the blonde furtively, pausing in his words. _He looks afraid of her. Poor kid._ "We were just playing a dumb game, and then…" Carl took a deep breath. "Lydia said something snarky, and Ellie went ahead and called her a bitch. So, she stomped over and spat in her face, and that was when Clementine threw the first punch. I pulled Lydia off of Clementine as fast as I could, and we left." There was a heavy silence in the room as he awkwardly stepped back and replaced his hat.

Tommy released a breath he didn't know he was holding. _Thank you, Carl._ Now there was _some_ truth in the equation. With another deep sigh, he stood up. "Thank you, everyone. Does anyone else have anything to add?" Silence continued to resonate, much to his relief.

Managing a smile, he beckoned to the door. "Could you all step outside; Andrea and I have to… talk, about it." With precious little argument and too much time, they filed out.

But this posed a new - _or old?_ \- problem for him to overcome. _How am I gonna tell Andrea that Ellie is immune?_ In true fashion, Tommy had refused to think about the words he'd say because he knew whatever he planned couldn't be as good as coming up with something on the fly. _So I hope._ As Lydia exited the room last, and he closed the door with an oddly loud click in the nearly-empty room, he could only sigh.

Turning slowly, he made eye contact with Andrea. He walked back over to the desk, standing on the other side of his chair, but he didn't give her the chance to speak. "There's something really, really important that I need to tell you." Planless, hopeless. _Go for it, loser._ "I didn't expect it to be so important so soon, but I was gonna tell you tonight or tomorrow. Ellie is bitten, and she's _not_ turnin'." All cards on the table. Bandages should be ripped off fast, right?

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea had shifted in her spot as the others filed out of the room. Honestly, she didn't know how long it was going to take for them to come to an agreement about what to do, so as they were on their way out, she called after them. "Feel free to head home. I'll be visiting each of you personally once we're done here."

She turned back towards Tommy when the door shut. She found herself questioning what he was wanting to do about this, although she wouldn't have the time to really dwell on it. Tommy spoke first, about something else that surprisingly didn't have anything to do with the kids, save one. The words washed over her like a tidal wave, a shock that was more than enough to leave her speechless for a moment.

_Ellie is… bitten?_

Her speechlessness disappeared as fast as it had come, disbelief practically written across her face. "What do you mean _bitten_? You're not suggesting that she's immune…?"

There was no fucking way, yet at the same time, realization began to dawn on her. The real reason why Joel dragged this kid across the country, for a reason still quite yet unknown, but she was pretty fucking sure Tommy knew about. She took a moment to catch her breath, leaning her hands on the desk again. They have an infected girl in their community, and based on how she… she showed _no symptoms_, even after a whole day had gone by. She hated to think it, but she kept coming to the same conclusion over and over.

_She's bitten - she's not dying - she's immune - she's bitten - she's not-_

She turned her gaze back towards Tommy, biting her lip. "Why did Joel bring her here? What did he want from you?"

She had a feeling that she already knew. Tommy has ties to the very same organization that had made a big deal out of the fact they were looking for the cure. The Fireflies. The very same organization she hated almost as much as she hated Negan and the Saviors, and trusted even less. Joel most likely brought her here in hopes of finding out where the Fireflies were, and give them the- _the goddamned cure for mankind_.

She felt her fists clench underneath the barrage of thoughts surging through her mind. The potential for a cure was almost as coveted as any other treasure in history. The fountain of youth, El Dorado, just to name a few. Whoever found the cure first would have complete control of it. What would the Fireflies do if they had the only access to it?

She forced away the thought, focusing herself on Tommy again, awaiting his answer.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Well, her reaction wasn't quite what Tommy had expected; It was _better._ He watched in quiet amazement as the thoughts unfolded in her head, only nodding when she came to the final conclusion. All of the things _he'd_ been thinking about ran through her head at once, until she asked a harder question to answer. With a sigh, he leaned against the wall, facing her, with his arms crossed over his chest. "Joel wants me to deliver her to the Fireflies, because last time I saw him, I _was_ a Firefly." At heart, at least. It hurt to think of what he'd done for them, but he knew his heart was in the right

Thus, why he left.

"The conversation about it wasn't… _good…_ but he'd better have it through his thick head that it's not happening." He stepped away from his wall and began pacing. The room was too crowded before, but now he could alleviate _some_ anxiety with heavy footsteps across the floor. "The last thing that can happen is the Fireflies getting their hands on her." The Fireflies were simply well-organized bandits who had _too much_ support.

Another thought crossed his mind, however - One equally as important. If she were to _stay,_ what did anyone at Jackson know about engineering a cure? Eleanor was an underqualified and overperforming doctor, but she wasn't a scientist. Nor did they have a laboratory to do all the 'sciencing.' "We don't have what we need to make a cure _now,_ but we can't expel her from the community." Tommy himself didn't feel like that would be necessary, but Andrea could be more… Stern, about such matters. "But, back to the matter at hand. I had to let you know, before we made any rash actions." Shuffling back over to the desk, he reclaimed his spot on the wall. "What do we do about these rowdy kids?"

**Dot [Andrea]**

Joel was trying to dump Ellie off on Tommy? Andrea found herself both surprised and _not_ surprised at the same time, given Joel's history. She appreciated everything Tommy was saying, going as far to state that he wouldn't go through with it, and that the Fireflies couldn't get their hands on the cure first. Of course, they weren't equipped to do anything about the cure here, but… there's gotta be someone out there, right? Besides FEDRA and the Fireflies?

She remembered her first experience with a promise to bring an end to the apocalypse. Eugene Porter, the science teacher who claimed to be a scientist. He'd dragged them all to Washington under the premise that they were going to end this thing, only to find out that he _lied_. While she still wasn't _sure_ if Ellie was actually immune, or if she posed any threat to the community, she _wanted_ to think that this was going to be the exception.

But that was a problem for later. Right now, they had to deal with the consequences of that immune child's actions, along with the other two. She pursed her lips, struggling to think of a good punishment for them. Clearly, kicking them out was too harsh, and she didn't feel comfortable with forcing children out of the community. What needed to be done is prevent anything like this from happening again, but it seemed inevitable. Keeping them apart wouldn't work, since that'd only add fuel to the fire, letting the resentment build inside each of them. Throwing them together would probably end the same way. How could they possibly handle this in a way that wouldn't backfire?

"Well," she breathed, sighing. "For starters, while Ellie and Clementine are in the community, they need to go to the school. It'd keep them out of trouble. I think they need some time to breathe, calm down, then we should get them to work together on something. Try to bridge the gap. Somehow. It'd… probably backfire, but I can't think of anything else that wouldn't blow up in our faces anyway."

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Immediately, Andrea's perspective turned towards diplomacy. Which was a step in the right direction. Tommy listened intently as she shot off an idea, which sounded like something he could work with. "Lydia is going to be enraged if we do anything but punish them. I doubt she'd cooperate." _Friendship_ between the girls was probably already impossible. But if they could tolerate each other? The two girls, with their time out in the harsh reality, could probably teach the other kids a thing or two.

If it backfired, then they'd work with it from there. "If Joel dumps them here and leaves, then we'll treat them like any other new members of the community. But now that we know a cure is _possible…_" He faded for a moment, unsure about his next words. "I don't think we should let her leave." It would be cruel to force them to stay, but if he found out they got killed trying to get to the Fireflies, he'd never forgive himself. Negative karma for a thousand lifetimes, to doom the human race like that.

**Dot [Andrea]**

"I agree. Who knows what the Fireflies would do if they got their hands on her," Andrea immediately replied, looking towards Tommy as she sat herself down in the seat Ellie had been sitting in before. She thought it over for a moment, weighing all of their options. "We should have Eleanor look her over, see if she can't figure anything out. I don't _expect_ her to pull a cure out of a magician's hat or something, but at least we'll know more about what we're dealing with." Her gaze fell to the floor for a moment. _Wish Eugene was still here. He could've figured it out, probably._ "In any case," she lifted her gaze, returning to Tommy. "All three of them need to be watched more closely, to avoid _more_ incidents. Never thought we'd need _detention_ for the school, but that might be worth looking into, if they don't start acting their age."

She knew that saying that was a tad hypocritical, given how _she'd_ acted at their age, but the apocalypse forced _everyone_ to grow up in order to survive. These kids needed to learn that lesson, too.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Andrea voiced Tommy's deepest concerns out loud; One of his favorite things about her. When Eleanor's name was mentioned, however, he frowned. "Eleanor is a good doctor, but… She isn't a scientist. If we could get to step one, that would be more than I'd expect." The community was comprised of laborers and fighters - to extract a cure took… Well, he wasn't even sure. "We're gonna have to read up or find someone who knows what to do." Unable to hold it back, he sighed. There was just no easy way to get started on this.

He couldn't let himself think of Ellie as some sort of object, however. _Too close to the Firefly mindset._ The girls needed to be taken care of. After a few minutes of thinking, he agreed. "You're right, though. If Joel wants us to take them, we need to put them in school for now. Maybe we'll talk to Carl about keeping an eye on them, just to be safe." School would have to be changed. _Everything_ would have to be changed. Tommy finally stepped away from the wall and sat in his chair, nudging it along till he was across from Andrea. "This is the start of a new age." Leaning forward, his volume dropped considerably. "You understand what this means, right? A cure for mankind?"

**Dot [Andrea]**

_Still might be worth getting Ellie checked out, though. No telling if whatever happened to her has stopped her from being contagious._ The thought crossed Andrea's mind as Tommy sat down across from her, straightening her posture as he went on about the girls' punishments. She let out a heavy breath as Tommy's question washed over her. "It's a lot to take in, but… yeah. This is… _big_."

She chewed on her lip for a moment, mulling over everything they've discussed. Her mind was still reeling from the revelation, but she understood the weight of it, and the risks it entailed. They couldn't let the community at large know about this, it'd be far too dangerous for the girl. Once a cure was in the cards, people would do _anything_ to get their hands on it. In _their_ hands, though, hopefully this would be controlled, and _humane_. She was getting ahead of herself, however. There was no point dwelling on this until they had the means to _do something_ with it. For now, it was about the punishments.

"They aren't going to like it, you know." She continued, letting out a soft chuckle. "Being on the road for so long… going back to school probably isn't on their list of desires."

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Tommy could only reply to her statement with a weak laugh, the chuckle barely resonating in the small room. "Well, all the better. We're trying to punish them, right?" What better way to punish some children than to make them go to school? The idea was sounding more wickedly sweet by the minute. The most pressing issue, and _conveniently_ the least important, was the punishment these girls would receive. The boot was out of the question; So was confinement. He remembered, back when he'd gotten kicked out of school for a day after knocking a bully's teeth in, that getting kicked out was a _relief._ The real punishment would be making the girls attend.

The room settled into silence. He stared across the desk at Andrea, and she stared back. Tommy wanted to give some sort of explanation as to what they'd do if things didn't work out, and they rarely did. But what did he have to say? "We're treading dark waters, here." Leaning forward, he put his head in his hands, not realizing his head hurt until he started rubbing his temples. "Should we do anything else, besides send them to school? Make some kinda statement?" It wasn't like them to use a community member as a bad example, but sometimes that was what it took.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea pursed her lips, leaning her back against the back of her chair. Of course, they couldn't just sweep this entire thing under the rug. People knew about what happened. Hell, she was pretty sure that half the community _heard_ the fight. But probably, to most people, it was just teenagers bickering and nothing more. Did that necessitate telling the whole community about what happened? She didn't really have an answer to that.

Her gaze focused on Tommy, and she spent a few seconds trying to decipher the look on his face, to get an inkling of an idea on what he might've been thinking. For once, she had no idea. So, instead, she decided to ask. "Do you think we should?"

She wanted to know if he thought that publicly punishing them would really help in this situation, since she just… had no clue. Dealing with things like this, with adults, would be one thing. But this? They're children, and as much as they _needed_ them to get along, they were bound to have issues. Maybe she had a soft spot for these kids, maybe she saw herself in them, from when she was younger. She didn't really know. However, she knew for a fact that if she'd been publicly humiliated in a place like this, her teenage self would've rebelled. Maybe that's not what Tommy wanted to hear, but teenagers were going to be teenagers, no matter how much you try to control them. Their only hope would be that being on equal ground would help mend the wounds, if only by a little.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

_Do you think we should?_ No, he didn't. Tommy thought it would be a cruel punishment - Not as bad as kicking them out, but to ruin their reputation before they'd even been introduced to the community? He would have been _furious_ if it had happened to him. In all honesty, he'd have preferred being kicked out. But, if it could work, was it worth it? Would the girls ever forgive him for it, if it did?

Would Joel?

Groaning, he leaned as far back in his chair as it would go, his face still buried in his hands. Until an idea popped into his head. As he abruptly sat up, he could almost hear the _ding_ of the light bulb. "What if we just threatened them with expulsion?" Youngsters tended to listen when authority told them the seriousness of their consequences. At least, it had seemed to work with Sarah. "We line all three of them up in here, and tell all of them that if they act up again, it'll be bye-bye for good." Of course, he'd hold true to that promise if Lydia or Clementine acted out of line again. Ellie, well… She wouldn't leave. She _couldn't_ leave. "Of course, Ellie can't leave. If she acts up, we can subdue her, but she _can't_ leave. Agreed?" Andrea said she understood, and he believed her, but just the sheer importance of the girl meant that no risks could be taken. He waited, softly tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair, for his best friend to respond.

**Dot [Andrea]**

She didn't really like the idea of kicking out _any_ of them. They were still kids, after all. But… maybe, _threatening_ them with it would be enough to keep them from acting up. Hopefully. She averted her gaze, towards the floor, and thought it over. Knowing Lydia, she wasn't going to go down easily, but the other two would probably try their best, and that's all that Andrea really _wanted_ from them. To _try_ and get along. Sighing, she met Tommy's gaze, nodding.

"Let's do it. But before we call them back, I still want Eleanor to examine her." She shuffled in her seat, leaning her elbows against his desk. "At least to get an idea of what we're dealing with. Alright?"

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Tommy was silent for a moment. Andrea wasn't going to let it go, so he eventually just sighed and nodded in her direction. _Sometimes, you gotta fold 'em._ "Okay. If you really think it will help, have Eleanor examine her." He knew he sounded doubtful, but whatcha gonna do? The doubt in his mind wasn't uncalled for, and he knew it. But, if any chance of learning about it could be taken, then he supposed it was worth it. Before she could respond and let them enter, he piped up again, "Have her comprise a list of books that we should look for to help us figure it out, too. We need to be able to finish what we start." If everything went to plan, they'd figure out the cure and she'd get to live a comfortable life in the community. What more could Joel ask for?

With renewed energy, he sat up straight in his chair and shot Andrea a warm smile. "Thanks for helping me figure this out." Once again, his tone dropped. "If you didn't keep my head on straight, it would have rolled away by now." With that soft touch, he readied himself to tell these girls about the do-or-die. _No more shenanigans on my playground._


	28. Punishment, III

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It wasn't a side of Tommy he really saw coming, not until they were practically ordered out of his office anyway. He'd been nice or at least tolerable towards himself and Clementine up until now. Nothing had happened yet, and there was still no telling what kind of 'resolution' these guys had in mind for this whole ordeal. He figured Joel being there would help, but every time he spoke it looked like Tommy was just getting more agitated. Something had to be going on between them, brotherly quarrels maybe? Nonetheless it was nothing Lee would be sticking his nose into. As the four of them filed out of Tommy's office, they found themselves at the courtyard. He guessed for now they did have a bit of free time to chew up before Andrea decided to roll up on them.

"Well, _that_ could've gone better." Lee sighed as he decided to accompany his rump to a nearby stone bench. Rubbing his face slightly before taking a moment to think. "We got through it, though. For now, at least." He spoke after a brief pause, surely if Tommy had a punishment he would've given it by now? Unless he was dancing around it in favour of Andrea's opinion. The thought did strike Lee if Tommy really knew what he was going to do about this. _Would you even know what to do right now if you were in his position? Probably not._

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie stood behind the bench Lee had sat himself on, leaning over it with her arms resting on the top of the bench. Hearing Tommy's reaction had been enough to leave her feeling far more anxious than she'd felt after the fight had happened, and rightfully so. From what she knew about Tommy, and the first impressions she'd gotten of him, he seemed like a good guy, more than capable of being reasonable, but now she wasn't so sure. She knew she wasn't going to get out of this without a scratch, but she silently hoped that Lydia got what she deserved too. Even Carl seemed to see the fact that Lydia was acting _very_ hostile towards them that night. She glanced towards Carl and Lydia as they disappeared down a street, presumably going home, or… whatever. She was grateful to him, for what it's worth. Had he not said anything, they probably would've gone on for a _lot_ longer throwing the blame around.

Still, that doubt about what Tommy was going to do plagued her mind, and she looked between Lee and Joel with a worried gaze. "You don't think he's going to kick us out, right?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Nah, I'm sure Tommy isn't like that. Especially over something this petty." Lee spoke as he attempted to swiftly downplay the question. He knew if he cracked and started showing concern, that was a free pass for Ellie and Clem to start worrying too. The truth was he wasn't all that sure. Whatever would happen next, he'd just deal with the shit as it came. Getting kicked out within a day of arriving, it sounded like the start of a bad joke. After a brief moment, Lee seemingly looked behind him, nonchalantly checking his surroundings just in case Andrea or Tommy were approaching. Luckily, the coast was clear before he looked back to Ellie.

After seeing the outright hostility in that office, Lee felt like he knew the situation _slightly_ better now. "Between you and me, I'm starting to see what you meant about that other girl. She really has it out for you guys, huh?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine frowned immediately at Lee's implication, glancing away in evident scorn. _Yeah, no shit!_ She thought frustratingly, the urge to retort that way only scarcely suppressed by the violent gnash of her teeth. Lydia… god, just the thought of that pompous grin of hers had Clem's blood boiling. The fact that she got away after spitting on Ellie and _choking her_ only serving to make her even more furious. She tried to calm down to moderate success, bringing the tip of her hat closer to her eyes, her gaze unmoving from the ground they walked on. "I can't stand her," she told him, that same anger from before inducing the girl to forcibly shut her eyes.

Clementine's fiery gaze was directed at Lee next, something of an impulse to defend herself coming over her and steering the girl's every action. "She was acting like an asshole the whole night-!" Clem argued adamantly, staring down her guardian.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Yeah, Lee's right. He won't kick us out." And Joel believed it to. Not only was Joel his brother, having seen each other through thick and thin, but Tommy knew that Ellie was _the_ cure for all of this. He couldn't kick out humanity's saving grace, could he? Of course he couldn't. Tommy was a smart fellow, even if he was running a tight shift around this place. It was admirable, the leadership qualities that Tommy projected from himself now. Joel couldn't help but feel a little sentimental, and a little bit anxious. His attempts at consoling Ellie were soon to be for naught, of course, as evicted her from his life as just another note in the story of Joel.

They began to discuss Lydia, but Joel was losing track of their conversation. He didn't have time for young drama with a teenage sociopath who was making the lives of two young girls hell. _Way to generalize, Joel._ That voice in the back of his head gnawed at him. The one that had been brought about after she left him and _her_ there all by themselves, with only Joel to raise _her._ There had been some serious issues back then, but Joel had learned to overcome them with a better understanding of the teenage girl's psyche. But what was it all even for, with a few bullets able to ruin all hope he had for _her?_ He grimaced, rubbing at his chin. His mind fluttered back to the conversation now, and he actually began to listen for once. "She's just scared. I don't think of you, but she's scared of herself."

Joel sighed, a little bit of compassion for once perhaps surprising even himself. "At least, I read that in a book once."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's attention was snatched in a moment's notice by Joel, who for once sounded like he had something… _not_ grouchy to say. She didn't particularly get what he meant by Lydia being scared… or, well, scared of herself...? But there was something else he said, something that had her smirking even in the thick of all that anger.

"You read books," Clementine deadpanned, shooting an amused look at the _stone-faced smuggler,_ Joel. Of all things, she expected a guy like him to make a hobby out of murdering strangers, or stealing from other people, not... reading. _Nothing like what mom used to read me, I bet..._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel reached behind his back, scratching his head. "Yeah, sometimes. Mostly just books about uh, psychology and stuff. I never really had time for reading." _Too much work to be done._ It was an awkward position to be thrown in, to be humanized by this group of people. He supposed he cared for them now, not just Ellie, but all of them. It was such a... eerie feeling. He sort of smiled; maybe this place was good for him? But then again, he was letting himself care a little bit too much now, wasn't he?

**Shadow Dot [Tripp]**

Tripp had made his way towards the courtyard quickly after Andrea radioed. Just fast enough to not break a sweat, and his eyes focused on the group amassing in the courtyard. His attention immediately went to the girl without the baseball cap. She was definitely the one. The _immune_ one. Waving them down, he approached them with a semi-serious look on his face, looking towards the girl before focusing on the older gentlemen. "Name's Tripp. I work security around here. Andrea radioed me over, wants the doc to look over the girl." His gaze then focused on the girl, who seemed obviously anxious. He lowered his voice, making sure he wasn't heard by anyone walking past them. "Tommy's apparently told 'er that you're immune."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The relaxed vibe was promptly interrupted by a man with a big blonde beard and a southern drawl in his voice, who suddenly waved them down. He figured at first it could be in relation to the whole kid drama, but this was unexpected. _Immune._ Just like it had before, that word caught him off guard. _Guess Joel had to spill the beans when he talked to Tommy._ Lee exchanged an awkward glance with Joel, he really didn't know what to say. This one wasn't really his call. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, looking towards the Texan next to him. Lifting himself up off the seat, he crossed his arms as he approached Joel, whom had an expression on his face that Lee wasn't sure was reluctance or just the usual look he gave strangers.

"With everything that's gone down this morning, maybe it's best we just comply with 'em, make this easy." He suggested to Joel in a hushed tone, although with how that man operated who knew how he'd take the advice.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel swallowed, staring at the blond man. His hands withered into fists, nails digging into skin. Some sort of instinctive protection swarmed him, a type of primal threat revealing itself to him. Another person; it was strange to be confronted by another man of this size who didn't want to bash Joel's head in with a pipe. He listened to him first, and then to Lee. So Tommy had let the cat out of the bag, hadn't he? Joel regretted it somewhat; but it showed that Tommy was at least considering taking Ellie off of his hands. Something that plagued his mind, but gave him some sort of nihilistic hope for the future. Not a future for him, but a future for the girl. He couldn't care less about a theoretical cure to save mankind; it's not like it'd change anything.

"I reckon he would say that, wouldn't he?" Joel grimaced, crossing his arms. "Alright, that's fine. C'mon Ellie. let's get you checked out."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's gaze bounced between Lee, Joel, and Tripp in quick succession, gulping down the lump forming in her throat. Guess the jig was up. Tommy, of course, knew she was immune, and now Andrea did, and now _this_ guy, too. As Joel decided to let the guy take them across town, Ellie shrugged her shoulders, sighing under her breath. Sounds like she didn't have much of a choice.

"Don't worry, the doc just wants to see the bite," Tripp's words were directed towards her, as if trying to reassure her. "We 'aven't seen anyone who's immune, so… y'know. It's a historic moment, for all of us."

"Does anyone else know?" Ellie found herself asking, taken aback by the man's use of 'all of us'. She didn't know how she felt about a large group of people knowing about her immunity. Joel's statement from months ago rang in her ears, and the odds that someone in a _large_ community like this doing something drastic to 'get the cure' was too high for her to be comfortable with.

"Just whoever knows in your group, Tommy, Andrea, the doc, and myself. Strictly confidential."

_Good._ Ellie gulped, taking a moment to mentally psyche herself up. "Alright," she breathed, scratching her arm nervously. "Lead the way."

While they walked, her mind focused on the meeting. Despite the fact that she knew the weren't going to be staying here, she didn't really _want_ to be reprimanded, though she knew that she wouldn't get out of them. She just hoped that this whole thing with the doctor wouldn't take too long, so she could just… go back home, listen to her Walkman, and wait for Andrea to show up with their _sentences_.

The roads become less crowded as they reached the furthest edge of the community, where the houses and shops that lined the main street opened up to reveal an expansive hospital that dominated the northern corner of the town. Most of it seemed to be run-down, boarded up and left abandoned, while what appeared to be the main building remained intact and in about as good of a condition as she could expect. Tripp had already diverted towards it, leading them straight to the front door, which led into a lobby. As they approached the glass door, Ellie found her eyes widening as it slid open on its own, just in time for Tripp to enter the building.

"_Whoa…_"

To say that she was impressed would be an understatement. Never, in her entire life, had she seen a _working_ automatic door. It was something so trivial, almost menially so, but she couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face. She found herself stopping in place as the others went inside, the door sliding shut behind them, if only momentarily. For a moment, she thought back to those sci-fi movies she'd only seen bits and pieces of, through half-open doors of the other girls' dorms, and, in a moment of child-like glee, she approached the door, waving her hand in front of it as if she was trying to telekinetically open it. As it slid open, she let out a victorious squee, quietly whispering "_Fuck yes!_" under her breath as she entered the lobby.

* * *

_10:38 AM_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

This place, he was expecting a run down old building or maybe even an old house that they'd just decide to label an infirmary. However, when the door slid open by itself, Lee knew this was beyond what he could've ever imagined. Every shopping centre he walked into, every grocery store. It was like a gush of memories from those times… The fact that they had most of the electricals working on their own was impressive.

This was way more advanced than any community he'd ever seen. Staring in awe at his surroundings and just how clean this place was. It wasn't long before Tripp led Ellie off down the hall. Crossing his arms and standing in the hall, he paced around, looking at various billboards and signs they had up. Watching the people go about their daily business as he checked the place out. This felt weird to him after so long, so he couldn't even begin to put together how alien this must've felt for Clem. It was so easy to try and pretend everything outside was normal being in here. That's right, there was an outside with infected and a whole heap of other shit ready to gnaw at your boot. The minutes ticked by as himself, Clem and Joel waited in the lobby, and before too long, Ellie was already heading back down the hallway from which she disappeared into. "Thumbs up...? We in the clear?" He spoke with a tinge of relief. Hoping that the doctors wouldn't kick up a fuss or have any issues over Ellie's… 'condition.' But so far that didn't seem to be the case.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Once Ellie had been able to leave, her lungs decompressed, a sigh of relief like no other. The doctor, Eleanor, was nice enough, and didn't freak out as much as Ellie had expected her to. The whole ordeal was relatively short, thankfully, once the woman had been reassured that the bite was, indeed, not recent. As she strolled through the halls back to the lobby, finding Lee standing next to a broken down soda machine, and the others milling about the lobby, she answered Lee's questions with a hesitant nod, shrugging. "I'm apparently not a threat, so that's… nice, I guess," Ellie spoke in an even tone, although a tinge of sarcasm seeped into it. "They don't really have the 'expertise' here to figure it all out, so… looks like we still need the Fireflies." _Wherever they are._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Yeah… looks like we do, don't we?" The Fireflies, it was all he could think about back in Pittsburgh. After finding this place and experiencing it in full, now he was finding it hard to give them a second thought. Obviously it was worth it, to get there. For Ellie, it was all that mattered, that part was clear enough. There were high stakes at play here, on one hand it might be worth it to see what the Fireflies had set up, and if they didn't like it, they could always come back to Jackson, right? It seemed like they were done here, and after a brief pause Lee spoke again to address the current issue, exchanging looks between the three. "Look - uh, guys. We're actually out of food, checked this morning, and I don't know about anyone else but I'd like to get something to eat soon." He cleared his throat, before directing his gaze towards the three. "I got a few things to sort out, might pick up some general stuff on the way back to the house. Maybe while I do that you guys can check out the food markets here? See what they got?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Suddenly, it wasn't just them - Joel, Lee and her - who knew about Ellie's immunity. That's how _it'd been_ for the longest time, and with no real sign of change… so to have that bombshell hit her the way it did, when it did… it made Clementine understandably nervous, even in spite of Tripp's many assurances. They were heading back to the infirmary next, and Clem made sure to tag along, if only just to make sure they wouldn't… _dissect_ her friend or something.

Even after seeing it for the second time that day, that moving door by the entrance still had her totally stumped. It was the first thing Clem recalled asking the doctor while she patched her up, the woman's answer being just as mystifying: something about pressure sensors and cogwheels. Either way, it was a door that _fucking moved on its own_, and it was both sort of creepy and really cool at the same time. Unlike earlier that morning, Clementine simply and calmly walked past it with her hands shoved in her pockets, feeling a rush of satisfaction when the doors magically slid out of her way.

The waiting that followed was the worst part, even quick the way it was. She didn't say much either way, the nervousness emanating from the meeting earlier still all encompassing and pretty much paralyzing. When Ellie walked out of Eleanor's office and made her way through those empty and oddly clean hallways, the relief was more than apparent in Clementine's eyes.

Lee mentioned food and, to be honest, right then and there, lunch felt like the absolute last thing she wanted to have, even if her stomach audibly disagreed. The girl nodded all the same, partially piqued by the prospect of keeping herself busy for a little while, at least until the punishments came rolling in. With a sigh, Clem made her way to Ellie's side, staring at the fungi-ridden bite in her forearm for a tad longer than she intended to.

"It doesn't still hurt, does it?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie winced as Clementine asked her about the bite, instinctively scratching at the thing before lowering her sleeves. Best to make sure that _no one else_ saw it. "It didn't really like getting prodded, that's for sure," she replied through an uneven smile, shrugging. "It hurts every once in a while, but… not so much, anymore." She glanced towards Joel and Lee, her stomach churning as it dawned on her just how hungry she was. "Food sounds awesome, by the way. I think I'm gonna head back home, though. This morning has left me _exhausted_. Just… bring back something good, okay?" She let out a half-chuckle, looking between the two adults and Clementine. _Anything but another can of beans. I'm getting __**sick**__ of those._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

And with that, Ellie was out of sight. Lee fully intended on following suit. After catching a glance at one of the makeshift calendars they had slung up on the wall, he had his own things to sort out. Preferably with Clementine not around, so he hoped Joel would be able to take one for the team here, keep her occupied whilst Lee made a few enquiries. It had caught him way off guard, if not for what he saw... he probably would've almost forgotten… even though he vowed he would try not to ever again after Savannah. He needed this to be a surprise, at least for Clem. With Ellie gone, that left Joel and Clementine on food duty. He slowly walked backwards, waving off the two of them. "I'll see you guys back at the house, won't be long." He spoke in an attempt to dismiss himself as well, he knew it might've been a tad weird, but he could explain it after all was said and done. Lee exchanged a short glance between the two before making his way towards the exit, not really intending on giving either of them the time to make up any excuses.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel watched Lee and Ellie leave, the only two left behind being Clementine and the man himself. He hadn't said much during the infirmary ordeal, unsure of just how he could help in this situation. It was a relief when they left Eleanor's office, of course, but then he had been swept back up into stress. Lee and Ellie had dismissed themselves quickly, and the implications from Lee were quite obvious. Joel looked down at the girl, squinting. "Hm." He sighed at first, glancing off ahead at them at Lee and Ellie. He considered just walking after them; but that would be childish, wouldn't it? Just because he didn't know Clementine that well? "Come on, I think the market's off this way." With that, he led her towards the market.


	29. Punishment, IV

**Dot [Ellie]**

The streets have quieted down, likely most of the passersby having gone to whatever jobs they've been assigned to in the community. It made the walk home relatively peaceful, and Ellie's mind drifted between several different things in rapid succession. From Clementine, to the Fireflies, to whatever punishments Tommy and Andrea were working on at the moment, to whatever Lee was doing at the moment. Everyone was off doing something, and she wasn't sure whether she felt excluded or relieved that she would get a moment to just… _rest_. Mixed feelings, definitely. Granted, it was her decision to go home alone, but boredom was something that she'd never been prepared for, and found herself having to deal with time and time again. With her Walkman working again, at least, she had something to occupy her mind for an hour, maybe two if she could find Riley's cassette in her backpack somewhere. Her backpack had been a chaotic mess for the past couple months, and maybe now would be the time to go through it again.

That train of thought, however, was cut short as her eyes focused on a single person walking down the sidewalk, straight towards her. Ellie's eyes narrowed. Of course it'd have to be Lydia. It could've been literally anyone else, but it _had_ to be her. For a moment, she was tempted to cross to the other side of the street, slip on by, but that'd only tip the girl off. Likely, she'd already seen her, and this would only end in one way. She just hoped that she could avoid another fight, as much as she hated backing down from one. The last thing she wanted was to get kicked out because of this fucking bitch.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Fucking pissed. That was one way to sum up how Lydia felt this morning. That meeting went nowhere, it was so dumb. She thought Tommy was at least going to give them something else other than a scolding. Now he had to _'talk it out with Andrea.'_ Such crap. The only satisfaction she got was seeing Tommy shut down those two men that tried to pull the sympathy card with a 'they're just kids' argument. Lydia wasn't falling for that, she knew _exactly_ what they were. And Carl, she wasn't even going to get started on him. They'd argued again after that meeting… about him obviously trying to sit on the fence with this whole thing, it was just annoying at how _soft_ he was trying to be with them. _After_ what they did to her. Nonetheless she had one of her morning jobs to get to, and she needed space from him… From all of them. It took her some time until she finally got to the crop fields. The good thing about being on that job was that people were quiet and usually just kept to themselves, the perfect place to just unwind and _try_ to clear her head. Roughly around an hour passed until she was approached by one of the site managers, they needed help digging out something. She'd volunteered to go and get the tools they'd need for it and help out. Throwing off her dirty gardening gloves and dusting herself off she made her way down the sidewalk, her destination being the tools shed. _We needed the trowel, fork and... weeder set right? Should be there._

Her thoughts were abruptly cut short as she saw a figure walking straight towards her. It was _her_. Just when she was starting to calm down... Ellie had seen her, there was no way she hadn't by now. The redhead wasn't stopping… or even _attempting_ to go another way. Every step her and the other girl took brought them closer. Every step the heat in her chest rose, along with the unease she felt at the pit of her stomach. For a moment, she considered avoiding her entirely and going another way, the apprehension she felt reaching its peak. No. She promised herself she wasn't going to be that shy, weak girl that would just keel over to get trampled on.

Never again.

She planted her feet firmly into the ground once Ellie got close enough, assuming her position in the middle of the sidewalk. The blonde swung her weight onto one side of her foot. Placing a hand on her hip as she rose an eyebrow, accompanied with a smirk. Lydia was going to be the one to say something first, she wouldn't let it be the other way around. "Really?" She spoke up condescendingly, as if she was pretending to be surprised. "I thought they would've taken out the trash by now, not have it walking on the streets."

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Really? Then why are you still here?_ Ellie thought bitterly to herself as Lydia planted herself in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking her path, then greeting her with what would undoubtedly become her usual rude remark. It took all of her remaining willpower to not roll her eyes, choosing to try and handle this as _diplomatically_ as she could. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around herself, annoyed. "I really don't have time for this. Why don't you just go bug someone else for a change?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

_Yeah, and we don't have time for you._ "Wow, tryna turn a new leaf Ellie?" She held the same tone that she'd greeted her with, not for one second buying this bullshit. "Or are you always a lot less confident when you don't have the other one around to defend you." _She'll get what's coming to her, too._ "I can't tell, but I think I know which one it is." She paused, shaking her head. "Speaking of, where is she? Did they lock her in a cage? Or did she just get sick of you already?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Do you really have nothing better to do?" Ellie retorted, resisting the urge to clench her fists. She knew what Lydia was trying to do, trying to rile her up. She'd let others do this to her before, back at the orphanage, and that's how she'd gotten scrubbing duty a couple dozen times. Nevertheless, wiping that stupid grin off their faces was always worth it, no matter how much shit and gore she had to scrub off of their trucks. Here, though, she wanted to maintain a low profile, at least until they can _leave_ for the Fireflies. Lydia, of course, wasn't going to let that happen. "What she's doing is none of your goddamned business, so back off." She knew she wasn't going to, but she wanted to make her intentions clear. She wasn't going to take this shit, even if it meant shoving past the girl. Clearly, she wasn't as intent as Ellie in trying to forget about the whole fucking affair, so she could just kiss her ass, preferably from a distance.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"Or what? You gonna get mad, is that it?" She prodded again. She was confident Ellie wasn't going to risk doing anything. Not after getting into the shit with Tommy and Andrea already. But all Lydia needed was _one_ excuse, and she wouldn't mind if Ellie gave her one. Like hell she was going to let some outsider tell her what to do. "I don't take fucking orders from you." She retorted, leaning her head in a little. "So either take a hike back down the path or get out of my way. I don't care which one it is."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's knuckles turned white as her fists clenched. She forced herself to relieve the stress, unball her fists, and stare down the girl. _Fuck this. She isn't even fucking worth it._ She took a step to the side, gesturing for Lydia to pass with a wave of her hand, like a greeter inviting a patron into an event. "By all means, princess." _I wish Clem buried your face in the dirt._

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

She was a tad surprised at her next move, but she couldn't say she wasn't satisfied. Lydia practically bathed in the fact that this confirmed it all. The redhead knew what would happen if she did one thing out of line. Lydia knew she was on a time limit here, they'd be expecting her back at the crop fields pretty soon, there was no point sticking around. She shrugged her shoulders at the 'princess' remark, acting like it didn't bother her. "Good job. Servant." She spoke, holding the eye contact as she passed her, before finally taking her attention off the other girl as Lydia continued to walk down the sidewalk.

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Don't punch her in the face don't punch her in the face don't punch her in the face don't punch her in the face-_

The girl passed her, breaking eye contact as she continued down the street. Ellie felt herself going hot with rage, focusing every ounce of strength she had in simmering down. Now wasn't the time. Once the girl was out of earshot, she whispered her next statement vilely. "...Dickhead."

She continued her walk to the house at a quicker pace, hoping that'd be the last she'd see that bitch today. Next time, she probably wouldn't be able to hold back.

* * *

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel ran his hand along tables, knuckles knocking on baskets of fruit and cardboard boxes stuffed with flours and fresh milk and slabs of expensive meat. He imagined there was some sort of trading around here; it was what just made sense to him. He shuffled past others with the girl behind him, parting the sea with toned arms and glancing back to make sure Clementine wasn't getting lost in the ocean. The calamity of all the people talking, the uproar at the quality of some of the food items. It was too... familiar. He wasn't that big a fan of it. "You see anything you think they'll like?" He turned to Clementine, swallowing his pride and asking for help.

**Art [Clementine]**

Being there, surrounded by people, laughs and shouting… it was different, for sure. Clem stuck close to Joel the whole time, worried that she'd get crushed between a pair of passersby otherwise. The thing about picking what to eat was that she didn't really know what they were having, which only made her question Lee's choice to have her tour the food market with Joel, who looked just as unsure. There was a stand nearby with carrots in it, lots of them. She felt almost drawn to it, reminded of the times she used to harvest those with Mom. Clementine held one of them close, pondering over Joel's question, before taking two more with a smile. "Carrots might be cool, what do you think?"

**Shadow Boy [Dan]**

Dan walked, damn near crawled through the swarm of people passing through Jackson's marketplace. In his arms, a basket of apples just recently harvested by the agronomists who worked like hell to keep everyone in that place healthy and fed. The last few weeks had been very kind to them, enough fruit to make carrying that basket seem like a workout, and Dan was well on his way to getting those to their destination.

But there just had to be a bumbling kid stumbling around devil-may care… of course there was one.

The girl, distracted by something or other, bumped into him while backing away from one of the stands, his left hand compressed between the basket and the girl's back, until it just couldn't hold onto the thing anymore. Before he knew it, the apples were all rolling through the pavement, Dan only having enough time to let out a short, frustrated gasp, before directing a bitter look towards the girl. "Goddamn it, look what you did!" He shouted indignantly, waving one of his arms around. The hat-wearing girl looked surprised, maybe even sorry for fucking up the only job he had, not that he'd give her the chance to express it.

Dan held the sleeve of her jacket, not only so she wouldn't try running away, but also to make sure she was listening to him. "You're gonna pick every one of those up, y'hear?"

She pulled her arm away in response, answering his demand with an equally heated "Back off!"

Dan rolled his eyes, frowning at the haggard-looking old man staring at the two of them.

"You two together?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Carrots? Huh. Could be good." Joel spun around, now glaring at the encountered man with a wild fervor. He squinted, taking a step towards the man and frowning. "Yeah, I am." He answered his question, fingers wriggling and stretching in preparation. "Maybe don't grab her. We don't want a scene here." He bit, clenching his teeth with anger. This goddamned community was getting on his nerves, and it just seemed that trouble was looking for them. Or maybe it was the other way around?

**Shadow Boy [Dan]**

Dan blinked, his brows propelling downwards in anger as the man took a step closer to him. He knew the guy, or at least he'd heard of him. When Tommy's brother came knocking on their door, everyone in Jackson was bound to. But that wasn't the only thing he'd heard, no. Dan had heard rumors about Joel, that he was scum. A killer. Probably thought they'd all welcome him with open arms just because he used to be close to the guy leading the place. Dan adjusted his round glasses, facing Joel's glare with one of his own. "Maybe tell 'girl wonder' to watch where the hell she's going." The man spat back, pointing at a flustered Clementine before getting down on his knees, shaking his head. Some apples looked fine… most didn't. They were scattered throughout the entire courtyard, stepped on by the crowd of people, riddled with dirt. That dumb kid had just reduced months of waiting for those old trees to bear fruit into a complete waste of time.

"You have any idea how important these are? How hard these people work every day to feed you fucking newcomers?" Dan couldn't help but ask as he picked up the apples from the ground, riled up by the older man's dismissive behavior. Amidst the turmoil, an apple had landed right beside Joel's foot, Dan's frown then turning into a grimace as his gaze met Joel's once more. "What're you standing around for? Pick that up."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel watched him in a blur of emotions. His eyes narrowed, disrespect thrown at him and Clementine. He listened to the man ramble on angrily, adjusting his round glasses in a flush. Joel felt some guilt; guilt for what, he wasn't quite sure. Yet there he was, glaring down at a man picking up apples from the dirt. When one of the apples rolled into Joel's toe, he winced and listened to the man's cries. He supposed it was fair; if the man hadn't been so awful about it all.

He crouched down, picking up the apple and dropping it into the man's basket. There was nothing nice he could say to the man at the moment, grabbing another apple and dropping it into the basket. "She's a little girl. She didn't mean to spill your damn apples."

**Shadow Boy [Dan]**

Dan found himself giving Joel a grateful nod, seeing as the smuggler did what he asked. It might've been the old age, but for a crook, he seemed pretty reasonable. More so than the girl, anyway. The abashed-looking kid helped too, eventually, picking up some of the apples not too further away from them. Joel's remark brought about a scoff from Dan, who echoed the man's words in a mocking manner, while still reaching for the fruits lying on the ground. "Just a little girl." Everyone liked throwing that excuse around nowadays. Next she'd burn down the crops and no one'd say a word because she's _'just a kid'._

_What a load of crap._

It did get him to think; wonder, rather. Why the girl? She looked no older than twelve, strolling around with a guy like _him._ Wasn't _his_ kid, that's for sure. There was another man with them at the gates who looked like he fit that bill. Her guardian, or just another smuggler? Was that little girl involved with them? Maybe it _was_ none of his business… but as a parent himself, Dan felt the urge to question it, despite the nagging feeling at the back of his head begging him not to. May as well break the ice while they were gathering apples.

"Who's she to you?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's brows furrowed with indignance. He dropped another apple into the man's basket, one knee on the ground, one pointed up, and an arm resting on that which darted into the air. He considered the man's question then; a hell of an icebreaker if he had ever heard one. His confrontational nature was not lost on Joel, who was busily trying to dodge the question in his mind. Who was this other girl to him? He had Ellie to look after for her immunity; but the other one was something different. Clementine was angry at the world for something. The world being every person she came into contact with.

It seemed as if they hadn't really talked much these last few months of life, especially strange given his mild friendship with Lee and his somewhat paternal bond with Ellie. He looked at the man, running his tongue along his teeth. "I'm looking after her, for a friend."

**Shadow Boy [Dan]**

_Looking after her?_ Dan's blank expression immediately twisted itself into a frown, the man once again shaking his head, as though trying to unhear what the smuggler had just told him. To think they'd even let this Joel guy near a kid… it was insane. He didn't know what to think, which thought was the most disturbing one; that of the girl travelling with Joel unaware of _any_ of it… or that of her being conscious of what that man really was, involved in his atrocities, convinced somehow that he was a good person. Both shook Dan to his core, the conclusion that the kid was being taken advantage of being the only logical one he could come to. Once the basket was full, Dan rose to his feet, sighing heavily in preparation for what he was about to say. He didn't intend to dance around it. He'd say his piece and move on, regardless of what Joel had to say.

Dan walked up close to the old man who nearly towered him in size, his fierce gaze unfaltering and incessant. "I know what kind of man you are… I know the things you've done." There was little point in hiding that fact for any longer than he already had. The stories verging on horrific, from before Tommy left that man to join the Fireflies and build the community they all lived in. He only knew chunks, most of it too absurd to treat as anything but rumors, but Dan knew how to tell apart fantasy from reality. He could see it in that man's eyes, just how many defenseless innocents he'd murdered in cold blood.

"These two girls, they're not for someone like you to look after. It don't matter how much you wanna keep telling yourself otherwise." He tried to keep his voice low, to address only Joel directly, but he didn't much care if the girl overheard it. If anything, she deserved to.

"I don't care _what_ you do, just stay away from them. Before they get dragged into your shit and end up dead because of it." Dan held the basket close to his chest, finally stepping away from the older man, saying his parting words before turning his back to him and walking away. "We both know it'll happen sooner or later, so long as they stick around with you."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine had spent most of that exchange looking sideways at the man she'd bumped into, clumsily picking up the apples off the stone floor, while holding a batch of them in her arms close to her chest. She felt bad at first, mainly for Joel, who was left having to deal with the mess she made… that is, of course, until he pulled the 'little girl' card, to which she scoffed to herself in silence.

Maybe they deserved each other...

Clem continued with the apple collecting, a faint glower in her expression as she kept her gaze averted from the other two. The really weird thing about what ensued behind her was that… the guy with the apples looked pretty pissed off at Joel too, maybe even more so than he was at _her._ The girl didn't dwell on it much, not until she made her way back to them, carrying roughly half a dozen apples between her arms. Apple guy was in the middle of spouting something about Joel and her, which she initially found herself dismissing as just him being a baby over losing his harvest. It wasn't until she stopped in her tracks to listen, that the girl figured it would've been best that she hadn't. She pretended not to, anyway, but the words stuck with her all the same, gnawing helplessly at the back of her mind. Clem did nothing but bite her lip in discomfort, hoping they wouldn't notice the pair of wide eyes directed at them.

After he was done talking, Dan stared at her with a look resembling pity, that soon warped itself into one of disapproval. Clementine rolled her eyes, letting the apples plummet over his basket before turning away with a frown, the man walking away without saying another word to her.

It was just the two of them again, minus the crowd, obviously. Clem wanted to say… a _lot_ of things, at least some of them involving the word 'sorry', yet the large majority of those things ended up stuck under her throat, the girl sighing quietly at her own lack of initiative. One thing did come to mind, something she didn't particularly intend to share with Joel until then. While the guy with the basket was busy talking to him, Clem had taken a few apples for herself, something of an attempt to get back at him for being an asshole.

Clementine walked up to Joel's side, trying to snatch the older man's attention by pulling an apple from her jacket pocket. The girl then tossed it upwards, catching it in mid air with a grin as she flaunted her plunder.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked down at the girl, frowning. It wasn't as if what the man had said to him was a surprise. His character wasn't hurt; much. After all, he had been called a lot worse by people he actually respected and knew. This man, a complete stranger who had tried to perpetuate like he _knew_ Joel. The man had grimaced as he walked away, the conversation doing little to effect Joel's already small amount of self-esteem. _We both know it'll happen._

"We both don't know shit." Joel had called to him before he left, narrowing his eyes. As if he were going to let this man guilt trip him, with his stressed demeanor of freaking out over a bunch of spilled apples.

Joel was still looking down at Clementine, working things over his mind. He wanted to apologize for the conversation. If she had been as close as she was now during that conversation, she'd probably heard a few things he wouldn't have wanted her to hear. And that was just the thing, wasn't it? He had spent so much time hiding his thoughts, hiding his dirty laundry away from them. It was only so long before somebody else aired it out.

He smirked at the apple she had caught. "You shouldn't have taken that." He glanced away, looking at the busied vendors and dispersing crowds. "But you'd best hide it, before he figures it out." He looked down at her, smiling a tad. It felt... nice, in a way.


	30. Punishment, V

**Dot [Ellie]**

The road home was uneventful, thankfully. Once the house had come into view, Ellie picked up the pace, heading up the porch steps two at a time. Being away from everyone was starting to feel like a blessing. She could finally take out some of her frustrations in peace, which she did without an ounce of hesitation, punching her pillow about a dozen times, imagining it to be Lydia's head. It helped, a little, but not enough. Once she had exhausted herself with that, she slumped onto the floor, leaning her back against the bed.

"…_or did she just get sick of you already?"_

Of course she didn't. Technically, _Ellie_ ditched Clementine to _**go home**_. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do, leaving Clementine with Joel, but Ellie just wanted to rest before the inevitable shitstorm was kicked up by Tommy and Andrea. She pushed the thought away, trying to occupy her mind by going through her backpack, hoping to find that other cassette tape from Riley. Rummaging through the mess, her hand clasped a couple of familiar items, pulling them out from the bottom of the bag.

The cassette she'd been looking for, although it appeared… _very_ gunked up, and she wasn't sure if she could even clean it enough to get it to work. _Fuck you, sewers._ The other was… she couldn't help but gulp, choking on her own saliva. Riley's Firefly pendant. She kept it in there for safe-keeping, and seeing it again was more than enough to have memories she didn't want to experience again to resurface. For a moment, she held the pendant in her hand, stuffing the cassette back into the bag. There was very little thinking involved as she wrapped the metal necklace around her neck, connecting the two ends together. The pendant rested against her chest, near her heart, and she grabbed onto it, turning it over to read the inscription.

**RILEY ABEL**

**000129**

"I miss you." The words tumbled out of her mouth, choked up by tears that threatened to break through. Despite how much she hated Boston, she missed those days with Riley. She missed hanging out in that abandoned mall, hanging out with Winston, and Princess. She missed the laughter and all the times Riley had made her smile despite how shitty she was feeling. Riley had been the only reason she stayed at the orphanage, until she disappeared. Afterward, it was just… there wasn't anywhere else to go.

She dug further into the backpack, her hand touching something that felt almost papery. Scrunching her nose, she pulled the object out, examining it. Her lungs deflated, and her heart sank.

The picture her and Riley took together. She thought that she'd lost it, after the sewers, but here it was. It was stained brown in a few areas, but otherwise was still in one piece. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore, holding the Polaroid in her hands while she laid her head against her knees, crying softly into them. She hated feeling like this, hated feeling powerless to do _anything_ to save the people she cared about. She knew that the likelihood someone else in their group would share the same fate is higher than she'd want to admit. All because she had to save the world.

She wasn't ready for that eventuality.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee Everett had finally made it back to the house, accompanied with a large paper bag in one hand and a springy stride in his step. He'd managed to pick up a few things for breakfast on the way back. Twisting the door handle, he opened it before quickly stepping inside, kicking the door closed with the back edge of his shoe.

"Hey, if you haven't found anything yet I think I got the perfect ide-" He paused, looking towards the kitchen and realizing he was talking to no one. Lee expected to see her rooting around the fridge… Or at least downstairs. It was dead quiet down here.

"Ellie..?" He called out softly again, confused. Setting aside the large bag next the the couch, he practically scoured the bottom level. _Not down here…_ That left only one place to check. He needed to at least make sure she'd made it home… Joel wouldn't be too happy with him otherwise. Lee headed straight for the stairs, once he reached the top he quickened his pace towards the hallway… that was when he came to a dead stop. Hearing something coming from her room. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was, but there was no doubt about it.

_She's… crying?_

Slowly but surely he made his way towards the doorknob, placing his hand on it. Lee could still hear the sobbing continuing in there. And it sounded _bad_. He contemplated maybe leaving it alone. But she seemed so happy back at the infirmary, there was the possibility that something went wrong. Had the kid gotten into some kind of trouble? Regardless, he decided to go for it. Twisting the door knob, he gently opened the door, peeking inside and finally seeing the mess that was Ellie, right there on the floor for him to see.

"Ellie? Wha- what's wrong?" He almost whispered as he opened the door a little more. Brow furrowed, clear concern for the poor kid smeared on his face.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Lee's voice reached her ears, she quickly sniffled and wiped away the tears, desperately hoping that he hadn't seen her crying, a fruitless thought since he had _obviously_ seen it **and** heard it. She held the picture close to her chest, as if trying to hide it, before replying in an uneven, broken voice. "I - It - It's nothing. I'm fine." _Liar._ "Just... _bad memories._" She whispered the last two words, focusing her gaze back on the photo she was trying to hide in her hands. She knew Lee wasn't going to give up there, no matter how much she wished that he would.

Begrudgingly, she held out the photo towards Lee, explaining herself when he looked confused by the action. "I found this at the bottom of my backpack."

"_Why did you leave without telling me?"_

"_... I was in a weird space... Look, I didn't tell __**anyone**__."_

"_But - I wasn't just anyone... was I?"_

She forced the memory away, cursing herself. Why did she always do this? Why did she let herself remember these things, when all they do is make her feel the exact same way she felt when she had to put a bullet in her best friend's head? It's like her brain loved to torture her, and it was only getting worse with time.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

If there was anything he'd learned over the years… 'It's nothing' meant something was always most definitely wrong, almost every time. It was becoming increasingly clear by every second that passed. Ellie was having one of _those_ moments, where there was no one around. Where the memories just caught up… In that case, Lee could relate, hell… all four of them probably could.

Once she held the photo out, he glanced at it before gently taking it as she extended it out towards him. He held it in both of his hands, lifting it up slightly to his eyes. The photo was a little worn and creased, but the main features were still there. There Ellie was, accompanied by an African American girl her age it seemed, maybe a little older. It looked like it was happier times, probably not even that long ago. Before long, he smirked slightly. "So, this's who you were with before meeting Joel, hm?"

After a brief pause, he looked back towards Ellie, then the photo again. Lee slowly placed a hand out onto the floor as he slumped down into a sitting position with his back up against the wall behind him. "Don't mind me, just parking my old carcass here for a second." He joked, an attempt to lighten the mood before he finally assumed his position. Sitting down opposite her as he gave her photo a second glance. "I can tell you guys probably got on like a house on fire."

"I uh- used to have something similar to this. A family photo…" He recalled it… even after what'd happened, he could never forget the faces of his family. "Ripped it up a long time ago… Wish I didn't now." He admitted.

"Hang on to things like these. It's always good to have something to look back on." He spoke whilst extended his hand to give the photo back to her. He'd get to the bottom of it if anything else was bugging her, he just needed to ease into it first.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rolled her eyes as Lee plopped down against the wall opposite her, mainly at the horrible joke he decided to make. She appreciated what he was doing, she just wasn't sure if it would… mend the wounds.

"_I can tell you guys probably got on like a house on fire."_

_Sometimes in good __**and**__ bad ways, yeah._

She lifted her head away from her knees, leaning it against the soft mattress behind her, as Lee talked about a family photo. She never had a _family photo_, and never would. Her mother was dead, and her father… who the fuck knew? The closest thing she had to family had been Riley, and now… these three. She couldn't express her gratitude for that, not in a way that'd be meaningful, but she appreciated being a part of this nonetheless, even if their whole reason for being together was to get her to the Fireflies. She just hoped that they'd still all be together again, afterward.

She took the photo back as he handed it back to her, looking towards Riley's face again for what felt like a long moment before forcing herself to look towards Lee, her lips twisted into a small frown. "She used to be the most important person in my life, and now she's gone. But, now… I've got you and Joel, and Clem…" Her voice trailed off for a moment.

"…_you need to learn to let go. __**I**__ need you to."_

She clenched her eyes shut, forcing the memory of the dream away. It was still so fresh in her mind, as if it had been imprinted through the same process as a _real_ memory, and likely as hard to get rid of. Her mind drew a blank after that, mouth opening and closing, but no words following the movement. She didn't know how to voice her concerns, her worries and fears, her deepening connection with not only Clem, but the two adults they've been traveling with. Would they all just become faces in a picture, some day? Would _she_?

Her shoulders slumped, and she laid her chin against her knees. "I don't know…" she finally spoke, sighing. "I just… I miss her."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He supposed he'd given it some thought before, about how close they'd all gotten. But hearing it from Ellie's perspective, it felt… eye opening in a sense. They'd spent months watching each others backs out on the road, and now it was just past their first night under the same roof. Talking with Joel on the porch while he played the guitar and getting to have a somewhat normal conversation. Even now Joel was out there, even if he had a funny way of showing it... he _did_ care. Proof of that being that he'd volunteered to watch Clem's back in case anything happened out there, full well knowing the risk. It was those types of things that Lee appreciated.

Dare he say it, and maybe he was being too sappy for even thinking it. But he was starting to feel that Joel and Ellie were practically becoming like an extended family by now, perhaps a really confusing, disjointed one... but still one all the same. If Ellie wasn't immune… they could just stick around here, make a go of it. But it just couldn't be that simple… could it? That girl was getting there one way or another, and hell… maybe himself and Clem would be with them right up until the end of that.

"Clem and I, we're in this with you guys for the long haul." Lee didn't even remember if the decision to stick together was his, it just ended up being something that… happened, more of an unspoken agreement. "It's okay to miss her…" Lee completely understood what it felt like, there of course wasn't much he could do to make it better, but maybe there was some advice he could give. After a brief pause he continued on, "And it's also okay to live in the _here and now_ too. There's no shame in it." He wanted Ellie to know that if she figured she was abandoning her old friend by trying to move on… she shouldn't feel that way.

Seeing Ellie break down like this, it was pretty rare for someone that was usually the most talkative one out of the group. And it couldn't have been for nothing, but Lee had a feeling there was more at play here, more weighing on this based on things that might've happened earlier today.

"Is that? Everything that's bothering you?" He decided to ask, a careful tone prevalent in his voice.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She sniffled slightly, pondering over the words reaching her ears. She'd told herself the same thing, once. Of course, it didn't stop her from entering this never-ending cycle, but hopefully… she'd be able to break the loop. Some day. She wiped her face against her jeans, ridding herself of the remaining tears staining her face. His next question hit her like a brick, and she wasn't sure what to say.

There were so many things bothering her that she hardly knew which one to tell him about. Lydia and her psychopathic tendencies; Clementine, and Ellie's… feelings for her; the dream that _still_ forced itself to surface in her subconscious at any second.

In the end, the choice was easy. She wouldn't dare voice anything about _that_ to Lee, or to _**anyone**_.

"I ran into Lydia…" she started, her voice trailing off shortly after. What was she going to say? That Lydia struck a chord with her when she mentioned Clem? That, despite how outrageous it sounded, maybe her friend _was_ getting sick of her? They were silly thoughts, yet she was having them all the same.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Oh..." He spoke awkwardly after a drawn-out pause. _Well, that explains the mood._ She didn't look physically hurt at least, although he could see how the other girl may have gotten under her skin. "I'm uh- guessing that didn't go down so good." He knew he was being obvious, but it served as an invitation to get her talking more about it, if she wanted.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie found herself shrugging her shoulders, lifting her head away from her knees. "She said some things that's just... got me thinking. That's all." She spoke quietly. Not a total lie, but not the total truth either. She didn't want to burden Lee with all of this, especially when it was just... so dumb. Sighing, she continued in a dismissive tone. "It's stupid." _And she's stupid__**er**__._

Her gaze fell to the picture in her hands, looking over it once more before placing it on the end table next to her. Returning her attention to Lee, she tried her best to put on a happier voice. "Thanks for... y'know, helping."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Ellie made it clear that she wanted to move on from it now, and Lee wasn't about to try and prod her. _Alright, I'll let it go then._ He thought as he smiled along with a nod. "Well, we can't call ourselves a group if we don't look out for each other, can we?" He spoke whilst placing the palm of his hand against the back of the wall as he pulled himself up from the floor.

After a brief moment of silence, he looked towards the door, then back at Ellie. "Say uh- you don't have any allergies to any foods or anything that I should know about…? Kids still have those these days, right?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Just the _thought_ of food was more than enough to have her pushing everything aside, looking towards Lee with hopeful eyes. She pondered over his question for a moment, trying to think of anything she had an allergy to. As far as she knew, there wasn't anything. "Um, no," she finally replied, pushing herself to her feet as she wiped away the remaining tears on her face. "Not that I know of, anyway." She put on a smile, her curiosity getting the better of her. "What are we having?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A small smirk etched around the edge of his lips, because he was pretty sure Ellie was going to like this next part. Maybe it would be good to keep the kid occupied until Joel and Clem got back. Get her mind off things, this could be the perfect opportunity. "Pizza." He finally spoke after a brief pause, the smirk still prevalent. "Well uh- we still gotta make it first, but I'm pretty confident I picked up the things we need for it on the way here. If you're good, I could use a hand."

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Pizza?_ Ellie found herself staring, agape, towards Lee. Of course she knew what pizza was, Winston would go on and on about it being the best thing in the world. She never expected to be able to have some herself, much less help _make_ one. Her smile widened, and she pulled herself off the floor and stood up. "Hell yeah." She responded, following Lee downstairs. There was a large paper bag on the kitchen counter, and Lee rummaged through it. She leaned against the counter, before speaking up. "So... what's first?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As Lee rummaged through the brown paper bag, he began to place a few items onto the counter that he'd picked up from the stands outside the farm area. The first was an average sized container filled with flour, along with a few tomatoes, garlic cloves, cheese and a carton of eggs. If there was one thing he could say about Jackson, it was that their farm and croplands were state of the art. It was, quite frankly, amazing at how they pulled off managing to remake and regrow these things. He was just glad the woman there was nice enough to accommodate him when he enquired about it.

"Alright. Making pizza, right." She seemed excited enough, now the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself by screwing this thing up. He stepped over to one of the lower cabinets, pulling out some disposable plastic gloves that were stored in a box under there before throwing them on to the counter, along with a large glass bowl.

"First step. Hygiene. Throw those on."

Once Ellie had done so, he mulled over his thoughts for a minute. Trying to remember logically how it used to be done at home. Not like he could remember that well, whenever they had pizza it was usually just from take-out joints. They rarely ever did make one themselves.

"Okay, most of the flour goes into the bowl. Make a little hole in the middle. Then, uh… add about one and a half cups of water. Then one egg too. Just keep mixing it with your hands until it becomes… well- doughy. If you find that it's still a bit runny after you've mixed it, add flour. Other way around if it's too tough; add a bit of water. Eventually you'll get it right." He attempted to explain without seeming like he had no goddamn idea what the hell he was doing.

"In the meantime, I'll be working on the sauce, so you think you can handle it?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie simply nodded as Lee explained everything, looking towards the package of flour and the bowl the older man had set out for her. She did as she was told, pouring the flour into the bowl and using her hands to make the hole in the middle. She took a bottle of water and filled up a measuring cup, pouring it into the middle, followed by the egg. It took a couple tries to get it right, but as Ellie mixed the dough, it finally managed to become as doughy as Lee had said it should be. She pulled her hands away from the substance, looking towards her messy hands with a look of disgust. At least she had the gloves on.

Turning back towards Lee, she called out to him, wondering how things were going with that sauce. "All done, I think…"

* * *

**Art [Clementine]**

When noon arrived, the sun announced it so by reaching its peak, the scorching heat more apparent than ever, even when paired up with the humid air. Clementine carried two bags filled with vegetables, some cereals and different types of meat. They had a weekly limit imposed in regard to what you could take, but still, it was just nuts how much they _did_ let you keep. The variety was probably the most impressive thing, as was the quality of Jackson's harvest. They must've had some massive farm to accommodate all of it. Man, just thinking about it had her mouth watering like crazy.

Though admittedly, it was hard to keep thinking about lunch when all her other thoughts involved Joel.

What she heard wasn't that surprising, maybe not as much as she hoped it would have. Ellie said he was hired by this woman _Marlene_ to take her somewhere or other… since then, every gap remaining in that story ended up being filled by the girl's colorful imagination.

"_Well, what kind of guy is he?_"

"_Honestly, I don't know him all that well. We've only been traveling together for a couple weeks._"

Clem figured him out to be some type of thug right off the bat. The way he talked, the way he just… handled things. Maybe there was some merit to what that other guy so forcefully beat him over the head with, but… she didn't believe in it. Truth is, she didn't know the tiniest thing about Joel to come to any form of concrete thought. It fed her fears, nonetheless. Ones that she'd kept buried for a long time. As they both walked back to the house, Clementine pondered over the question she had engraved in her head ever since her and Joel met all those months ago. The guy was there for a job, and yet he stuck around… he stuck around long enough to be hearing earfuls whenever they got in a fight with other kids, to buy groceries with this 'little girl' he shouldn't give the slightest damn about.

_Why?_

What did he ever have to gain with that? This couldn't be just about the Fireflies anymore, it couldn't be. She hated to be put in that spot, to have to ask something like _that_ after all they've been through. Maybe it _was_ just a stupid fear… but Clementine had to make sure.

"What do you want with Ellie?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel peered at the girl, thoughts undoubtedly plaguing her mind after the talk with the other man, and his own brain was swirling. He carried the majority of their food that afternoon, an easy and welcome change to the usual weight that he lugged around. He frowned, her question shocking his roots. This wasn't something he had necessarily been prepared to answer; hell, if he had thought about it, he'd never have guessed he'd have to answer this. The man grunted, shaking his head. "She's the cure, I have to get her to the Fireflies. She... I made a promise to a friend a while back. I intend to make good on that promise."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine exhaled through her nose, her pursed lips giving away the girl's disappointment. "Don't… bullshit me." She told Joel in a quiet, hollow voice. There was something else at play between him and Ellie, something other than a job, some flimsy promise. Clem didn't know what it was, what drove that soft-spoken smuggler… not to say she didn't have a clue. It scared her a lot, not knowing, and she wasn't at all hesitant to admit it. If that guy tried to do something to Ellie... if he had some kind of sick intention… Clementine shut her eyes for the briefest instant, shaking the thought away for her own sake. That wasn't Joel, it wasn't… yet she had no way of backing that way thinking in any way. It was as comical as it was tragic; the way she so valiantly tried to justify in her head that Joel was a good man, despite the fact that she didn't know him at all. The girl lifted her gaze so that it could meet his, little more than desolation in her amber eyes.

"You care, right?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel was taken aback by the little girl's near accusation, squinting his eyes. Their game of fun in the market had fun its course, that had become apparent. He opened his mouth and in a bitter, yet guilty tone, he mumbled. "Of course I care. If I didn't care, none of you would be at Tommy's _right_ now." His eyes flew back and forth, attempting to see if anything or anybody was surrounding them. He had been put on the spot by this question, heightening his anxiety and lowering his energy to do anything but leave right now.

**Art [Clementine]**

Even in the face of Joel's emphatic retort, Clementine's doubts went on to linger, the girl remaining largely unconvinced. He'd talk and talk, but Joel wouldn't ever quit saying the same crap. Nothing but… _half answers,_ just as it'd always been. Clem's gaze gently lowered itself, sinking to her feet, as the girl pondered over the words dying to escape her lips. "You should tell _her_ that…" She said to Joel, well-nigh under her breath, before dropping the subject altogether. Clementine fell silent, in the end. The staggering weight of the vegetables she held close to her chest just enough to keep her busy for most of the way home, though her mind continued to drift and wander, nonetheless.

Somehow, it always seemed to.


	31. Make A Wish, I

_10:24 AM – July 31, 2025 (three days later)_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The past couple days flew by without incident. After Tommy and Andrea gave them the third degree, Ellie kept a low profile, avoiding Lydia at all cost. Despite the fact they still had to share these 'classes' together, they managed to keep from interacting. Maybe the teachers there knew the situation. Had to, right? Keep the animals apart, or something like that. Still, she wouldn't argue. The sight of her face was more than enough to make her want to vomit.

They were still no closer to finding out where to go as they were four days ago. Tommy wasn't being forthcoming, and she had long since started wondering why. Impatience, something she had been struggling with for a long time, came back in full force, and she found herself getting agitated. She wanted out of this place, to be back on the road again and finish this journey. Preferably sooner rather than later.

She found herself balancing along the edge of the sidewalk beside Carl, the boy having asked her to help him out with one of his jobs. Ellie agreed simply to get away from the house. Having school to go to was a mixed blessing, but going beyond the walls? Despite everything she'd seen out there, that sounded like bliss right now. That, and she hadn't really gotten time to talk to him much after the fight. She wouldn't apologize for calling that bitch out but forcing him to break it up wasn't exactly on her list of moments she was proud of. She didn't know how to bring it up, though, instead deciding to break the ice another way.

"So, uh… what do you do on these runs?" _Guessing, since we had to get our weapons, it won't just be a walk in the forest…_

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl was pleasantly surprised when Ellie took him up on his request for help. Not that he _needed_ the help, but he hadn't had the time to apologize to _either_ of them for the fight at the campfire. They always seemed to vanish, once classes got out, and they were _never_ wandering out and about. Avoiding trouble, perhaps, which he appreciated. She followed beside him as they took the short walk to the gate, and he couldn't help but glance around their surroundings to make sure Lydia wasn't watching. The last thing any of them needed was Lydia causing trouble because he's spending time with the new girls.

Upon him glancing over his shoulder, both at the girl next to him and the _thankfully_ empty road behind them, she voiced a question. _It was only a matter of time._ "Well, my job is to go out and find… Stuff. Eddie at the gate has the lists for the scavengers - We try to find whatever's on the list." He couldn't help but smile slightly at the vague answer, but it really _was_ all he knew. The contents of the list were always a mystery. "But, it's always an adventure! Anyone can ask Tommy for something they want, and he decides what goes on the lists and not. People want all sorts of things."

He tried to think of some past adventure that might rouse some excitement in Ellie, but they were already approaching the gate. As they got close, Eddie slid off of his stool and put down his book, rummaging in his pockets till he pulled out a folded piece of yellowing notebook paper. Carl reached for it when he got close enough, but Eddie pulled it back. "Sorry, Carl, but your girlfriend isn't allowed to leave." There was a heavy silence.

Carl looked at Eddie with what he hoped was an unreadable expression, before saying, "She's not my girlfriend." Then, he lunged forward and snatched the paper from Eddie's hand. Satisfied with his catch, he continued in a calmer tone. "Why can't I take her?" He knew that Carl didn't like following orders without reason. _Throw me a bone here._

Instead of providing a serious answer, however, the doorkeeper just laughed and grabbed his book. "Tommy's orders, buddy. Not my business why." He settled back down onto his stool with one more critical look at him and Ellie. "Be safe out there. Don't shoot your eye out." Apparently, _East of Eden_ was more important than the problem at hand. Eddie was a good guy, but sometimes he was _too_ laid-back. It just made Carl grind his teeth.

Trying his best to calm himself, he turned back to Ellie. "Did you know about this?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ah, scavenging. Definitely worse things they could've been doing out there than that. In fact, she often found herself _enjoying_ the scavenging part of being outside the walls, especially if it meant finding something cool, like when they scouted out that clothing store in Plattsburg. She put on a smile as Carl tried to make it sound more interesting, an 'adventure'. That was one thing she was beginning to admire about him, even if he was or _wasn't_ being serious: despite everything that's obviously happened to him, he still tried to make the best of the life he'd been given and tried to spread that to others. Definitely a welcome change compared to the hostility Lydia possessed in droves.

As Carl tried to get the list from the guard, Ellie found herself rolling her eyes. _Should've known. The dickheads are always the guards._ As the man explained that it was Tommy's orders that she couldn't leave the community, realization slowly dawned on her. Of course, because she was immune, he didn't want her being in harm's way. She huffed, mentally cursing. _Thanks, but no thanks. I can take care of myself._ Didn't help matters that Asshole McGee was trying to make them feel uncomfortable by calling her Carl's girlfriend. She didn't let it bother her, after all, she's heard worse living in the Zone. Carl had managed to nab the list, anyway. Once he turned back towards her and asked if she knew anything about her not being allowed outside the walls, Ellie shook her head.

"No one bothered to tell me, no." She let out a frustrated sigh, pulling several strands of hair out of her eyes and tucking them back behind her ear. She shot the guard an annoyed glare before returning Carl's gaze, lowering her voice. "Thanks for trying, though. I looked forward to just _getting away_ for an hour or two." She decided not to mention anything about _why_ they were keeping her inside. It was obvious that he didn't know, so telling _another_ person didn't seem like the right move.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl didn't reply to Ellie at first. _What possible reason could they have to keep her in here?_ Eddie seemed to have lost interest in them completely, so he turned and pulled the redhead away from the guarded door. "Well, this is bullshit." Not like saying it made a difference, but it _sorta_ made him feel better. He glanced around aimlessly, trying to figure out what to do next. _I could always sneak her out…_

His job won out. He said, "Let's take a look at the list to see if it would be anything especially interesting," and pulled out the list. It was a full sheet of paper, folded as many times as it could be. _Already_ unusual, as paper was scarce these days. At the top of the list, it had the usual column of numbers, and he read each entry out loud. "More paper… _Wasteful fuckers._ Batteries, a red lightbulb, a whetstone, fishing supplies, duct tape… Books?" At the end of the list, in _very_ distinct handwriting, was a list of book topics. Eleanor's handwriting. "This is odd. Books on epi… Epidemiology, pathology..." Carl wasn't a big reader, and these were big words. "Books under biochemistry? This looks like a trip to the library." Suddenly, he had the urge to check around the street, to make sure no one was watching them. _Are you really gonna do this?_

_Well, I guess every leader makes a stupid rule once in a while._ "Ellie." He turned to the girl, his voice serious. "Do you want to sneak out?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Books? About biochemistry?_ Ellie wasn't really aware of what biochemistry _was_, but she could make a decent guess. The handwriting looked immaculate, immediately leading her to believe that it was Eleanor's, the doctor that checked out her bite a few days ago. _So, she's looking into it. Are they trying to figure out how to make the cure?_ The thought crossed her mind, boggling as it was, and she couldn't help feeling her jaw drop slightly. _No wonder they're trying to keep me in here._ She recovered quickly, though, just in time for Carl to return his gaze towards her.

"_Do you wanna sneak out?_"

She shrugged her shoulders, letting out a half-chuckle. "Fuck it. Let's do it. Let's go find us an epidem- epidemol- a _whatever_ book."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

_There we have it, then._ Carl didn't hesitate. Immediately, he was walking back in the direction of the school. Ellie hurried behind, and he talked over his shoulder as they walked. "We can probably find a bag out there, so don't worry about getting a backpack." Getting in the school would be hard, since it was all locked up, but he preferred to think of it as less eyes around the secret door. Many people knew about it, but it was almost like an evacuation exit, and they hadn't had any reason to use it.

The houses passed, and he greeted any passersby as if nothing were wrong. Going over the wall was a _serious_ violation of Tommy's rules, mainly because he liked to keep tabs on anyone coming and going. They'd have to use the door again when they got back, or else suspicions would be aroused. Carl knew Eddie would tell the nighttime gatekeeper if he hadn't left out the big door, and he couldn't afford any questions. Both he and Ellie were already armed, so they didn't need to go to the armory. _Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought._

They came upon the school building, in all of its rundown glory. It had once been an old church, and with the lack of an _actual_ school in the area, it came to suffice. There was a courtyard behind the building, but before Carl had arrived, they'd walled it off. The back of the church sat right up against the wall protecting the town. Checking to see if the coast was clear, he led Ellie to the side of the building, where there was a side door. Luckily, they had some bushes and an old pine tree blocking some view of the street.

As he fumbled with the door, trying to get it open, he began explaining to Ellie. "There's a storm cellar that has a door in the basement here, and a door on the other side of the wall that we've covered with boards and stuff." If they were trying to keep her trapped here, for whatever reason, she should know the escape route in case something went wrong. If anything, he liked to think Tommy was trying to _protect_ her, so it was just aiding the cause. "It's an escape route... _What the fuck!"_ Finally growing frustrated, he turned his attention wholly to the lock until it opened with a satisfying _click._ He breathed out a sigh. "There we go…" After slipping his paperclip back into his pocket, he opened the door wide and turned back towards Ellie. "Are you ready to go?" Despite the fact they were breaking rules, he couldn't help but grin, already excited just to have company on his job.

**Art [Clementine]**

Waking up to find Ellie's spot in the bed empty wasn't surprising per se, though it definitely had the cogwheels in Clementine's head turning unlike most other mornings. The girl dressed up in her now worn and scruffy red jacket, scratching at the back of her head and yawning loudly in hopes of alleviating some of the weariness so very evident in her eyes. Lee hadn't heard from Ellie either, and Joel was… somewhere else, probably.

So maybe Ellie went off on her own without telling her. That was… _cool,_ right? Not like they had to do stuff together all the time. Clem told herself she was cool with it, anyway... but it was really fucking tough to shake away that nagging feeling of disappointment. _Whatever._

Since she didn't… _really_ have any other friends, Clementine figured a stroll around Jackson would be a good past-timer. Sure sounded like it beat the alternative: staying in her room reading books all day… though admittedly, the longer she spent walking aimlessly, the more appealing that seemed to her. Clem watched some of the workers do their thing, a couple saying some really corny stuff to each other in the courtyard. A guy jogging by the school. They all looked a ton livelier than she did, like they actually had _something_ to do. It brought about some type of envy from Clementine, who would constantly avert her eyes from the people she walked into, hands rarely leaving her pockets.

After so long on her own, Clem never thought she'd actually miss having a friend around.

It made it all the more remarkable, the moment she spotted Ellie hanging out with Carl near the school building. That's where she was that whole time...? Clementine scrunched her nose and narrowed her eyes, trying to make out what exactly they were doing. She didn't get very far doing that, needless to say. There was a moment's hesitation before Clem finally decided to walk up to them, a voice in her head telling her it was probably not something to poke her nose into. The girl did it anyway, a hint of mischief in her expression, as part of her was eager to get back at Ellie for ditching her in a day without any classes. Lo and behold, as she snuck behind the two, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Carl was picking a lock. To think she actually took him for a boy-scout kind of guy...

"Go where?" She asked abruptly, leaning forward with interest. Whatever it was they were doing, it sure looked like she caught them red-handed.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's heart jumped as Clementine's voice pierced the air, but she managed to calm down once she realized who the voice belonged to. Given that they were _sneaking out_, the idea of getting caught was all too nerve-wracking. After all, they were still on 'probation' with Tommy and Andrea, and she doubted that sneaking out would make things better. She turned towards Clementine as Carl opened the door, almost genuinely happy that the girl had shown up. When Carl had asked for her help this morning, she didn't realize that it was going to be something that'd probably take up much of her day, so having her friend along made the whole thing a bit better.

"Oh, hey Clem," Ellie spoke quickly, putting on a smile. Despite how much she wanted the girl to come along, she wasn't really sure how she was going to feel about _sneaking out_. "Uh, we were just- Carl asked for help on his scavenging run, so I was coming with. You're more than welcome to join us. Right?" Ellie turned to face Carl, hoping that he'd agree. Three heads were better than one anyway, right?

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Well, of all of the people who could have stumbled upon them, at least it was the least likely person to rat them out. _At least there's that._ Still, when Carl saw Clementine's face peering through the shrubbery, he couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath. "Shit…" There was nothing worse than getting caught with your pants down. He didn't know what possible excuse he could stammer out, but Ellie reacted much better than he did, _thankfully,_ even inviting the other girl along for the run. He could apologize to both of them at the same time, now. _Two birds with one stone, or something like that._ Upon asking him if it was okay, he just shrugged. "The more, the merrier." Unwinding his nerves, he adopted his grin again, but his eye was on the road beyond, and the figure coming down it.

Tommy was strolling down the road, hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face. Whatever had _him_ in a sour mood, Carl didn't want to know. "We need to go, _now."_ He leaned forward and pulled Clementine into the building, trusting Ellie to follow. From inside the building, he released the girl and half-shouted, "Close the door!" With a slam that felt amplified by the emptiness of the room, darkness settled over the three teenagers. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Tommy was coming down the road." With an eye roll that was lost in the poor lighting, he looked at Clem. "_Obviously,_ we're taking the undesirable way out. Ellie isn't allowed to leave, for some reason." Part of him hoped that she could provide some sort of explanation as to why, since Ellie had seemed oblivious.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine raised an eyebrow, her hands leaving the base of her pockets in favor of crossing her arms. A scavenging run… inside the school? You'd think Ellie of all people would know by now that she wasn't _that_ gullible. They were quick to invite her to tag along - an attempt to save face, the girl assumed - though saying she was okay in the least with _whatever the hell_ they were up to would be one massive leap of faith.

Of course, before she could say a word, even one vowel of protest, Carl grabbed hold of her hand, pulling her inside the dark, former church. The exploit had Clementine notably pissed off, though she looked more confused than anything. Carl did one hack job of explaining what the heck was going on, and Clem found herself raising her voice the instant he was done. "Hold on a minute…! We're sneaking out?!" She asked, glaring at the boy's silhouette. It didn't end there. They - Tommy, Andrea, or whoever - weren't allowing Ellie to leave, probably for _good reason,_ and Ellie knew exactly what that reason was, or so she fucking hoped. Clementine then turned her head towards other girl, the one everyone was working so hard to get to the Fireflies safe and sound… a scowl vaguely visible in that crazy dark place. "Ellie." She said with a snarl, just narrowly resisting the urge to shake her head.

"_You're_ sneaking out?"

**Dot [Ellie** **]**

Carl had quickly ushered them inside the church, closing the door behind them before explaining the sudden rush. Clementine, undeniably exasperated by the whole situation, focused her attention on her, asking the question that elicited a slight scoff out of Ellie. She understood where her friend was coming from, though found herself not really getting the _why_. Sighing, she took a step away from the two, glancing around the darkened room quickly before returning her attention to Clementine.

"Oh, come on, Clem. Carl needed someone to watch his back while he's out there, and the guard at the gate's just being an asshole." _Besides, it's not the worst thing I've done. I've gotten out of the orphanage half a dozen times back in Boston._ She shifted in her spot, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not like sneaking out's the worst thing in the world." She finished, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's eyes widened for a split second, narrowing the following instant, accompanied by the girl's soft outcry. "Are you fucking crazy?" It was _dumb,_ just the dumbest thing she'd ever seen Ellie try to do. The fact that Carl had a hand in it was almost too hard to believe, but it was even harder to blame him for it. Unlike Ellie, he had no idea of what was at stake. "After all the crap we went through, you're just… leaving with Carl without telling anyone!" Clementine's heated gaze sprung downward towards Ellie's forearm, her rowdy, resentful tone giving out in place of a quieter pitch of voice, though not a smidgen less furious. "... Or did you forget?"

She couldn't spell it out right then and there, obviously. Ellie could've been brash and totally irresponsible, but she wasn't _stupid..._ which for Clementine in particular, felt like an amusing thing to acknowledge. Point was, Ellie knew _what_ she was getting at, and Clem was furious over her acting so damn carefree about it. The girl sighed through clenched teeth, hastily looking away, as if pondering over what to say next, before locking her eyes on Ellie. "I'm telling Tommy."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"No. I didn't," Ellie instantly replied, biting her lip as Clementine stated that she'd rat them out to Tommy. She thought, out of anyone, that Clementine would have her back on this, to do something interesting and potentially productive for the community. Simply put, she was going stir-crazy in here, and they still haven't learned _anything_ about where the Fireflies were, so sitting around doing _nothing_ was starting to get old.

She let out a heavy sigh, avoiding Carl's gaze as she took a step closer to Clementine, trying to appeal to her _somehow_ to get her to at least not rat them out. "Look, I just - I want to do _something_ \- not just sit in the house all day reading books for school. I get the risks." _Because I know that's what you're getting at._ "It's supposed to be safe out there, and I've got Carl watching my back, and yours… if you come." _Though I doubt that I could convince you, now._ "Some of the things on that list _are_ important enough to take the risk. So… I understand if you don't want to come, but I'm going."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl was only a _little_ glad that Clementine didn't attack him for jerking her inside, because he knew he couldn't win against someone that small when he could barely see anything. She was obviously not happy with the situation, so he backed up a little bit, but was taken aback when she directed her anger at _Ellie._ The redhead stammered out a response, but as she explained it, he began to realize that to _anyone,_ this would look bad. He tried to think of something to say, but they only kept arguing. Only… something was off.

Clementine was acting like Ellie was like some kind of priceless object, and was _important._ Something he didn't know about. What was so important about this girl that _Tommy_ locked her in, and her best friend agreed with it? He looked between them, narrow silhouettes in the poor light. Ellie is the… taller one, right? Why should he ask her, anyways? Clementine seemed like a straightforward, no-bullshit person. At least, she punched Lydia when she deserved it. "I may have one eye, but I can see there's something important here that I don't know about." They were silenced. After a few seconds, when they said nothing, he sighed and turned to the shorter silhouette. "Clem, what's going on?" _Don't give me shit, please._

**Art [Clementine]**

It was tough, hearing Ellie try to appeal to her with something like _that,_ telling her that she was desperate to get out and do something… that she wanted her to have her back. It didn't matter how many times Clem tried telling herself how wrong it was, how it was the most ill-advised thing in the world. It was Ellie and doing something _genuinely_ fun beyond the walls. It couldn't possibly sound unappealing, regardless of the way she wanted to spin it. For as much as it was hard to admit, Clementine did consider it... throwing caution out the window for no other reason than because Ellie nagged her to. She really did, for however short the time they spent in silence lasted.

Before she could give Ellie any sort of straight answer, Carl's voice, his question, sent shockwaves through Clementine's neck all the way down to her grimy boots. _Goddamnit, Ellie..._ The girl cursed in her own thoughts, knowing by then that the two of them were toast. There wasn't any time to come up with a good excuse. Hell, she could barely make out the look on Ellie's face, let alone try to come up with a plan. Clementine hid her staggering under a pair of crossed arms and a sharp tongue, determined to keep Ellie's condition from Carl.

"It's got nothing to do with you."

She'd been in Carl's position, once. Ellie was… sort of a terrible liar, but things were different now. Everyone was counting on keeping that bite in her arm a secret.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Clementine was quick to dismiss him, but he already had a foot in the door. Carl stepped forward, hoping she could see him better than he could see her. "So you admit there's something going on?" Thoughts of Tommy catching them had passed, these girls were hiding something. Had Tommy put the rule in place because of it? Was Clem locked in, too? He ran a hand through his hair, trying to coax some sort of brilliant answer to his question from the recesses of his mind, but he knew he didn't know enough to piece it together.

She had come to _him_ and asked to be taken outside the wall. Why would she go to someone who was practically a stranger? _Someone who didn't know the secret._ Now, he was being ignored by a little _snitch._ He scowled in the darkness, snapping back at Clem. "It started to involve me when I broke the rules because of you two!" he said. With a deep sigh, he pushed his anger to the side. He spoke again, in a calmer tone, "Whether you like it or not, I'm going to find out, now that I know there's something I _don't_ know. So, can someone clear the air?" He wouldn't let it go; if they wouldn't give it up here, he'd go to Tommy or Andrea later.

**Dot [Ellie** **]**

Things were spiraling out of control. Carl was starting to catch on that _something_ wasn't right, and Clementine wasn't making things better. Carl wasn't going to let this go, not when they've made it blatantly obvious there's a secret being kept. She felt bad for him, despite how angry she was at the situation. He probably thought she was manipulating him, and that couldn't have been any further from the truth.

She was glad that Clementine couldn't see her face in the darkness, the scowl that had etched its way across her face being less than flattering. She knew that she was probably just as at fault for this situation as she was, but she couldn't help but feel bitter about it. All she wanted was to help out, and Clem had blown it for her.

Sighing, she turned towards Carl's silhouette, biting her lip as she mulled over what to do. Finally, she opened her mouth, letting the question circling her mind out in a quick breath. "If I tell you, promise me you won't freak out."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

The silence Carl initially got in response was _not_ the right answer, but Ellie surprised him by being the one to respond. Taken aback by the plea, he didn't say anything initially. _Is it really that big of a secret?_ Clearing his throat, he responded. "Well, it's not like it's anyone else's business, right? I won't say a word." Hopefully, that would put the girl at ease. If it was _this_ serious to them, he wouldn't go and violate their trust right off the bat.

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Right, okay, yeah… guess it's time to do this again, then…_

At this point, there was no backing out of it now. Clementine would probably advise her against it, but the situation demanded it, just as it did when she first told her baseball-capped friend back in Pittsburgh. She took in a deep breath, pacing slightly, before focusing on Carl again.

_Alright, here we go…_

"Back in Boston, months ago, I… got bit by the infected. The fungal ones." She gulped, mentally cursing herself with each word. "For a while, I just… waited to turn, but- but I never did. Weeks after that, I met Joel, when he was hired to smuggle me out of Boston and take me to the Fireflies, so they can make the cure. That's… why we're here, to find out where the Fireflies are from his brother. I'm guessing he doesn't want me going outside the walls because… you know… it puts the cure at risk."

_Of course Clem's right. When the fuck isn't she?_

Clearing her throat, she continued in a soft tone. "I've got the bite to prove it, on my arm."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl waited with patient intensity, giving Ellie the chance to explain herself. Explain herself with the most _ridiculous_ spiel of bullshit he couldn't have imagined. There was something about the soft, almost timid tone of her voice, however, that made him not quite so sure it was all lie. Shaking his head, he turned and stepped forward, searching for a wall. "That's such an insane excuse, I really don't know if it's true or just bullshit." Talking over his shoulder, he found and followed a wall towards the front of the building, until he reached the door to the stairwell off to the right of the main door. With a click, it opened. He turned back to the shadows. "So, I'm going to see if you're telling the truth. Follow me, there's a light downstairs."

Going back outside _might_ be a terrible idea because of whoever might be lurking, so the only way to go was down. The church had, apparently, been clean of the infected; Barricaded, but empty. The basement had been clean, a single bulb on a chain and shelves lining the wall. It acted as a storage room for the school supplies, but the cellar door was painted over. The small room had not been empty; People hiding from the infected had gone inside and hidden, with supplied that _obviously_ didn't last. They hadn't even bothered to clean up the bones; No one had a reason to go in there. He took his lighter out of his pocket and held it high, sparking the flame and leading the girls down the staircase. When he reached the basement, he quickly pulled the chain and turned on the light.

They followed down, but he went no further. Turning around, he forced himself to keep his eye open as the lights turned on, so he could see the two of them. Carl didn't bother hiding the speculation in his voice as he addressed them, "What the hell is going on?" Talk of immunity, of cures, of things that everyone knew _didn't exist._ The only world was the world full of cannibalistic monsters, and there was nothing we could do to change that.

_Why would I believe anything different?_

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's once wide eyes had been shut in frustration, nothing but disapproval in her expression. There wasn't a speck of doubt in her mind, by then, that Ellie couldn't keep a secret to save her own life. Joel'd be pissed and they'd both probably end up hearing an earful from _someone_ because of it, but now Carl knew, and it was too late to do much of anything about it. Clementine followed them downstairs, towards the light, where a bunch more explaining was about to crop up, she wagered. _Screw it. May as well…_

"Look, it's… it's true, alright?" Clem chipped in, arms still crossed. "I thought it was crazy too, but it's _real._ Whatever it is, it doesn't affect her. Ellie's immune."

"The reason we're after the Fireflies, why they won't let her leave… that's why." The girl stated with confidence, though her gaze told the opposite, brimming with regret as it shifted away from Carl and Ellie alike. Only thing she could hope for at that point was for Carl to keep his promise and not freak the fuck out.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Clementine tried to explain everything to Carl, Ellie slowly rolled up her sleeve to reveal the bite. She had cleaned it that morning, so it looked… not so bad, really. She flicked her gaze back towards Carl, deciding to not say anything since Clem had already done most of the talking for her. It was on him to decide whether or not he wanted to believe her, as long as they got this over with and could move on.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Well… It was definitely _the bite._

Carl couldn't have mistaken it. If you've lived this long, you knew what a human bite mark looked like. Or, a scar of one. Faded, not a red mess of tissue but a flesh-colored one where teeth had definitely sunk into her forearm. It was… unlike anything he'd ever seen. At first, he was speechless, his mouth gaping ever-so-slightly. Had they been in any other circumstance, he'd have been hacking off her arm, probably against her protest. However, it was obvious that this wasn't a fresh bite. It was an _old bite._ When faced with something he was sure didn't exist, he didn't know what to believe. Once he saw it, he hardly even heard Clementine try to back up Ellie's claim. _This was just about all he needed._

He forced himself to muster up some sort of response, before it got too awkward. "So… you're bitten, but you're… okay." The words had to be spoken, to be _felt,_ before he could decide how he felt about them. It was foreign. Alien. Clementine mentioned they were looking for the Fireflies - a reasonable aspiration, if you were _immune._ He'd never dealt with them personally, besides being hassled in his travels a little bit, but everyone knew what they _stood for._ Finding a cure. The bite was no doubt there, but that left one uncertainty. "If you're trying to go to see the Fireflies, why are you still here?" It didn't make sense to stick around, once you had what you wanted.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie felt her lungs decompress as Carl seemed to finally calm down and believe them. It was always nerve-wracking when the immunity had to be revealed to someone, an anxiety too difficult to get over, yet she'd been forced to do it all the same. If Clementine had just gone with them, then this wouldn't have had to happen. She felt petty for thinking that, but she _did_ just fuck up her chances on going outside the walls.

When Carl asked why they were still there, Ellie let out a scoff. "We've been waiting on Tommy to tell us where to find them."

She was starting to think that he had no intention to tell them in the first place.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes** **]**

Tommy wasn't one to beat around the bush, unless it was really getting under his skin. Carl assumed _Ellie_ was that thing. Their leader _knew_ where the Fireflies were stationed - just like half of the community - as most of the people here were retired Fireflies. Carl, by osmosis, also knew. One of the things he loved about this place was that there was no _bigger_ entity with its tendrils in the community; there was no fear to speak your mind. You could discuss anything, and there was no fear of repercussion. _This_ was a big topic for discussion, that no one knew about.

So why wasn't anyone saying anything?

Tommy hadn't told him anything, _Andrea_ hadn't told him anything. Just that these girls were visiting with Joel. _Maybe… they don't want me to let the cat out of the bag._ Nearly a week later, and they didn't know anything more. This already had questionable written _all over it._ Carl backed up until he was against the wall and sat down, rubbing his brow, trying to guess what Tommy was trying to do. The girls were in school. They're looking for science-y books. And _Tommy_ has some serious qualms against the Fireflies - something they probably didn't know. Clearing his throat, he spoke across to them, "Coming to him might not have been the best idea; he kinda hates the Fireflies. Thinks their terrorists." It sucked to be the one to drop this bombshell on them, but someone had to do it at this point. Carl could only begin to realize the significance of what Ellie's immunity meant, but he did know that he'd try to help them if he could. It just didn't make _sense_ for him to try to keep someone immune away from the Fireflies!

**Dot [Ellie]**

Things started to make sense as Carl tried to explain a potential reason why Tommy was dragging his feet. She chewed on her lip, her eyes flicking between the boy and Clementine in rapid motions. She cursed underneath her breath. "Andrea mentioned something like that, back at the dam. Makes sense now, I guess. But…" she let out a heavy breath, shaking her head. "I trust Marlene. The Fireflies are the only ones out there with the stuff to get the cure and share it with the world. There's no other choice here." _And I'm finishing this, no matter what._ "We _have_ to go."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl was silent. _So that was the way it really was?_ Ellie didn't beat around the bush - apparently, she'd made the decision on the importance of making it to the Fireflies long ago. And, he couldn't help but agree. He knew that in a community of mostly laborers and marksmen, they didn't have the _brainpower_ to make leeway on a cure efficiently. That was why they were sending their trusty poster boy to go fetch the right books. The logical thing to do would be to send her to wherever the scientists were; _not here._

Suddenly, taking her outside the wall didn't seem like such a good idea. What if she were to get hurt out there, _where she isn't supposed to be,_ and it was him to blame? Hell, he'd _deserve_ the lynching. He spoke up, "I don't really want to be responsible if you end up getting hurt out there, Ellie." He liked the redheaded girl, but he liked the prospect of a cure even better. "I understand why you didn't tell me. But now that I know, I can't sneak you out and risk it." He hesitated for a second, before continuing, "I could help you all get out, if it gets to that point. But not till then." A voice in his head told him he was stupid, but he ignored it. _Let's hope it doesn't come to that._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's eyes restlessly shifted towards the stairs on her left and back, worried that someone would spot them down there, or even worse, overhear any of what was being said. Ellie wouldn't stop talking - sometimes it sounded like she couldn't help herself, really - until they'd reached the crux of that whole thing; Ellie was immune, so they couldn't leave… and they couldn't leave, because they didn't know where to go. She could feel her brows twisting at the mention of Tommy, who Carl insisted was the wrong guy to approach about it. _Hates the Fireflies...?_

Clem hadn't put any real thought into it until then, but… Carl _did_ know Tommy. Probably better than most, actually. While Ellie was occupied citing that woman, Marlene, that was the only thing going through the other girl's head. If he knew about Tommy and the Fireflies, even as far as how he felt towards them…

Her gaze met Carl's in a dash, just as the boy was about to finish what he had to say. He had to know more than he was letting on, she couldn't be any less certain of it. Clementine waited and didn't speak until the moment the basement had fallen completely silent. Though the girl's lips moved in a soft pattern, her eyes remained unwavering, dead-set on the boy who tried to sneak Ellie out of Jackson. "You know where the Fireflies are..." she said, the tone of her voice nearly vacant. It wasn't so much a deduction as it was a well-educated guess, but by then, the girl was thoroughly convinced. If he didn't know where they were… he had to know something. He _had to._ Clem crossed her arms in a manner almost indignant, waiting for Carl to speak up.

"Tell me I'm wrong."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Clementine's next question didn't take him by surprise - His offering to help was a pretty big hint that he knew. Carl crossed his arms and answered curtly, "Well, sure I do. Most people here do." He paused, but knowing what she'd say next, he continued. "But I can't tell you, or you'll all leave immediately, and they'll have to point the blame at _someone._" This someone was, of course, him. Unfortunately, even to himself, his argument sounded lackluster.

Taking a deep breath, he stood back up and spoke in soft tones, "Listen. I need you to lay low and do what they tell you to do. Tommy isn't an _unreasonable_ man, so let me talk to him and see what's up first." As he continued, his voice hardened. "Don't try anything stupid and get us all knee-deep in shit, got it?" This already looked bad - him, at the back door, with the two new girls; one of which is immune and banned from leaving. This wasn't at all what he'd expected when Joel's brother showed up again, and he couldn't just toss aside Tommy and Andrea so easily. _Why were you so stupid in the first place?_

**Dot [Ellie]**

_You don't want to be __**responsible**__ for me? I can take care of myself, asshole._ The thought crossed Ellie's mind as she breathed in deeply, exhaling in an angry breath. What was it with people thinking that she was incapable of defending herself? What made it worse was that Carl was _her age_, and still thought that she couldn't defend herself nearly as well as he could. She felt her fingers curl into fists, holding back the anger boiling to the surface as Carl and Clementine spoke about the Fireflies and their location.

So, he wouldn't take her out there, _and_ he wouldn't tell them where to find the Fireflies.

What an absolute dickhead. He was just looking after himself, not even bothering to think about the importance of their mission. How could he just hold back information like that, when it was so fucking crucial?

The urge to escape dissipated as anger filled her veins. She clenched her fists, looking away from the boy bitterly, before letting her fingers uncurl. He wasn't worth the effort. Her gaze fell onto Clementine, feeling the urge to get out of that stuffy basement as soon as possible.

She bit her lip, holding back harsh words she wanted to unleash on Carl, before she finally managed to meet his gaze and find the words she needed to say. "We're getting to the Fireflies, with or without you." She turned back towards Clem, brushing past her as she headed towards the door. "C'mon, let's go."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine found herself raising a brow at the boy's response, any semblance of triumph brought about learning the Fireflies' whereabouts being crushed by what followed. His reasoning made sense, she inferred, selfish as it may've been. It did little, however, to help drive away the scowl nesting just under her piercing amber eyes.

Ellie walked away with angry steps after saying her piece, something Clem couldn't help but sigh at. Not that she was surprised. Really, Clementine found it just as discouraging… waiting days for an answer that never came, only to be told to wait some more. It's no wonder why Ellie was so desperate to ditch that place. _I'm lucky I found them when I did…_ with her and Carl now awkwardly staring at each other, Clem's shoulders loosened as her eyes drifted away from his, the girl staring off into space. Now that that whole thing was dealt with, she had to make sure Ellie didn't do _more_ to get them in trouble. "I'll see you, okay?" Clementine stammered softly, climbing up the stairs to rendezvous with her friend.

"Hey, wait!" She yelled, wrapping her arms around her chest as the cold breeze outside once more rushed past her. It didn't take long to catch up to Ellie, not in the quickened pace Clementine walked in, yet the girl grew frustrated at Ellie's aloofness, nonetheless. "What is wrong with you? You were gonna sneak off without telling me?" Those words ended up escaping her as careful thinking took a back seat. It did sound a lot less self-centered when her reason for being mad didn't involve feeling left out.

**Dot [Ellie]**

It wasn't long before Ellie stomped her way back to the side door, preparing herself to return home. Laying in that bed was starting to sound nice, for once, though even that thought was interrupted by Clementine's words from behind her. Ellie stopped by the gate leading out to the street, hand outstretched to yank it open, but she pulled it back as she turned to look at Clem.

She knew she was being bitter, and found herself not caring. Maybe that made her a bad friend, just like she's thought a dozen times, but at that moment, only one thing was in her mind.

"All I wanted was to help out." Her words were cold, angry, and she struggled to maintain her voice, as if it'd give out at any second. "Their doctor is looking into the cure, so I thought that _maybe_ helping Carl find what she needs would… I don't know, _help_? We were just going to walk out the front gate until that jackass wouldn't let us out. Things sorta just… happened from there." She let out a heavy sigh, averting her gaze from Clementine's. "You were asleep, and he asked for help. I didn't really… _think_ it through."

_As obvious as it is._

**Art [Clementine]**

Excuses; That's all she was hearing. Like somehow the fact that Ellie _lied to Carl_ about being immune just to take a stroll beyond the walls made it any better. "I can't believe you," Clementine hissed, disapproval so evident in her eyes it made the glares she'd shot at Carl earlier look plain. The girl raised her voice, returning Ellie's cold tone with sharp words of her own. "If anything happened to you out there, then that's it. Don't you get that?" The thought of it alone had the girl fuming. The things they had to do, the months it took to get there, all the times they almost died. It would've all been for nothing, and they would've lost their only shot at a cure… and still, _none of that_ even held a candle to the possibility of losing her best friend.

"Why can't you fucking take this seriously?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Clementine's words washed over Ellie, she turned away, back towards the gate, and closed her eyes, breathing in quiet, rapid ins and outs. The fact she knew Clementine was right only pissed her off more, and she was too proud to admit that to the girl's face. She knew that she was being unreasonable, but… what was she supposed to do? Just sit down and do nothing? Harsh words hung on the tip of her tongue, but she kept her mouth shut and her gaze focused on the wrought iron gate in front of her. She's lost, after all, no need to alienate her only friend because she was pissed off.

Even if she wanted to tell her to fuck off.

She opened her mouth to reply, to say something along the lines of 'sorry' and 'forget about it', but the words failed to come out. Instead, she glanced at her friend, anger subsiding into a somber glower, before stepping towards the gate. She pushed it open, not even bothering to look around her to see if anyone would see them, then headed home as fast as she could walk, hoping that Clementine wouldn't follow her.

Right now, she needed time to clear her head, before she'd say something she would regret.


	32. Make A Wish, II

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The kitchen table top was looking more colorful than usual, not to mention this morning Lee was in a rush. He didn't have very long, seeming as the kids would probably be back at the house soon. If not for that calendar slung up at the infirmary, he might've almost forgotten again. At least, it gave him a few days to prepare and inquire about things.

"Jesus Christ..." Lee muttered cheerfully at the sight, sighing out as he stepped away from the cake on the table, hands on hips. The last candle was in place, as was everything else. _**Fourteen**_ _years old…_ He had a hard time believing it himself, the way the years had quickly just flown by. Luckily enough, the woman at the farmyard was nice enough to offer when he asked about getting a cake done. That must've been the upside of having livestock around. The rest, he managed to scrounge up at the markets. Back out on the road, there usually wasn't much time for celebrations as... extravagant as this.

Checking the time on his watch, he decided it was best to approach Joel about it, who he figured had caught on by now. The man's room was practically the front porch, where he usually spent the most time, just wanting to be alone. Heading towards the front door, he slowly opened it with a soft creak, peeking his head out to see him glued to the chair. He'd been withdrawn lately, more so than usual, but with Joel you just couldn't tell if it was him... Well, just being himself.

"Hey…" He spoke out whilst leaning on the door frame, crossing his arms. A few moments of silence passed as he averted his gaze towards the open field of houses before looking back to Joel, breaking the silence. "It's for Clementine's birthday. All the stuff I've been getting." _He knows…_

"Today's actually the day, I wanted to surprise her when they get back… if you're not doing anything else, you _could_ stick around? In case you wanted to… y'know. Be there for it." If Joel was going to run off at the sight of a birthday, then Lee at least wanted some beforehand notice… He honestly wasn't sure what Joel planned to do, but he figured it was best that he oughta let him know that he was always welcome to stick around.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel had been sitting on the porch for a good bit of that morning; a daily ritual he now took part in. His mind would wander, take a dip into the cold water of the atmosphere and then draw itself back out with a yelp. This silence of thought was shattered with a simple door creak and crash; Joel's head curled to the side to watch Lee enter his expanse. The gruff fellow on the porch blinked, uncrossing his legs. "Hey." He responded, grimacing in the same lackadaisical way he treated so many things nowadays.

He considered the man's comments carefully, listening in as cautious as he could. The hairs on his arm ever so stood up, a thick gulp in his throat followed by a throaty sigh speaking his thoughts for him. "I..." He winced, grabbing onto his knees. "Maybe I'd be better off goin' somewhere else." He didn't follow up with anything there, just looked away from Lee and glared at the porch.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee could see that Joel was battling with the possibility of staying, refusing was probably the guys first instinct. If the man wanted his personal space, Lee wouldn't get in the way of that, but he'd at least give it a second shot at convincing him. "C'mon, man."

"I didn't think even _you_ could say no to cake." Lee joked, followed by a slight pause.

"Stick around." He proposed again. Sitting in that chair all day, doing nothing with shit on his mind probably drove Joel nuts. Lee had been there too, until he realized keeping himself occupied managed to help. He figured something like this would be good for all of them, even if it was just to get the mind off things for a bit.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's seemingly everlasting frown stayed on his face. He stared at the floor for a minute, impatiently tapping his foot with anxiety. He didn't want to think about birthdays; he didn't want to think about any of this. Lest he open old wounds, it was a dangerous forte for little gain. What would happen? In Joel's mind, whatever it was, it wasn't worth it. Yet... guilt was eating at him, gnawing at his dying skin in little nibbles, nibbles that were building to the point where his bones would be uncovered before long. "Alright. Alright." He paused, looking up at Lee and giving his best weak smile. "Haven't had cake in a while. It better be damn good."

* * *

_10:51 AM_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lingering around the window like a bad smell with an occasional glance at his watch. The former history professor eagerly awaited the return of the birthday girl and her friend. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he could finally pull off something special for Clem, she deserved it after so long. Hell… even Joel was in on it too, and Lee had undoubtedly appreciated him deciding to stay. Not a moment later, the sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts.

"There you are." Lee greeted almost excitedly, not paying too much mind in the heat of the moment as Ellie scurried in rather quickly. He approached the front door and held it open for a brief second to look out before noticing Clementine wasn't in sight. He quickly shut the door behind him before attempting to turn his attention to Ellie. "Alright, we quickly need to talk before Clem gets here too."

**Dot [Ellie]**

While Lee spoke, Ellie's gaze was focused on the stairs at the back of the room, wanting nothing more than to just walk around Lee and head to her room without a word. She crossed her arms over her chest, finally managing to send a half-scowl in the older man's direction as he finished his statement. She hadn't been listening in the first place and found herself not caring about what he had to say.

But she knew that telling him to fuck off wasn't going to do her any good.

She let out a heavy sigh, biting back angry responses she desperately wanted to say, before finally settling for something neutral. "Can this wait until later?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A mixture of concern and confusion quickly filled up his demeanor in response to the looks he was getting from her. _What's gotten into her?_ There was no way to be sure, and he probably didn't have a lot of time to find out why she was so quick to try and brush him off.

"Not really... I mean-" He quickly cut himself off as he halted the explanation, getting the feeling that something was terribly off here. Finally, he decided to question it. After a brief moment of exchanging a silent glance with the girl, he spoke up. "Did something happen out there?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Of course, he was going to make a big deal out of it. She resisted the urge to simply walk away from him, instead forcing herself to stand in place. Clearly, there was something wrong with her, and Lee would have to be an idiot to miss it. She wasn't very good at hiding it, though, something she desperately wished she had done. Ellie focused her gaze on the wall behind Lee, trying to find something to look at other than Lee's face.

"It's nothing," she stated bluntly, keeping her arms crossed over her chest as she finally met his gaze. She wasn't going to get out of this conversation without a fight, so… she might as well just endure it. "What's going on?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He just couldn't, he couldn't let whatever was going on hang over his conscience for the entirety of this day, he wanted to enjoy this with everyone... and part of that meant figuring out whatever _this_ was first. Part of him wasn't sure if it was a good idea to go ahead with telling her about the surprise until he knew. She looked upset, and Clem wasn't with her. That was already a bad sign. He shook his head slightly before continuing. "That's what I'm trying to figure out." He spoke in a near accusing tone, taking a step forward. "Because it's not _just nothing..._" Lee had Clem to thank for knowing that little detail. "It never is."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"What do you want me to say, Lee?" Ellie snapped, that pent up anger she'd been holding towards Carl and Clementine coming out all at once. She knew that he didn't deserve it, but couldn't stop herself. She needed to vent, even if it meant venting towards Lee. "I'm in a bad mood, okay? Jesus. Nothing _happened_."

Hopefully Lee would take the hint and back off, but she somehow doubted that. She started for the stairs, hoping to get away from him before he could say another word.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Hey, wait..." He sighed out as she brushed past him and beelined towards the stairs. He'd really done it now, hadn't he? It wasn't a side of her he'd really seen often, aside from when they'd first met. Usually, he'd expect this from Clem or Joel… but not her.

He didn't follow, watching in restraint as she started to make her way up the stairs. He stammered, trying to figure out something to say. He sighed out, closing his eyes and shaking his head at himself. He considered letting it go, in fact… he almost did… but something caught in his throat in a last-ditch effort, then it spilled out.

"It's Clementine's birthday." He finally spoke up, almost in desperation. He was sure that must've meant something to her… hopefully enough for her to at least hear him out. "I was hoping to surprise her when you guys got back, been planning it for a while now and…"

He drifted off, his tone softer now as he tried to continue.

"I know she'd appreciate you being there to celebrate. You're her best friend, Ellie."

**Dot [Ellie]**

She stopped mid-way up the stairs, grasping the handrail tightly as she cursed underneath her breath. Of course, he'd find a way to guilt-trip her. Of fucking course -

She twisted her body to look back down at Lee below, her expression one of both hostility and guilt. For a moment, she didn't know what to do. Clementine was going to be pissed at her, that much was certain. After all, Ellie just walked away after they left the church. Clearly, they were gonna need space to… figure things out. Mostly for Ellie to calm down, but she wouldn't admit that to the girl's face. However, that one word was enough to force her hand.

_Birthday. It's Clem's birthday…_

_Fuck._

Every single thing she's done wrong that day started piling up in her mind like a rap sheet, realizing then just how shitty she's probably made her friend's day, intentionally or not. She'd been so caught up in how pissed off she was that she didn't even stop to consider how Clementine felt, or even the possibility of something like a _birthday_ to come into the mix.

A sigh escaped her lips, followed by the repeated thumps of her feet descending the stairs. She stood at the edge of the stairway, biting her lip as she struggled to find something to say. At this point, she knew she couldn't say anything to make the situation better.

She closed her eyes for a couple seconds too long, breathing in and out, before finally speaking in a calm tone. "Okay. She should… be here any minute, then." _If she hasn't already decided not to follow me home._ She left it there, deciding that apologies wouldn't get her anywhere right now. The list of people she owed those to was getting longer and longer with each passing day.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Alright, it's a go then." Lee spoke with a confident not, relieved at the fact Ellie wasn't going to be spending the day upstairs. Whatever was going on, surely cake could fix it, right? Regardless, it was probably best to just brush whatever was wrong aside for another time. "Thank you... for staying." He spoke with a tinge of gratitude. "I've set everything up in the kitchen. Joel's there, too. Now it's just a waiting game."

* * *

**Art [Clementine]**

The rest of the walk home was bittersweet at best. She'd stopped Ellie from sneaking out of Jackson on the total sly, only to end up… _probably_ pissing her the hell off with all the stuff she said. Some of it, Clementine regretted immediately, while the rest only got accentuated in her head the longer she spent having to think about it on her own. Clem was convinced that she was in the right back there, so how come she still felt so freaking awful about it? Chances are Ellie wouldn't wanna talk to her for the rest of the day, and... to be totally honest, she didn't really want to talk to Ellie either. They'd just have to deal with sharing a room for the night, as awkward and flat out grisly as the prospect sounded.

Following the front door's soft creaking was little more than the girl's gruff-sounding "I'm home…", the door being shut behind Clementine as she leaned her back against it. Her stare was fixated on the floor underneath her ragged boots, some sense of apprehension stemming from the fact that she'd have to patch things up with Ellie one way or the other, whether either of them liked it or not.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee had turned the corner with near perfect timing to greet her at the door… almost like he'd been waiting. He just hoped it wasn't _that_ obvious that he was. "Here she is." He spoke aloud with a smirk. Joel and Ellie were waiting for her in the other room, now all that was left to do was simply to lead her there. Days of planning left him feeling excited, maybe even a little _over_excited, to be honest.

"Can I grab a hand in the kitchen for a second? There's something I need to show you." He gestured his head towards the other room, trying to keep his cool.

**Art [Clementine]**

Lee's voice dragged the girl's gaze away from her feet in an instant, asking her to come to the kitchen for some reason or other. Clementine, in turn, reacted visibly clumsily to the suggestion, not too deft in the least at hiding her rush to go upstairs. "Actually, I…" She stuttered her way through her words, tilting her head to the side before giving up part way through. Maybe that… _other thing_ could wait, right? It wasn't like she was looking forward to making up with Ellie anyway... "... Okay." Clem responded evenly, largely just wanting to get it over with, whatever it was.

Even in the middle of all that, well engrossed in her own head, the lively smile on Lee's face didn't escape her notice. Something was up, definitely. "What's got you so jumpy?" Clementine asked with a smirk of her own, following Lee towards the kitchen.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Nothin'," he spoke dismissively whilst trying to conceal his smirk, eyes fixated on the hallway ahead. _Hope she doesn't get too embarrassed, or something like that._ Even if he was overdoing it a tad, he had no regrets. This is how it was usually done when he was a kid anyway. The closer and closer they got to the kitchen, the more the facade began to unveil itself.

They finally turned the corner to see Joel and Ellie standing behind the decorated kitchen bench top. On it sat a cake accompanied with lit candles on top. Fourteen candles to be exact. He gave it a brief moment to sink in before approaching her from behind, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We just wanted to say happy birthday, sweet pea."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel watched the scene before him with a strike of curiosity and delight. "Happy birthday, Clementine." He still hadn't much taken to calling her by her nickname, still preferring the full name in moments such as this; slow moments. They were unconventional nowadays and had been even more so unconventional back then. Joel managed to give a weak smile, as best as he could, at least. His mind was rushing, though, as he stared at Clementine approaching the cake. Memories resurfacing - memories that had never really disappeared - and broke back into his plans. Tommy was taking too long to decide; he loved his little brother, but... he needed someone else to do the _deed_ for him.

He looked over the room.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie stood next to Joel, awkwardly tapping her fingers on the kitchen counter as Lee and Clementine entered the room. She didn't want to be here, she didn't want to be in this position of trying to figure out a balance between the awkwardness she felt for how her previous conversation with Clementine went, and the responsibility of being there for her friend. Despite that, she managed to force a smile, for the girl's sake. It wasn't enough to make up for everything that happened earlier, but… it was a start, right?

As Joel was, surprisingly, the first one to say the greeting, it gave Ellie a chance to take in a deep breath, following it up with what would hopefully not come out as awkward and forced. "I guess we're on even ground now." _Don't fuck this up don't fuck this up don't fuck this up…_ "Happy birthday, Clem." She managed to get the words out, an agonizing moment passing where she found herself wondering if she should stay put or try and give the girl a hug. She chose to do nothing, in the end, trying to maintain the smile she could feel drooping slightly. For Clementine, she'd _try_ anything.

**Art [Clementine]**

It was like something straight out of a lucid dream. The ones you know are just too… _incredible_ and silly to spend even a second convinced that they were real. Clementine felt her shoulders hunch up as Lee placed his hands above them, as if the girl expected a walker to be in his place instead.

There weren't any, not in Jackson. No Saviors, or any of the nasty infected staggering, sometimes even _running_ around in the west. Just Lee, and her, and her best friend… Joel, even. All of them celebrating her birthday. _W - What? What day is it?_ Clementine thought to herself, oblivious to the fact until it was staring her in the face. There was an actual cake there, though at first glance, she hardly believed it. It looked like one, smelled like one… and it had fourteen candles on top, spelling out how old she was. _No way…_

The smile creeping up onto her face, she suppressed for at least a second or two, as she stared back at Lee in complete disbelief. "You… did all this?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The months on the road leading up to finding this place, they hadn't necessarily been the best. Everything was so preoccupied with _the goal._ It was all they were thinking about anymore, it was hard to find time to just... forget every now and then. He couldn't lie to himself, sometimes he found himself wondering if he was actually succeeding at this. Was Clem happy? Was he capable of giving her that? As she got older, it was definitely tougher to read how she was feeling.

As soon as she smiled, however, that doubt was washed away. "Enjoy it. You deserve it." Lee spoke as he saw the glee in her eyes accompanied with her shocked demeanor. They were surrounded by friends, had the safety they sought here. They might not have all been perfect, but they were together. _This_ is what Lee wanted for her, for as long as he could remember.

"Go on, make a wish." He spoke encouragingly before gesturing his head towards the cake.

**Art [Clementine]**

"A wish." Clementine blinked, softly uttering the words whilst static in place. The atmosphere that room gave off felt pretty nostalgic and totally out of place _on its own,_ but candles and wish-making? That's the kind of... _embarrassing stuff_ her parents loved to do back when she was too small to even hold a gun. Clem ended up shaking the thought away with the smallest of pouts. Maybe that's what Lee was going for. That did sound just like him. Sure, it was dumb, but... in the end, she couldn't find herself hating it.

Taking a few steps forward, the girl thought about her wish long and hard, despite not being one to believe in that sort of thing. A little bit of dreaming never hurt anyone, right? _Not like anyone's gonna hear it…_ She exhaled through her nose, leaning her hands against the table, staring at the needlessly large cake lying between them. There wasn't much she wanted, _really_ wanted anymore, depressing as it might've been. Not losing what they already had… ultimately, that's all that ever seemed to cross her mind over the past few months. _I wish… I wish that Joel and Ellie don't leave… like everyone else._

A puff of air blew out the fourteen candles all at once, the silence that followed leaving Clementine more contemplative than anything. Was she really gonna get to eat cake again? On a birthday…? It was so… _normal,_ it made it too hard not to smile, and too easy to do nothing but stand there speechless. "I - I don't know what to say..." She crossed one of her arms, chuckling at the sheer absurdity of it all.

For a little while, she found herself not having to think about anything else.

**Dot [Ellie]**

While Clementine closed her eyes and blew out the candles, Ellie found herself closing her own, turning her face away from the counter. Her throat tightened, thoughts of how selfish she'd been plaguing her mind. She was still angry about what happened, and that only made things worse, because it seemed that Clementine had forgotten it, or forgiven her, or… simply not acknowledging it, which was just as likely. Despite that, she still managed to potentially ruin her best friend's day, only to find out later that it was her _goddamned birthday_. What kind of friend did that make her? To let her own selfish desire to escape, if only for a short time, get the best of her.

If she had gone, she wouldn't have even been here to celebrate her birthday. That was probably what fucked her up the most, thinking about the fact she would've abandoned her friend and missed out on something this important. How often did they get to have _birthday parties_ anymore? Never. It's never happened for her. Not like those assholes at the preparatory schools would even care. Then there was Riley, who never got to live long enough for either of them to celebrate a birthday together. She mentally winced, forcing the thought away. She wasn't ready for that kind of pain, not when she was meant to be supporting her friend.

She opened her eyes finally, looking back to see the thin puffs of smoke dissipate into the air from the candles. Clementine was smiling, and saying something she only caught the tail end of. Ellie tried to smile, leaning against the counter. "Don't gotta say anything," she spoke in an attempt to lighten the mood further, before indicating the cake with an enthusiastic hook of the thumb. "Dig into that shit."


	33. Make A Wish, III

_11:10 AM_

**Art [Clementine]**

It wasn't long after that Clementine found herself outside, sitting on the stairs leading to the porch with a plate of cake on one hand and a fork in the other. The chocolate cake melted in her mouth, leaving a sweet, sugary aftertaste that came _this close_ to making her tongue feel numb. She'd definitely forgotten how crazy good it was, like a sudden epiphany after years of eating animal meat and canned stuff. There was no understating it, Clem felt like the luckiest kid in the whole world…

… and part of her was glad Ellie was there too, taking in all that right next to her. _They probably didn't have any cakes in Boston,_ was one of the girl's meandering thoughts, though it was a hunch more than anything, fueled largely by the way her friend viciously munched on the sweet. They hadn't really said anything since after the party… well, _she_ hadn't said anything to _Ellie._ It wasn't all that different from the day they met. Glances seldom being shared, frittering away just as quickly. Once the cake was no more, Clem held the fork in her mouth, holding it with her lips as if it was meant to help her think of what to say. It didn't, really. The now fourteen-year-old lowered her gaze, nothing but the shifting grass in her view as that long silence further began to sink in.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Nothing Ellie's ever had compared to how delicious that cake was. Living on what the government would give them at the orphanage, and what she could scrounge up on their journey here, Ellie's palate consisted of bland goop and the unseasoned meat of any animal they could get their hands on. This cake, though, was like an explosion of flavor far beyond anything describable. Even the chocolate bar her and Clem shared back in Pittsburgh couldn't compare. The slice she'd been eating was gone before she even realized it, and she held the paper plate with her hands, balanced on her knees in front of her. Her gaze had shifted towards Clementine, though she kept her head pointed towards the street beyond their porch.

She still wasn't sure how to broach the subject that desperately needed addressing. Saying 'sorry' seemed to be the hardest thing in the world, as if the word was stuck on the tip of her tongue and went no farther. From what she could tell, the baseball-capped girl had something she wanted to say, too. At least, they were struggling together, though Ellie wished it was under… different circumstances.

Sighing, she mentally kicked herself, as if trying to push the words out of her mouth. Finally, something managed to slip out, a vocal mess of words that went by far too fast, but at least they were said. "I'm sorry for being a dick earlier. I didn't know, and-" Then her brain failed her, cutting her off. She struggled to find the right words, cursing under her breath.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine frowned from the outset, coldly facing away from the other girl in the process. All things considered, it was one _ginormous_ task not to stay pissed at her, even if Clem felt partly at fault for cussing her out before. It wasn't _just_ losing the cure, though often she very much wished it was. The thought of Ellie becoming the next Luke, it was beyond terrifying. Losing another friend over something... so _fucking easy_ to prevent. The kind of thing that gnaws away at you for the rest of your life. Ellie knew what that felt like, and in Clementine's eyes, it made her all the more selfish for it.

After a much shorter period of silence, the girl raised her fist, hitting Ellie's left arm full force. Clem only wished she could've hit her in the face instead. "Stupid..." She murmured, before folding her arms around her knees, that frown fading into a pout. Clementine wasn't particularly ready to forgive her for almost sneaking out behind her back, but that helped a little. "I'm not gonna tell Tommy, okay…?" _Even though I should._

"... but _you_ owe me a birthday present." Clem finished with a hint of a smile, now a little more complacent about looking her friend in the eye.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rubbed her arm gingerly as Clementine's fist smashed against it, letting out a genuine yelp in the process. _Yep, I… definitely deserved that._ Despite the pain emanating through her body, she couldn't help but smile at the girl's use of the 'nickname', and a sense of relief as she stated her intention to not tell Tommy about what happened. Ellie was more than fine with forgetting about the whole ordeal, though Clementine would undoubtedly not allow her to do that.

_A present…?_ Ellie grinned slightly, rolling her eyes. "Alright, Baseball Cap. I'll, uh… get to work on that," she let out a small chuckle, letting her hand drop to the wooden porch as the pain in her arm subsided. She had a chance to fix things, throw a bandaid over their friendship and hope it heals. Wouldn't be the first time. She set the empty paper plate on the floor next to her, her gaze now taking in the quiet neighborhood surrounding them.

She still wasn't used to it. The sight of so many people living their lives as if nothing had happened, and no fear for those that ruled over them. Without FEDRA around, this place flourished, and it would only get better after they've gotten the cure. Maybe Clementine was right, maybe it was stupid to put her life at risk. She had an obligation to make it there, one way or another. For these people; for Clementine, and Joel, and Lee… for Riley. Her hands clutched the metal pendant around her neck, feeling the words etched into them with a swipe of her finger.

"A present, huh?" Ellie found herself muttering while she let go of the pendant, desperately trying to think of something that she could get her friend. For a couple of seconds, she found herself baffled, unable to think of anything her friend would like. She hadn't found any sign of chocolate in the markets, so that was a no go. Though, she was sure that Lee had used everything they probably had in that cake. For a while, she bounced between different ideas, until she finally realized that she _already_ had a present waiting for her, something she'd been holding onto that she found the night before. Her eyes brightened, and she turned towards Clementine with a smile. "Hold on, I think I _actually_ have something."

With that, she instantly scrambled to her feet, heading inside and climbing the stairs two at a time. It didn't take long to find the item in question, and she grabbed it quickly, rushing back down the stairs and to the porch once more. The girl was looking out into the street, only to start turning her head as the door opened. Ellie plopped down next to her, holding the item out for the girl to take. It was a book, rather old, but in almost pristine condition. The title read 'Where the Wild Things Are'.

"I found this at the library yesterday. I was going to give it to you when you woke up, then Carl found me. I know that your copy got fucked up back in Pittsburgh, so… I convinced the librarian to give it to me." _Took a fucking while too._ She began to shrug as she realized that she probably wasn't supposed to know about the books. She'd seen most of them as Clementine had abandoned them back at that house in Pittsburgh, but she knew that the girl kept one. "Sorry, needed to borrow a lighter, and found it in your backpack."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine stared wide-eyed at her friend, those big pair of eyes soon facing the book she carried in her hands. What shocked Clem the most was probably the fact that Ellie even _knew_ anything about that, which under different circumstances might've made her especially flustered. This time though, even in spite of knowing the other girl had looked through her backpack without permission, Clementine couldn't help but feel endeared by her excitement. "Ellie, that's… that is _awesome,_ but…"

There was a 'but', and it had Clem visibly wincing. There wasn't an easy way to put it, some surefire explanation Ellie would get. It… probably wouldn't make any sense to _anyone else._ Clementine reached for her backpack, hoisting from its depths a copy of the same book: Tattered almost beyond recognition, smears of water and dirt across its once sturdy cover and pages. "...I already got one."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's heart dropped as Clementine reached for the book in her backpack, the words that she hadn't been expecting reaching her ears. She knew that Clementine probably didn't even want anyone knowing that she carried that book around anyway, and there seemed to be something more about it that she'd missed. She mentally cursed herself when it dawned on her; that book had sentimental value for her, probably belonged to her parents. How could she have been so blind to that? She kept the picture and the pendant as reminders of Riley, so that she'd never forget her, yet hadn't even considered that Clementine might've been doing the same.

She held the book awkwardly in her hands, retracting them away from the girl as she settled the small book in her lap. "Oh…" Once again, she was at a loss for words. It was starting to become a trend she didn't like, along with how shitty she was being to Clem. That's probably what made it feel worse; she wanted to make it up to her, but still managed to fuck it up. "Sorry, I didn't-" More tumbling words, followed by a sigh. "I'll find you something better, d - don't worry," she tried to smile, to put her friend at ease and brush off the subject with what she hoped would appear as a light jest. She wasn't sure if it worked, though. "Too bad there's no airplanes left. We could've taken that trip to Norway. Learned how to ski."

**Art [Clementine]**

_Skiing?_ That almost stole a laugh from Clementine. It would've, had that whole thing not felt so friggin' awkward. To think Ellie went above and beyond to do something nice for her only to get shot down immediately. The smile she forced was gradually replaced by a frown, and the urge to… at least _try_ to elaborate on it, even if that side of her felt super uncomfortable to share. Not like hiding it from Ellie was gonna do her any good from then on. "I know it's… _weird,_" the girl finally said with a soft head tilt, still holding the old book close to her. Clem took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh before saying anything else. "They were all mom's, things she used to read me. I used to carry them everywhere, all the time."

"This is the only one left." She smiled unconsciously, running her fingers through the torn leather. "There's nothing like it in the whole world." The worry that Ellie would think she was _totally dippy_ was still there, very much present… but it did feel good to own up to it, for the very first time since she left her home five years ago. Clementine looked back at her friend, that warm smile still refusing to go away. "You should keep that, though," she told Ellie, referring to the book she planned to gift her. It did click a second later, something that had Clem averting her once lively gaze with haste. "I - It's for little kids, but…you might... like it." _Maybe?_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's features softened as Clementine spoke about the book, and about her mother. _Of course,_ it had belonged to her mother. Ellie closed her eyes, regretting even bringing up memories that Clementine likely didn't want to remember. In a way, Ellie envied her. Her parents might still be out there, looking for her, but her? Her mother was dead, and her father was… who the fuck knew. The only things she had of her mother was the letter she wrote and her switchblade, both given to her by Marlene. That was it. How many times did she re-read those words on that crumbling scrap of paper? Tears that were shed? Far too many times to count. Somewhere out there, someone brought her into this world, someone that loved her more than anyone else ever could, and Ellie would _never_ get to meet her.

That fact still choked her up sometimes.

She set down the book next to her, eyes taking in the cover before finally returning to her friend. Her tone was softer, any hint of excitement now gone. "I understand…" She took in a deep breath, fingers finding the pendant around her neck once more. She averted her gaze, the crumbling street beyond filling her vision. "When I met Marlene, she… gave me this." She reached into her pocket, pulling out the switchblade. "It was my mom's. She gave it to Marlene to hold for me, along with a letter she wrote. I still carry it around." _Though it reeks of shit._ "They're the only things I got from her. She died when I was born." She bit her lip, chewing on the words threatening to pour out of her mouth, things like 'I wish I could've met her' and 'I wonder what she was like' sitting on the tip of her tongue, but never coming out. She took in a deep breath, calming herself.

Her fingers tightened around the pendant, raising it slightly for Clementine to see. "And this was Riley's. The Fireflies gave it to her. After she died, I… went back and found it. This, and a picture we took together are the only things I have left of her. So…" she sighed, letting the pendant rest against her collarbone, "…the point I'm trying to make is… it's not _weird_ to hold onto these. They were a part of our life once, somehow, and this is how we remember them. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Got it?" Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, a serious look crossing her face. She meant every word of it, and hoped that Clem would take it to heart. Their memories deserved to be remembered, for better or for worse.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After quickly excusing himself from the house for just a couple of minutes, Lee's next destination was Tommy's. He'd heard a few things about people going on _runs_ at this place, so he figured it wouldn't hurt to at least inquire. Things had been so busy these past few days that he'd once again left this to the last minute…

After asking Tommy rather awkwardly about wanting to take Clem outside the walls for a bit, he found it odd that the man's first question was whether Ellie or Joel was going with them too. Lee shrugged it off, chalking it down to just a brother's concern. After assuring him it was just himself and Clem going out, Tommy's demeanor was quick to change to something akin to supportive of the idea. It seemed relatively safe to go, after all... other patrols were probably out and about too.

With the rifle Tommy had allowed Lee to take now slung over his shoulder, the man made his way back home. He thought it was finally time that she learned how to use one, and he figured it'd be a fun _and_ productive birthday present. Clementine was old enough to handle one now, hell... getting their hands on a rifle this good before Pittsburgh was rare enough in itself. Smaller firearms were always preferable for tight spaces, but it was about time the knowledge he had given her was expanded on. That and _maybe_ seeing how capable Ellie was with the rifle back on the road was starting to weigh on his mind a little, Joel had clearly done a good job at teaching her. Regardless, this lesson was probably long overdue.

It wasn't long before he spotted Clementine finishing up the cake with Ellie on the porch. He'd already told her about the planned 'trip' today but had left the details pretty vague.

"Birthday girl. Let's get a move on!" Lee called out whilst waving her over from a distance.

**Art [Clementine]**

A slight loosening of her shoulders gave away Clem's relief at hearing Ellie say all that, that sheepish smile from before returning stronger than ever. Holding onto Dad's hat and Mom's books… maybe it didn't _have_ to be as strange as she always made it out to be. It helped that Ellie was so intense about it, to an extent almost unlike her. It felt… pretty nice, knowing they were both hogging sentimental junk everywhere they went. Before Clementine had the chance to speak up, she heard the unmistakable sound of Lee's voice calling out for her. _'Birthday girl'_, he said, prompting said girl to roll her eyes. "I gotta go," she uttered, clumsily getting to her feet. "Catch you later?"

Clementine dashed towards Lee, who waited for her on the opposite side of the street, a rifle strap hanging on his shoulder. He'd mentioned heading out to somewhere or other, though she didn't really know what to expect. After the surprise _today_ had been, it was pretty hard to. Her head hadn't stopped spinning since. "Hey," Clem greeted him warmly, almost overzealously, her feet tapping excitedly in anticipation for whatever it was he had planned. Her eyes were drawn to the rifle first and foremost, to which she crossed her arms in response to, something of a quip escaping her shortly thereafter. "Who're we shooting?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A slight scoff escaped him accompanied with a smirk. "Oh, _you're_ the one that's going to be doing the shooting." He averted his gaze to the rifle for a moment before readjusting the strap on his shoulder whilst they continued to walk. "I, uh, figured it's time I gave you a few lessons on how to use this thing. Tommy's got patrols out already so it should be relatively safe out there."

**Art [Clementine]**

The girl blinked twice rapidly, snapping her head to her right, where Lee was, with widened eyes. "You mean it?"

Firearms - at least of the smaller kind - were pretty standard for Clementine, had been for years now… but rifles were a totally different beast. She could practically hear Pete bending her ear again about how it'd _'probably knock her on her ass.'_ It'd been so long since then, the thought of _actually learning_ how to use one had never actually crossed her mind.

"You think I'm ready for it…?" She genuinely asked, now wholly unable to drag her gaze away from that _huge_ thing on Lee's shoulder he intended to pass on to her.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He'd been putting this off for way too long, Clementine's reaction was all the more confirmation of that fact. If Ellie could get the hang of it, then Lee saw no reason why Clementine couldn't either. Unless... if she didn't have as good of a teacher as Ellie did. Lee's knowledge was pretty much what he had learned from Lilly, so getting back into the swing of things was hopefully something _he_ could pull off too. He diverted his attention to the excited teen with a grin. "I think you're more than ready."

* * *

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie had watched Clementine and Lee disappear down the street, talking about teaching her how to fire a rifle. Ellie stayed on the steps for a little while longer, once again getting lost in her own thoughts. She felt relieved to know that Clementine didn't hate her for what happened back at the church, that her sense of pride and lust for freedom didn't end their friendship. She didn't know what she'd do if that happened, and the very thought of it was more than enough to have her feeling uneasy.

She held the book in her hands, eyes scanning the cover for a moment, before she pushed herself to her feet, heading back inside. She set the book down on the coffee table in the living room, heading for the kitchen. She found Joel clearing a spot inside the fridge to put the cake, carefully placing it on the bottom shelf before shutting the fridge. Once he turned around to notice her, Ellie leaned against the kitchen counter.

"You know, I didn't think you'd like birthday parties." She spoke, a hint of humor in her voice as she smiled slightly. "I thought you'd leave the first chance you got."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He had been so intent on laying the cake down in the kitchen that he hardly noticed the girl approaching from behind him. He swung around, cake having left his grasp and into the fridge, heart pumping. Joel winced, but the sight of Ellie loosened his nerves for the time being. "Well, I still don't really like 'em, but the cake was pretty good." He continued fumbling with the fridge before shutting that white door for good, turning around. "So, you need something then?" He spoke, patting his hands down.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie simply shrugged her shoulders as Joel turned his attention to her. With Clementine off with Lee and the rifle, she found herself once again without anything to do. Her mind had wandered back to what Carl had said before, about the Fireflies, and she found herself thinking that it was probably something worth mentioning.

_Alright, let's just… get this out of the way._

"I spoke to Carl earlier," she started, intentionally omitting the part about them trying to sneak out. The less Joel knew about that, the better. "We talked about the Fireflies. Seems like a lot of people hate them here. Tommy's probably not going tell us where they are." She stopped there, scratching at her arm awkwardly. There was a chance that Joel would ask about what they talked about, and she wasn't sure if she'd have a good answer if he did. Right now, they needed to think about a plan B, in case she can't get the information out of Carl. They had to make it to the Fireflies, one way or another.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's heart caught in his throat. He extended a hand for a second, as if to say something, but stopped himself and brought the finger back to his chin. It was good she was talking to other kids, he supposed. But that wasn't the important part. The part that was important was Tommy's reluctance to give them any information. "He won't tell us..." Joel muttered, eyes fluttering towards the floor. He covered his mouth with his hand, stepping past Ellie and leaning onto the counter.

"_Goddammit!_" He swore, slamming a fist into the counter while a vein began to pop in his head. After everything Joel had done, after all of this... Tommy had the gall to deny them the damned salvation of mankind. Joel turned around, leaning his back against the counter now, looking towards Ellie now. "Sorry." He tongued his gums with anxious fervor, rattling his fingers along the deathly countertop. "Carl tell you anything else? Or was that it?" _My own goddamn baby brother._

**Dot [Ellie]**

That was about the reaction she'd expected. This whole situation was beyond fucked, since it was becoming clear that Tommy was trying to keep them here. They wouldn't let her outside the walls, and wouldn't tell them anything about the Fireflies, _and_ they were looking for books that might help them find the cure. These things were adding up, and it was only frustrating her. As much as she'd support them looking into the cure, they clearly didn't have the manpower to pull it off. They didn't even have any scientists, and that Eleanor lady was barely a doctor. The Fireflies were their only hope in getting it to the rest of the country.

"He mentioned that a lot of people here are ex-Fireflies. Might be able to get something out of them." She shrugged slightly, averting her gaze to the counter opposite her. "When Carl gets back from his run, I'll try to see if I can't get him to tell me." It was a long shot, given how he'd reacted when they asked before, but it was still worth pursuing. Better than relying on Tommy, anyway.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

This community was starting to get on his last nerve. It had felt like they had been here for _ages_ now, but what had only been... a week, maybe? He had lost count, more on his mind other than numbering the days he had till his death. Scratching at his chin, Joel sighed and crossed his arms. "Do you know any of these... 'ex-Fireflies?' I'd like to have a chat with them." He cracked his knuckles in thought, wonder wasting away his words.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie immediately shook her head, frowning. "I don't know. Carl didn't give me any names." _Not that I had time to ask._ It seemed that Joel was about as fed up as she was with this place, though he'd reached that point _way_ before now. She'd picked up on his sense of impatience early on, most of which she assumed had to do with Tommy being indecisive on telling them where to find the Fireflies.

Sooner or later, they'd both reach their breaking point. They had to get there. Soon.

"Maybe ask around?" She offered, shrugging. "I can talk to Carl when he comes back, too."

* * *

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As the duo trudged onwards through the lush overgrowth, Lee found himself noticing just how vacant these woods were of the infected. Usually they'd come across the odd two or three that they'd have to take out. Frankly Lee was impressed at just how locked down they had this area. Right now, he was just scanning for a good spot to set up shop.

"So… fourteen huh? How are you feeling about it?" He averted his gaze to the now one year older teen with a raised brow. It really was a frightening thought at just how many years seemed to pass since they'd met.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem let out a chuckle, giving the question some semblance of thought before shrugging her shoulders. "I don't… feel different." It was sorta funny, really. All that time spent envying Ellie for being a year older… turns out it didn't make a lick of difference. Some of the _weirder_ changes aside, being fourteen years old felt just the same as most other years that came before it, only with a few more inches to her name, and usually something new to sulk over. In that regard, at least, being fourteen did feel pretty different. Being able to smile on her birthday wasn't something she ever expected to wind up… missing.

With Lee's question came a different passing thought, that of the questioner himself. Clementine could feel her head almost _physically_ struggling to wrap itself around the idea, but Lee had been fourteen too, once. Back when cakes and candles used to be commonplace. Trying to imagine it always brought a smile to her face, though given how someone who'd experienced it was _right there_ beside her, maybe that time she didn't have to stick to her imagination. "Did you?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Nah, same as you." He responded almost without a second thought and a slight shrug. The memories of the birthdays they used to throw in his childhood were enough to put some semblance of a smile on his face. No matter how old, he got it was funny how things like that were just cemented into his memory. Truth be told, even if he knew it wasn't entirely possible anymore, giving Clem something as close to that as he possibly could was all he wanted to do today. "When you reach your teens the years start to go by so quick you hardly even realize it. It's gonna feel like that for a while." _Until you start pushing your forties like me..._

**Art [Clementine]**

The girl audibly sighed at the mention of _'being in her teens',_ something of an intimidating prospect the more she thought it over. They'd talked about it irregularly, mostly the stuff Lee figured she should know about preemptively. Being a kid out there had been fucking _tough enough_ as it is… but, being a woman sounded, like... twice as hard. Clementine buried her hands in her jacket pockets, burying the thought along with them. Moping about it wouldn't do her any favors…

Down the pathway Lee and Clementine headed through was an old gas stop… though nowadays, it was pretty much just _a stop._ Anything remotely useful, even from a distance, looked like it was totally gone, ransacked long before the day she was born, and whatever was left, down to the last speck of dust, had probably been looted by the scouts back in Jackson. It was barely even good enough to spend a night in, what with the broken windows and rotted walls, overgrowth dressing its interior and filling it with charming flowers, not unlike a makeshift garden.

It was perfect.

"Hey. How about over there? For practice." She nodded in the gas stop's direction, and shot a grin at the man walking beside her, curious to hear what he'd think of the idea. They could definitely find some empty bottles there… It'd be just like last time.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Hm." Lee mulled over the thought of entering the ransacked looking gas station Clem had pointed out. It _did_ look like the perfect place to find what they needed, but it did also look like the perfect place for something to be hiding in. Lee wasn't about to rule out the possibility that the scouts at Jackson had maybe missed one or two of the infected here or there. "Okay, I'd say it's worth a look." He spoke before the duo slowly made their way to the decrepit building. He'd been in plenty of these buildings before, back when you had to go inside to pay for petrol. They were usually crammed, which meant it wouldn't be very pretty if they got jumped. Avoiding some of the broken glass on the ground, Lee stopped at the rotted glass door, unstrapping his shotgun he'd brought along and using the butt of it to knock a few times. The man waited for a solid few moments to see if anything from the inside would be drawn to the ruckus.

Nothing.

"Alright. Y'know how it works, keep your guard up when we go in here."

**Art [Clementine]**

"Mm-hmm." Clementine nodded, pulling her revolver out of its holster and holding it close to her chest, slowly turning the door handle so as to not make any excessive noise. For once, it felt like, the door didn't creak at all, only heightening the sound of the pieces of glass that lied under it. It looked empty from the get-go, beams of light sneaking through the multiple cracks in the crumbling structure, reinforcing that fact by illuminating the darker corners of the station. Even so, Clem knew too well to just drop her guard, taking a minute to check every inch of that place before finally crying in relief. "Clear!" Good, that was… good. After the things they ran into back in Pittsburgh, the anticipation never failed to give her goosebumps.

Now that they'd taken care of _that,_ it was time to do what they came there for. Lee and Clem both began to inspect some of the drawers and other compartments for things to shoot at... Although _one of them_ was clearly more focused on the task than the other. The cash register had seized the girl's attention on its first glance. It looked almost like a typewriter, except it was more like the kind you'd find inside a spaceship. Clementine wiped the dust off the screen in a fit of curiosity, not revealing much of anything until she flipped a switch in the back, turning the fancy _'old-world_ machine on. Granted, there weren't any bottles there, but…! Upon pressing the button on the bottom right corner of the register, its drawer suddenly popped open, making an _outlandishly_ satisfying _**cha-ching**_ sound. _Whoa, cool!_

In the old refrigerator was where the empty bottles were stored, pretty much the only type o'thing that hadn't been looted. Clementine picked up a batch of bottles and carried them to one of the broken windows, ordering them up neatly one beside the other. Once they were all set, she lured Lee outside the gas stop, near where the fuel tanks were; the window and the glass bottles in full view, right in front of them. "How's that?" She asked, totally full of herself. For all intents and purposes, this was the most fun Clementine has had in weeks.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As time went on, Lee could clearly see Clem was a lot more excited about this than he previously thought. It really spoke measures as to how much she was changing, when he first gave her lessons, she was hesitant to even _hold_ the gun. But now she seemed to welcome the challenge.

"Looking good. Now how about we get some distance and start this thing?" He suggested before leading her slightly further out. He tried to keep it around the distance Lilly used to train them with, although of course given Clem's inexperience, he'd make it slightly easier. He also needed to compensate the distance because of that scope giving her a slight advantage. Overall he opted towards picking a distance that wouldn't be too difficult, but offer a slight challenge. Once all was said and done Lee swung the shotgun back over his shoulder and slung the rifle back into his hands, extending it towards Clementine.

"Before we start, get a feel for its weight. Tell me how it feels to you." It was a basic request, but Lee was going in baby steps in an attempt to get her to adjust as smoothly as possible.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem stretched her arms forward, latching on to the rifle Lee extended towards her. The instant he let go, there was a more than evident struggle to keep the rifle above her waist. Not something she expected, judging from the surprise spelled out in her eyes. The girl eventually found a comfortable, if not clumsy way to hold the rifle, trying her hardest to make it look effortless. "Lighter than it used to…" She answered, eyes locked on the rifle, and away from Lee. _That_ it was, if only just marginally. Lighter enough to at least keep the thing steady.

Despite her best efforts, Clementine still found herself holding the firearm rather awkwardly, confused as to which part of it to hold on to, and even more so on how to keep proper balance while doing so, considering the leap in size from her revolver.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

This was going to be a process, one that he would have to explain clearly. She was managing so far, a little nervous and unsure of herself but that would pass with time.

"Alright, so you're gonna want to adjust your stance and square up a bit, keep some pressure on the back foot but don't _lean_ backwards. This one's got a lot of kick." These bullets were going to travel a lot further than the ones from a handgun. Clem was right handed, so he'd need to focus on getting the way she held it right.

"Now press the stock right in between the blade of your shoulder, keep it tight." He spoke whilst slowly guiding the rifle into her right shoulder. Ensuring that one hand rested with her finger on the trigger and the other one supporting the forestock.

"This rifle is lever action, it's here. This little handle right below the trigger. Push it outwards with your same trigger hand until it stops and then slam it back up to load one in. Try it out."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine puffed out her chest, standing upright, or at least as much as she could manage with the rifle weighing her down. She then dragged her right foot a couple of inches back, until the barrel ceased to cumber one side of her body over another, the air in her lungs whiffing away all at once, as her chest decompressed with it. Next was leaning it on her shoulder, the easy part. "Keep it tight… like this?" She asked, just to be sure, keeping the stock well seated where Lee had instructed her to. It definitely felt a little less cumbersome, though it didn't keep her shoulders from getting sore the following minute. Harder than it looked was an understatement, a fact only accentuated the moment Clem tried rubbing her nose while holding the gun, only to end up losing her balance all over again. _Fuck! Stay still…!_

Lee said something about it being 'lever action', which only made it sound like some sort of toy. Her brows drew together at the thought, the girl shaking her head lightly in some attempt to focus. The handle was right there, just like he said it would be. Clem pulled it down once, getting a quick feel for the motion, before pulling it back up; the soft clicking sound indicating that she'd pulled it off without a hitch. "Okay..."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Alright, now take a look through the scope. Don't keep your eye _too_ close." He further instructed. "When you see one of the bottles, aim a little lower than you usually would with a handgun. This thing is powerful and the bullet's gonna go flying, so be prepared. You gotta keep a firm grip but don't get _too_ tense. Then when you're ready, squeeze the trigger. Okay?" Having figured he'd covered just about everything, all Clem had to do now was put it in practice. He took a step back to give her space, eagerly awaiting the bullet's departure.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine nodded, slowly this time around, biding her time. Everything else came naturally; the scope drawing near her right eye, as the bottle she targeted gradually came into view. Below the barrel of the rifle was a small tubular magazine, where the rounds would go, probably. Triggering the release mechanism, Clem loaded the rifle with a single bullet, following that by pulling the gun's handle outward and _slamming it_ back up, exactly like Lee said. Raising the rifle again, the girl's back foot remained fixed, her shoulder just as static, eyes narrowed in anticipation. Spaced between that and the sound of gunfire was nothing more than a soft exhale, before Clementine steadily squeezed the trigger.

In a flash, her whole body was sent nearly staggering backward, a thunderous sound announcing the bullet speeding past everything in its vicinity and piercing the wall. It hit neither of the bottles, though it was a valiant attempt from the young shooter.

Oww…" She murmured, weary arms and aching hands begging her to lower the rifle, which she did only a handful of seconds after the soft puff of smoke came to leave the gun's barrel. "... That was so close…! Did you see it?" It was a _little_ exciting, for as mundane as firing a gun was. Enough so to make the smile she had from ear to ear that much harder to contain.

Clem followed the very same steps as before, breathing in slowly while her good eye creeped up on the scope. It looked like an easy shot, probably was _meant to be_ one, and that fact only fueled the girl's frustration, bringing her determination to land the shot to its absolute peak. The girl finally let out every ounce of air in her chest, squeezing the trigger and sending the bullet soaring through the air in a straight line, colliding with the bottle in the middle and smashing it into dozens of little pieces.

Her eyes widened, at first in sheer disbelief, then in pure excitement. "Oh my god! I got it!" Triumphantly shouted the girl, who'd lowered the rifle for good that time. The absolute thrill running through her made every impulse that followed a little less avoidable, though one definitely stood out: With the rifle still in hand, Clementine pounced on Lee with the strongest hug she could bring off, her mouth curving into a smile.

"Thanks, alright? I should've said it earlier, but I didn't, so..." It wasn't hard to tell she wasn't planning on letting go. The birthday, the cake, the lesson… _that whole morning._ Everything Lee had ever done for her, and that she'd never know how to repay. "You're the best."

This was a start, she thought.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

She got it. Not even her third try in and she was already getting the hang of this faster than even he could anticipate. "See? I told you you'd be-" In that split moment his speech was cut off as she practically jumped on him, almost cutting him short of breath. With a big smile, he wrapped his arms around her with a hug of his own. No matter how old she got she would always be that same little girl, to him at least. These past few months hadn't been a walk in the park. They hadn't see eye to eye on a few things recently, but again… That was pretty much guaranteed when you were raising a teen.

"I'm so proud of you, Clem." He finally responded warmly after a few moments, still having not let go himself. That wasn't just directed at her shooting skills, but was more of a culmination of the pride he'd been feeling seeing her slowly mature over the years. Mature beyond her years but still always finding a way to be as caring as ever. It was a nice gesture to see just how appreciative she was of him setting this whole thing up. Looking past everything that had transpired today, there was one thing that was still hurting.

It was the fact that he knew he didn't deserve this. Her appreciation. Until he finally told her, every day would just be another failed effort at attempts to make up for past mistakes. Regardless, it was something that he shouldn't think about right now; that was an issue for another day.

"That rifle, we can get in some more practice before we leave Jackson... but I want you to hang on to it. Consider it my present to you." He spoke after they had finally both let go, eyeing off the rifle in her hand. He had already planned to give it to her one way or another depending on how the lesson went. She'd proven to be capable with it thus far, so it felt warranted to let her keep it.

**Art [Clementine]**

It wasn't the _biggest_ surprise that he'd let her keep it, but it was a pleasant one nonetheless. The thought of Lee giving her a real rifle of her own would've been pretty out there not even two years ago, and yet here they were... there _she_ was, holding that excessively large… _thing_ in her hands as if it wasn't the biggest deal ever.

"I'll be careful with it. Promise," she quickly responded, latching the rifle onto the straps in her backpack, though not without a bit of a hassle. It didn't slow her down as much as she expected it to, save for trying to climb anything, or just… sitting down. It'd get easier with time, Clementine figured. Getting to the Fireflies, with all the land they still had to cover… she didn't expect to have much of a choice on the matter.


	34. Make A Wish, IV

_7:31 PM_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A few hours after arriving back from what he would deem as a successful rifle lesson with Clementine, the day was finally beginning to die down. With the kids presumably upstairs keeping themselves occupied, Lee finally had some time to think to himself as he went to pack away some of the decorations he'd set up in the kitchen. _What a day…_ Besides Ellie acting up, today had gone just about as he had hoped. All the stress and running around planning this thing was all the more worth it in the end just to surprise Clementine. He was thankful to Joel and Ellie too, of course. He figured them being there made the surprise even _more_ special for Clem. He knew it must've been especially hard for Joel. _Maybe I oughta thank him when I get the chance,_ he thought as he gave a small sigh. Nevertheless, right now he was eager to get this kitchen cleaning done and then maybe have an early night's sleep for once. That sounded nice.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He had mulled over his next action for some time; if you considered sometime being half the day. The time he had taken to this venture, to this _thought_, was more than he should have. Attachment was difficult for him and now it was apt to happen. It was already happening. He couldn't do this anymore, he didn't want to _hurt_ anymore. Joel had been in the kitchen, wiping down the counters with a dirty rag when Lee walked in. He turned, facing Lee and blinking. "Oh... hey. I... I've got something to ask you."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Joel had presumably beat him to it, since the kitchen was looking pretty spotless more or less. He couldn't say he was necessarily expecting to see him down here given how he'd usually segregate himself for most of the days. It was a nice change for once, but from the first thing that came out of Joel's mouth, it was enough for Lee to get the notion that something may have been aloof. The Texan was never the type to ask questions, unless it was behind the barrel of a gun, so why was Lee getting the feeling that something was... _different_ this time?

"What's going on?" He greeted, but also asked with a tinge of curiosity in his voice, waiting to hear this _question._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The dirty rag was left in its spot on the counter as Joel turned to face Lee, crossing his arms in reassurance. Reassurance for himself, of course.

"My brother... I think he wants us to stay. He's been... withholding information from us... I..." He paused, looking down at the floor as his feet shuffled amongst the rotten tiles. A harsh huff of breath left his mouth, a sigh that only showcased his anxiety. "I..." He pursed his lips, looking away. "Me and you both know that I... I can't stay here. I've got a job to do. Besides that, I don't belong here." Joel stopped, holding a closed fist up to his mouth as he thought of the next thing to say. "And remember when I told you... I had a... _a kid?_" He did not continue. His mouth opened, hand accentuating his next statement well. "I need a, a _favor._ Please, I - I don't ask this l - lightly either. I..."

The next part was an attempt to be soft, yet broken by Joel's own questions, his own thoughts, his own emotions. Not something he should dwell on. Not anymore.

"When we find out where the Fireflies are... could _you_ take Ellie to them? I know her and Clementine are friends, and..." He trailed off, unable to continue.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

And just like that, Joel had bulldozed what was supposed to be a peaceful afternoon right out of the way. The Texan was coming at him with a lot here, more so than Lee thought he could handle. _He wants me to finish the job? Me?_ Lee had caught on that information was being withheld from Tommy, of course, although having actually enjoyed the facilities here he was in no rush to find out, unlike Joel. That's when he put two and two together… the whole reason of getting to Jackson in the first place, this whole time… It wasn't just to get the location of the Fireflies. It was Joel's plan to pass off Ellie to his brother, and he must've refused him… That would explain the weird behavior all week. So, who was Joel's second-best option here? _Yeah, of course it's me…_

"You can't seriously be asking me this right now?" Although he rebutted with a question of his own, there was no denying that this was all true. If he wouldn't be able to stop Joel from leaving… if it was what he really wanted, Lee wouldn't outright refuse him. But hell if he was going to make it that easy on him. All he could do was start to wonder how long this had been festering for, all that time the four of them had spent together on the road… Lee couldn't allow him to believe that was all fake, and just when he was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, they could all make it work... that it wouldn't fall apart… again. Part of him, deep down, understood where Joel was coming from, purely from the mention of his… kid. It still didn't make abandoning Ellie any less wrong. Joel cared, Lee knew he did. Which only made him angrier.

"Does she know...? What you're trying to do?" Lee's brow furrowed, looking at Joel in complete disdain.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel continued to stare at nothing in particular, wincing as he glared at his own feet, but then those same tired, angry stares came sweeping upwards and into Lee's own face. "Goddammit, Lee." He muttered, scowling for a second before his expression turned into one of... desperation, perhaps.

"She doesn't know. I don't... I didn't plan on telling her..." His mouth agape for a second, he looked off to the side and faltered. "Lee... I _need_ this, Lee." He held back tears, struggling to not cry as he begged Lee to do this for him... it wasn't a matter of what he wanted. He couldn't experience another little girl under his care, not again, never again would that happen.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie wasn't really sure what she was getting into when Clementine had suggested playing some board game she'd found stuffed into a closet in the living room of their home, with the words MONOPOLY marked in bold letters across the front of it. Though, one thing became distinctly clear after an hour had gone by, and that was that the baseball-capped girl had already managed to thoroughly kick her ass in it.

Ellie put up a valiant fight, though it hadn't been enough. She'd lost Boardwalk after landing on one of Clem's hotels, and was forced to mortgage the property in order to stay alive. It had only marked the beginning of her downfall.

And she fell _hard_.

Bankruptcy happened within ten minutes, and Clementine celebrated victoriously. Cursing under her breath, Ellie had only been able to smile and admit defeat, yet silently promised to herself that she'd win next time. Eventually she was going to win _something_ against Clem; the girl's luck had to run out sooner or later.

She'd excused herself shortly after the game ended, her stomach growling loud enough to be heard. By the time she reached the door to the kitchen, she stopped in her tracks, listening to Lee and Joel's voice from the other side.

"_When we find out where the Fireflies are… could you take Ellie to them? I know her and Ellie are friends, and..."_

"_You can't seriously be asking me this right now? …Does she know? What you're trying to do?"_

"_She doesn't know. I don't… I didn't plan on telling her..."_

_What…?_

The room felt like it was spinning around her, a sense of dizziness and nausea that washed over her suddenly and violently. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, shaking slightly as she found herself unable to grab it and push the door open.

When this journey began, back in Boston, she'd found herself wanting nothing more than to get out of Joel's care as soon as possible. He'd been an asshole from the very beginning, and sometimes, she found herself wishing that she _had_ stabbed him when he came through that door with Marlene. But, with time, he grew on her. For a short while, he was the only other person she had, after Marlene handed her off and Tess died. For a while, she thought-

She thought that, maybe, he actually gave a damn about her.

But... of course he didn't. He was a smuggler, hired to do a job. Why would he care about her? Why would he care about anything other than himself? She got Tess killed, and forced him on this journey across the country. All those moments they've spent together were simply part of the job for him, despite how Ellie had grown to look up to him.

And that's what hurt the most. That she actually thought that he was a good person, and actually wanted to be here, when he didn't. He never did.

Her hand retracted from the doorknob. She took a step back, then another. Three steps then turned into twenty steps, and she'd turned towards the front door, angrily ripping it open before slamming it closed behind her.

If he didn't want her around… then, well, fuck him.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"_Lee... I need this, Lee."_

Lee ran a hand down his face as he let out a groan of frustration, pressing his back up against the fridge as he averted his gaze elsewhere. The man always kept things so bottled up, and Lee was convinced it'd never come out… until now. At this point, it didn't really matter what Lee was going to say… Joel was leaving anyway.

"Doesn't look like I have much of a choice." He sighed out in defeat, his gaze shifting to his feet. Instead of finishing what they'd set out to do, Joel was trying to shift the responsibility onto him of all people? It was already a struggle keeping Clementine safe out on the road, the realization that he might have to add a second life to that was only now starting to sink in.

"If you're really going through with this…" Lee trailed off, realizing there really was no other choice here… he couldn't stop Joel, the man was as stubborn as a mule when it came to doing things a certain way. It was simply out of his hands now, Joel had given him no choice but to accept; if he refused… he'd only be trying to delay the inevitable. "Jesus..." he murmured out softly, before a brief moment of silence followed.

"I'll do it. On one condition." He locked eyes with the man opposite him. "You tell her what's going on before you leave, because like hell I'm gonna be the one to pick up the pieces when the kid reali-" He paused, his speech being cut off by what he swore was the sound of a door being slammed in the other room, averting his gaze in the direction of the noise, then warily back to Joel. Was someone listening?

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stared at Lee, waiting for any kind of mercy in the man. There was little for Joel, but it was there. He sighed in relief, the moment over as Lee said those three words he had been waiting for. _"I'll do it."_

He leaned against the counter, not even waiting for any good feeling to come to him. No relief, nothing of that manner were to really every come over him again. It was done, though, and that was all he could ask for. He didn't feel any better, but he didn't expect to. This wasn't a matter of what he wanted to do, this was a matter of what he had to do. He had always had trouble with letting go, and now was as good a time as any to do so.

He listened to Lee lecture him, expecting that as well. Lee was right of course, but if Joel would actually do it was up to him. "Who cares what the hell I tell her, she is the goddamn cure for-" The two's interpolating argument was cut off by the heavy door slam, shaking Joel to his very core. As Lee looked there and back at Joel again, the harsher of the two brushed past and towards the screen door, looking out to see nothing but the wind and the grass of Jackson. He let out a short breath, watching the screen door shut and open over and over again, stuck in the grasp of the breeze.

The gears in his mind started turning and he glanced up the stairs at the girl's bedroom. There was no sound. Normally the halls were filled with giggling or muffled speech, but now there was but an eerie silence.

"Goddammit." Joel swore, grabbing the revolver on the stand beside the door and stuffing it in his pants. "Lee, she's gone. She had to."

He had really fucked it this time.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"For god's sake... She can't have gone far." Lee's hands instantly went behind his head. _Nice one, Joel._ It was on the tip of his tongue, he almost said it. The sight of that screen door rattling back and forth enough to send a rush of panic down his spine. Things were spiraling downhill fast, unlike Clem, Lee just didn't know what to expect from that girl… what if she had something reckless in mind?

"Maybe... we can ask-" He muttered towards Joel, cutting himself off as he rushed to the stairs, calling upwards towards their room at the only person that must've last seen her. "Clem!"

**Art [Clementine]**

Between the agglomerate of _awesome_ things that day, the _awesomest_ one of all had been the fact that Clem's left eye had gotten significantly less swollen. The bruise was still there, and it was ugly, but it definitely didn't hurt as much. The same couldn't be said about the cuts in her cheek, painful stings that came and went when she least expected it, particularly when it came time to switch the bandages. During the minutes that followed since Ellie left, the girl had been checking herself in the mirror, poking the black eye as though that was meant to help it heal faster. She was so sick of looking like some freaky monster every morning…

"_Clem!_" Someone shouted from out of the blue, the urgency in the person's voice causing her shoulders to bounce up in surprise, and the girl to accidentally poke her own eye. _Ow, fuck!_

"C - Coming!" She yelled back, rushing downstairs as soon as that purple blob in her face stopped tearing up. Not that it was Lee's fault, but whatever it was, it'd better be important.

By the time she did reach him, Clementine knew something was off. Not only did Lee look a little shaken… he looked like he was trying to hide it. The girl tried not to make a fuss of it, asking the first thing that came to mind, given how late it was. "What? Is dinner ready?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Luckily, a response. Clementine came bounding over at the sound of his voice, which probably came off a tad more panicked than he'd intended. Joel was already packing his things to go after her, presumably for the possibility that she wasn't within the walls. "Listen, Ellie's just run off. Did she tell you where she was going?" It was a shot in the dark, but there was a slim chance she might've said something, anything to give them a lead on where she was headed.

**Art [Clementine]**

To say she was just _taken aback_ would've been wishful thinking. She thought… no, Clementine knew _for sure_ Ellie only went downstairs to grab some of the leftover cake, and that wasn't even... "W - What do you mean she 'ran off'?" The girl questioned with widened eyes, her heart pounding like crazy at the thought, getting more and more restless the longer she spent trying to reconstruct the whole thing in her head. They were playing that board game, and she left for just a sec, that was _it!_ There's no way she would- Why would Ellie…? "She was just here a minute ago."

Clem's head bounced left and right, eyes scanning around the house helplessly in search of her friend. Where the fuck was she?! Her brows furrowed in a fit of panic and the girl raised her voice, Lee's lack of response making her face turn pale. "Lee, she was just here!"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Shit." His hands went to his hips as he began to pace for a moment, looking at his feet as he tried to formulate some kind of approach. Nothing was working in his mind, so he guessed they'd just have to do this the old-fashioned way. He heard Joel curse behind him as Clementine delivered the news that confirmed what they'd thought, she must've been listening in. The other man was already making a beeline for the door leading out to the street, and they had to follow. "Alright c'mon, we need to help Joel find her."

* * *

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's breathing was in ragged, short breaths, only accentuating the pain in her legs from sprinting across the community. She'd been lucky so far, having managed to take streets devoid of other survivors that'd try to stop her. Not that she'd let them. She was getting out of here, one way or another.

Even if it was just for a minute to breathe.

The stables near the town square came into view as she turned onto the main thoroughfare, slowing down to a brisk walk. People milled about the square in packs, some heading for stores nearby to buy goods, while others seemed more interested in catching up with their neighbors while sitting on park benches. Ellie avoided their gazes, making her way through the plaza without moving her gaze away from the stables at the far end.

She let out a heavy breath when she finally made it, quickly searching the area to make sure no one was inside to stop her from stealing a horse. It seemed that whoever usually took care of them were gone for the moment. _Good._ She opened up the first pen she could find, taking in a deep breath as the horse met her gaze.

Its hair was a caramel brown, with streaks of white surrounding its muzzle and backside. It was the same horse that she rode here from the dam, a week ago. It looked towards her, letting out a panicked whinny at her sudden appearance. She slowly reached out for its muzzle, trying desperately to keep her voice calm and quiet.

"Hey boy… remember me?" The horse whinnied in response, though much calmer than before. Ellie took a single step forward, slowly closing the gap between them, before finally making contact with its coat. "I just need to go out for a ride, okay? Do you like the sound of that?" It let out a sound that sounded like a snort, and Ellie smiled. "Good. Alright, I'm just – gonna…" She quickly grabbed a saddle from where it sat in between the stalls, grunting from the exertion as she lifted it onto the horses back and fumbled with the mechanism to fasten it. "Alright, there we go. Now to just..." She grunted as she placed her foot into the stirrup, struggling to climb onto its back before finally settling in the saddle.

She gently urged it forward, out of the stall and onto the street beyond. No sudden cries reached her ears, so she hadn't been noticed yet.

It was a short gallop to the gate, Ellie squinting to make out the figures standing near it. The gate had been opened to allow a group of scavengers in, all eyes facing towards the group as they checked in with the guards at the gate. Ellie urged the horse into a full sprint, hooves clapping against the concrete loudly as she approached. By the time they noticed her, she was already seconds away from galloping past them.

An incredulous "hey!" followed her as she swerved past them and out the gate, following the path away from Jackson.


	35. Make A Wish, V

**Dot [Andrea]**

As expected, Eleanor's progress on the research for the cure wasn't going fast enough. Sooner or later, Joel was going to start asking questions, and Andrea hoped that Tommy was prepared for them. They couldn't let Ellie get into the Fireflies' hands, which meant keeping them here for as long as they could. They would have to tell them soon, though, about their intentions. Joel wasn't one to sit around, and had already proven to be impatient. Time would tell how that situation would develop, for better or for worse.

She found herself at the door to Tommy's office later in the evening, grabbing the doorknob before stopping suddenly, listening to hushed shouts on the other side of the door. She opened the it in a quick movement, and the shouting stopped almost immediately. Tommy was sitting at his desk, while Carl was leaning over it, hands placed onto the desk. They both turned their heads to look towards her in unison, and Andrea crossed her arms over her chest.

"What's going on here?"

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl had gone on his mission like a good scout, doing his best to find the books that the list wanted. It was only a little discouraging that he had never seen so many books in his life, and time had done its fair share against the fragile objects. With no idea how to find the subject, he had to drift through the rotting shelves until he found a title that mostly resembled what they asked for. Taking every book that looked to be in readable condition, he had to make the trek back home - The sun was already going down.

He dropped the books off at Tommy's office. Already in a bad mood, he asked Tommy if there was anything he should know about why they had to have them. When he got a_very _final no, he snapped and stomped his foot, shaking the brandy on the table out of its glass.

"I'm not some dumb little kid, Tommy! I've already been talking to the girls, and I've seen the bite, so don't lie to me." It didn't occur to him that he probably shouldn't give up that he knew, but people trying to keep him out of the loop was pissing him off, and it ended here.

Tommy stared at him blankly for a few seconds, his eyes passing between the spilled alcohol and Carl, before scowling at him without much more than a growl. Carl crossed his arms and shot back his own dirty look as he listened, "You _aren't _a dumb little kid, but you're acting like one. You go to school in the morning and scavenge on the weekends or otherwise, but stuff like this isn't your business!" Carl went to object, but Tommy talked over him. "It doesn't matter that you're Andrea's family, either. We would have told you when it was time."

Carl stepped up to the desk. _We're not just some pawns in your game. _"This is important! We should know what the stakes are. I mean, are you even _prepared _to make a cure?" Trying to keep Ellie away from scientists who knew what to do didn't seem like the best plan..

Tommy faltered. "We're figuring it out. It's a process. No one has considered this to be a possibility. We're stumbling in the dark right now, but that won't be the case later." It sounded like a lot of guesswork and luck to Carl, and it wasn't a sound strategy.

"What about the Fireflies? Finding a cure is their whole cause." The solution was quite easy, but for some reason, he just didn't see it. Whether or not Tommy understood, Carl wasn't ready for what happened next.

A dark shadow passed over Tommy's weathered face, and he stood up. "I don't know what those girls have been filling your head with, but the Fireflies are _not _who you think they are." Raising his voice, he leaned over the desk and pointed a finger at Carl, and the boy took an anxious step back. "You even suggestin' that you know otherwise just shows me that you really _are _just some dumb kid!" With that, he sat heavily back down into his seat. There was a very pregnant pause.

Carl thought hard on what to do next. Tommy wasn't the kind of guy to try to intimidate in an argument, so he probably wasn't just spewing angry bullshit. But unless he gave a real reason as to why the Fireflies weren't the only option, he'd just have to come back for Andrea once the cure was made. _If it's so damn important that they stay out of it, then tell me why! _Stomping forward again, slamming his hands down on the desk. "Then tell me! You can't keep acting like this isn't something that involves more people than you and-" As if on queue, the door swung open.

Andrea stood there, the customary 'suspicious mother' look in her eyes. As she spoke over their silence, Carl yanked his hands off of the desk as if it were a hot pan and froze with his arms at his sides, trying to think of what to say. _How long has she been listening? Will she tell me anything? _Before he could get it out, Tommy beat him to it.

"Andrea, you need to keep your dog on a leash!" He snapped, jumping back to his feet. It was everything Carl could do to not turn and bite Tommy's head off right then.

**Dot [Andrea]**

She didn't know what she was expecting when she walked into the room. It was extremely clear that whatever conversation she missed had been a heated one, only accentuated by the fact that Tommy just referred to Carl as a 'dog'. Her frown deepened, and she sent Tommy a disapproving glare. She'd talk some sense into him later, right now she had more pressing issues to contend with.

"I don't know what the hell happened here, but you two need to work this out," she started, taking another step into the room before closing the door behind her. She turned her attention to Carl, who seemed just as pissed off at Tommy as he was at him. She couldn't read his facial expression well enough to determine what the conversation might've been about, but she was sure they'd fill her in one way or another.

"Tell me what happened." The question was directed towards Carl, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She'd never seen the two fight like this, at least not in front of her, and there had to be a good reason why.

For a brief moment, she considered the possibility that it had something to do with Ellie or Clementine, but she chose not to make assumptions just yet.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl stood between two choices: he could civilly explain why he was here to Andrea, or - and here was the tempting one - he could land Tommy in the shitter with Andrea and get what he wants later. Shooting Tommy a glare, he began with malicious intent, "I was getting back from today's trip, and I decided to drop the books off here. When I got here, Tommy…" Hesitating, he stopped. Tommy _was _just doing his job: protecting people from things they don't understand. _But, he called me a rat. _He could do this or do that, but there's always a _but…_

With a resigned sigh, he continued. "I asked Tommy what the books were for, and he wouldn't tell me, so I got mad." Somehow, he managed not to flinch under her scrutinizing gaze. "I'm sick of you not telling me that important stuff is going on! I already got the story out of the girls, but why are you two so sketched out?" Carl was sure that the community would support Tommy if he just explained what was going on and why he was keeping her, they'd listen - he was already such a popular leader.

Even if said 'Popular Leader' was _obviously _making an effort not to interrupt the conversation again.

**Dot [Andrea]**

So Carl knew about the immunity. She instinctively gulped, glancing towards Tommy for a fraction of a second before meeting Carl's gaze. A part of her realized that she should've told him earlier, that maybe he'd have some valuable insight that they hadn't even considered yet, but none of that had come to her in time. Instead, he managed to get the information on his own, and it seemed that these kids were _really _bad about keeping a secret.

_I guess they __**are**__teenagers, after all._

To Carl's question, she simply let out a breath, collecting her thoughts for a moment before speaking in a calm tone. "This is big. Obviously. The very idea of a cure is enough to make people go mad. We're doing this for _her _safety. The only people who know are those that need to, until we know _for sure _that we can make the cure from her." She paused, letting her words sink in. "And I'm guessing they told you about how they're looking for the Fireflies, too?"

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl's brain was turning gears as he wondered if he should give up everything he knew. Of course, Tommy saw his hesitation as an opportunity. "Of course he knows; he isn't_stupid. _Anyone would want to go to the Fireflies with a cure. But he should understand that he can't just stomp in here and argue about things that he has nothing to do with!"

Shooting Tommy a glare, the boy turned back towards Andrea. "You can't really think that keeping her _away _from the scientists and guns that the Fireflies have will keep her safe?" There was a heavy silence, and he began to grow impatient. "This place is a card house!" He exclaimed, waving his hand in the air. If Carl knew anything about this world, it was that little guys like Tommy running little places like this don't compare to the weight some other communities can throw around. "Not even two-hundred people strong," he scoffed. "What if the Whisperers come back, and Ellie doesn't make it? Or the Saviors track us down? Will your _dam _keep them out?!" Panting, he rumbled to a stop. Unbeknownst to him, he'd been shouting again. He slowly made his way to the front of the room, next to the door. If they didn't see reason now, he didn't see why he should stay any longer. "What kind of bat-shit world am I living in right now?"

**Dot [Andrea]**

They'd gone back to fighting in an instant, leaving Andrea to sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose, clenching her eyes shut. When she opened them again, Carl was shouting and Tommy seemed ready to lift himself out of his seat to quiet the boy. She wouldn't admit it aloud that Carl had a point, as he usually did, but this argument had to stop. They could deal with the immunity situation later, after they've had a minute to catch their breath and think things through.

Finally, her attention snapped to Carl, her words bouncing off of the walls of the office. "**ENOUGH!**"

Both sets of eyes focused on her, and she struggled to maintain her composure as she focused on Tommy. "You're supposed to be the goddamned adult here, Tommy, so act like it." Her gaze shifted to Carl in an instant, not allowing for a single rebuttal to come from either of them. "And you need to _trust _us. There's no telling **what** the Fireflies would do if they got the cure first. I'm not saying that you don't have a point, but we have to be _careful _about this. We need time to think this through. All of us."

She took in a deep breath, anticipating Carl to snap something back at her. All she could do was prepare herself for it.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

There was something in Andrea's words that made him falter. Carl was _so sure _that Ellie needed to to go the Fireflies, but what if he really was wrong? He had always trusted that Tommy knew them better than he did. Why would anything chance? All he was able to muster up was a sigh when he realized that, in retrospect, he was acting like a child.

Suddenly, the room felt much hotter. Crossing his arms, he met their eyes fleetingly as he spoke. "Then let's all get to thinking. We can't afford to drag our feet, here." There was a silence in the room, but it was better than more yelling. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over and no progress had been made.

Turning, he exited the room into the cool night and clicked the door shut behind him. Since these strangers had showed up, things had been a shitshow. _What makes me so special that I have to deal with it? _A girl who is immune… what on Earth was anyone to do, in an age when all hope is lost? Carl kicked a pebble down the road, the only thing he was sure of was that he wasn't sure. At least it was cloudless and peaceful, and the farther he walked, the better he felt. But, as he neared closer to the entrance of the community, the quiet of the night was interrupted by a much more sinister sound.

People were yelling.

Instinctively, he broke into a run, all of the worst - and most likely - scenarios coming to mind: the gate open, a flood of walkers or worse already eating the first line of defenders. Turning the corner onto the main road, he smacked into Eddie and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Carl was up on his feet again in an instant, but Eddie was quicker to stop him from going onwards. "Carl, stop!" Turning his attention to the older man, he wasn't even given a chance to speak. "Go get Tommy; Ellie stole a horse and ran away!"

Only taking a second to question this action, he was running full speed back in the other direction.

* * *

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel's eyes darted back and forth, searching for any sign of the red haired girl before him. He had really fucked up, he had _fucked _this and it was all because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Now the cure for mankind was out there somewhere, with strangers or monsters or some other horrific abomination that even he had yet to find and was getting ripped apart by it and-

Joel turned around, eyeing Lee and Clementine approaching steadfastly. It clicked for him, then; the girl had loved those stables. She had loved those horses, she had loved to ride them, as evidenced by her chatting up a storm about it all the time and speaking with Andrea so much. "The stables, do you think that's where she went?!" Joel called out to the two approaching.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

With every passing second the sense of urgency was rising, threatening to boil over completely if they didn't find her soon. Joel sparked the topic up, but if Lee hadn't indulged him on it maybe the kid wouldn't have heard it. _Goddamn you, Joel._

There wasn't any time to think about that, he had Clementine freaking out on one side of his ear, and Joel on the other. The unsettled gaze the usually calm and collected man shot towards him as he called out further signalled his guilt. Like it or not, Joel wasn't going to be slipping out of this one now like he'd planned; he was gonna find her and explain this one way or another, there was any other choice now.

"Sounds like a place to start, we should ask anyone that's still up and about. Maybe some of the guards or-"

**Dot [Andrea]**

Things spiraled out of control the instant she found Tommy and Carl arguing about Ellie and the cure. When Carl returned with news that Ellie had rode out the front gate on horseback, Andrea immediately sprung into action, leaving Carl and Tommy behind in his office. By the time she made it to the streets, heading towards the stable nearby, her gaze zeroed in on Joel, Lee, and Clementine. The urgency in their movements suggested that they were just as uneasy as she was. She approached them quickly, getting close enough to catch pieces of their conversation.

Without stopping, she ushered them towards the stables, her voice terse. "Anyone gonna tell me why Ellie just stormed out of our front gate on horseback?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem kept up with the two adults to the very best of her ability, heavy breaths accompanied by drops of cold sweat running down the edge of her nose. Trying to grasp the situation was the hardest part, during the few instants she even had the chance to. It didn't make a lick of sense. Couldn't have been something she said, right...? And it wasn't the fucking board game either. Something happened, something that made Ellie upset or just really angry...

"_I'm not gonna tell Tommy, okay…?"_

She couldn't stop thinking about it. The signs were all there, and she did nothing about it. Had she just… told somebody, literally _anyone _what happened that morning, maybe then—

Clementine would've dwelled on the fact for the rest of eternity were it not for everything else going on. Something about… Ellie storming out on a horse. It was hard to keep track of every conversation going on, but that one stood out the most, even when drowned out by all the commotion said incident caused. The prospect had her panicking again, the girl's heart damn near bursting out of her chest whenever it pulsed. Of course, she had no idea what to tell Andrea, staring at her with a pair of anxious eyes that quickly shifted towards Joel and Lee.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel sprung forward, stress and anger glazing his eyes over. He saw Andrea and as she mentioned the horses, Joel's eyes gleamed with recognition. "I'll tell you later, we need to go right goddamn now." He stormed past Andrea and started a mad dash for the horses, not caring who was following him.

It consumed him; the girl was out there, Ellie was out there, the cure was out there, and if she was out there, then his entire journey had meant _nothing. _Tess's death was for nothing; it was all for nothing; all of those people he killed were for _nothing. _And he couldn't bear it. He couldn't bear to lose again.

He reached the stables soon enough, clambering onto one of the horses and looking for the other three, hoping somewhat that they had followed him. Regardless if they did or not, he readied the reins of the horse and spurred it forward.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Getting reprimanded again was among the first of thoughts Lee expected to hear from Andrea based off precedent alone. However, as the woman spoke, he found himself glad that she had. Now they had a beat of where Ellie was off to, at least. It still didn't change the fact that she'd practically rode off past the guards; if she was _that _angry, he hoped she wouldn't do something even more reckless out there. This is what always happened when things were left… unspoken. He supposed this had been boiling up between the smuggler and the girl for a while now, those two could be equally as stubborn sometimes…

Joel was off without a second word, barreling past Andrea, obviously not intending on being stopped as he beelined for the horses. Lee stood firm as he mulled over his options for a moment. There was no way he'd just sit on his hands here after _their _argument caused this. No way.

"C'mon." He gestured over to the horses. He was going to help find her and there was no way Clem was staying behind. It'd be an uphill battle if he even suggested that, one that they didn't have time for right now. As the duo approached, a hand ran through Lee's hair as he stared at all the horses, flustered. The problem was he couldn't ride a horse if his life depended on it, as he was. Back in FEDRA they never encouraged going outside the walls, so there was no need, and he hadn't had the luxury of ever getting a hold of one out on the road. He looked towards Clementine beside him, wary.

"I - didn't take the lesson yet." She knew that already, they were going to have to think up on the fly here.

**Art [Clementine]**

With Lee gesturing her over, Clementine didn't waste a second, following him toward the stables. Joel was the first to take off, riding past the gate like a speeding bullet, with Andrea following closely behind. The stable itself looked just as crummy as ever, the horses in there all neighing loudly, probably just as confused as they were. Whiskers was still there, in that row of horses, much to the girl's surprise and genuine glee. He looked tired, probably more so than the rest, but not one bit less agitated, smashing his hooves against the ground nonstop. Regardless, Clem found herself gravitating towards the horse she used for practice at first glance, dragging him away from his stall by his reigns. "Sshhh…! C'mon, boy," the girl pleaded in a whisper when faced with the animal's fierce resistance, his long mane swinging left and right.

What Lee pointed out _after _did get her to stop in her tracks, a frown sneaking into her expression. Not that they had any in the first place, but even if she _did _have the time to think of anything else, there really wasn't any other way. Clementine mounted the horse as quickly as she could, firmly holding the reigns before shooting a fierce look at Lee. "Hop on!"


	36. Afraid, I

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

A tinge of orange managed to push through the top of the mountains, the valley around them shrouded in shadows as the sun was well within its descent. Joel and Andrea remained at the front as they searched for Ellie's tracks in the mud. Clementine and Lee trailed behind, the younger girl slowly trying to teach him how to navigate the reigns as they went along.

Things were relatively quiet on the search, unless it involved following more tracks. When Andrea started to question Joel on the topic of Ellie, he simply grumbled and avoided giving direct answers. Things had been looking okay for the Pittsburgh survivors, however all the the quiet and relaxed life had seemed to do was facilitate towards the release of all this bottled up tension that had been festering for months now.

It wasn't long before the tracks led them to a small, worn-down structure.

'HIDDEN PINES CORRAL'

Andrea pointed out a sign, it was apparent that the place used to be a ranch, but now time had taken its toll, leaving nothing behind but an empty shell of its former self. Lo and behold, the same horse that had been missing from Jackson was outside the small house, tied to one of the wooden piers, no rider to be seen. However, it was obvious that this place was where Ellie had decided to hole up, somewhere inside. The four finally stopped outside the ranch, dismounting their horses.

**Dot [Andrea]**

The lone ranch was nestled in a valley between the two largest mountains in Jackson, leaving the area in near-darkness by the time they finally followed the horse tracks to the home. Andrea dismounted her horse quickly, tying the reins around the same wooden piers their missing horse had been. She turned towards Joel as they ascended the steps onto the porch.

She still didn't know what was going on here, and Joel seemed to want to avoid the subject during the ride over. Nevertheless, whatever was going on, it was probably between the girl and Joel. Sighing, she leaned against the wall next to the door.

"We'll give you two some privacy to work things out." Her eyes briefly wavered towards Clementine and Lee, who had joined them on the porch, before returning to Joel, expression turning serious. "This area's outside our patrol zone. Don't be too long."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked at Andrea, sighing with disappointment. Ellie pulling one of these stunts was absurd to him. She had never run off before, had never even dreamed about it as far as he had known. He figured she would have liked to stay with Lee and Clementine; they were good company, after all. Hell, they had been with her for almost as long as he had been. "I won't be." He spoke, relieving her of her orders as he stepped into the house.

"Ellie? _Ellie _?" He called, his deep voice carrying across the lobby. "Goddammit, Ellie."

The rooms on the bottom floor were empty. The revolver in Joel's hand felt hot. He didn't hear anybody else here and he doubted that there were any others here... other than Ellie. As such, he stuffed the revolver into his back pocket and climbed up the stairs. A door sat at the end of the hall on the second floor, light slashing his face in half with its vibrance.

He opened it; a rush of just about everything flying through his head. Guilt, anger, pity, fear... she was in there, of course. His expression tightented, bleakened, grew _coarser _. "Get up. We're leaving." He said, annoyed but... careful, almost.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Anger had quickly devolved into indifference, an uncomfortable feeling that resided in her gut, almost weighing her down. She'd sat herself down on a couch nestled between two walls next to the bedroom window, a large candle burning on a table nearby to illuminate the room. She hadn't been there for long, but she found herself reading through a diary that had been left on the bedside table, entries going back as far as 2008.

The girl who lived here had lived a life Ellie couldn't fathom. She wondered where she was today, if she was even alive. That thought floated in her head for a while as the sound of Joel's voice emanated from outside the room, until finally the man appeared in the doorway. That weight in her stomach only grew heavier, yet she kept her tone distant and flat as she merely glanced towards him out of the corner of her eye.

"Is this really all they had to worry about?" Joel's eyes turned towards her. "Boys? Movies? Deciding which shirt goes with which skirt?" She sighed, flipping the page. "It's bizarre."

Of course Joel's answer was to avoid the subject entirely, telling her to get up. She ground her teeth, shaking her head, before closing the book, letting her feet fall to the floor as she leaned forward on the couch. "And if I say no?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel clenched his teeth, anger swathing in his eyes. His flannel stretched as his hands flew up in the air, expression one of disbelief; annoyance. "Do you even know what your life means? Huh?" He paused, taking a step towards her. "Running off like that, puttin' yourself at risk? It's pretty goddamn stupid."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Anger swelled in Ellie as she bit back a slew of retorts she wanted to hurl his way. He wanted to dump her off on someone else. It didn't matter that it was Lee, despite everything that they've been through with him and Clementine. Joel had been there since the start. Since the day Marlene hired him and Tess to take her to the Capitol Building in Boston, to Tess dying, to fighting their way through Bill's town to get a working car, to running into Lee and Clem in Pittsburgh. She thought that maybe… _maybe_they'd stick together, after they found the Fireflies, that maybe she wouldn't lose someone else she cared about. But, of course, that was nothing but a fucking dream.

She didn't move from her spot, the anger fueling her words as she spoke lowly. "Well, I guess we're _both _disappointed with each other, then."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

His reaction was almost instantaneous. He approached her, arms held to his sides defensively, as if he were asking a question. And a question he did ask. "What do you want from me?" He bit, sneering as he approached the girl with the hard steps of his boots slapping the ground.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Anger met anger in what would've easily been a clash of two swords, and Ellie's voice grew louder, harsher. "Admit that you wanted to get rid of me the _whole _time!"

This whole fucking thing felt unfair, that what _she _wanted never even occurred to Joel, and probably never would. She came here to just… _get away _from it all, to have a moment to think, and now all she wanted to do was yell at him, to just tell him to fuck off like Riley did to her, and never see him again. She didn't want that to happen, but clearly Joel wasn't going to stick around anyway.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel stopped in his tracks, head drawing back. Excuses, excuses, they flooded to his mind in a desperate attempt to claw at any kind of meaning, any kind of verbal protection at a time like this. His voice faltered, and he fell to an age old adage. "Lee and Clementine are better equipped to deal-"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Agh, fuck that-" Ellie pushed herself off of the couch, a wave of emotion choking the rest of her words, and causing her to rub at her eyes as she turned away from Joel. Of course he was _still _going on about how she was better off with Lee and Clem, and the very thought of listening to it was enough for her to want to punch a wall. Instead, she clenched her eyes shut, holding back tears she didn't want to shed.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel threw his hands up in frustration. She just couldn't _get it. _She would never be able to get it, would she? Joel looked at the girl as she lifted off of the couch, glaring. "Well, I'm sorry, I trust them better than I trust myself!" His hands lowered to his sides, palms open.

**Dot [Ellie]**

His voice was starting to grate on her nerves. As soon as the words left his mouth, she turned towards him, returning his glare. "Stop with the bullshit." She snapped, taking in a deep breath. "What are you so afraid of? That I'm gonna end up like Tess?" Under normal circumstances, mentioning the name out loud would've been something she'd avoid at any cost, yet she wouldn't back down, not this time.

"I can't get infected," she shouted, emphasizing each word. "I can take care of myself!"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

_Her _name only made him more bitter. His head snapped to attention, hand accentuating each word. Why did she have to bring up Tess? How personal did she need to go? She knew this hurt him and he knew this hurt her; why couldn't the two of them just come to a goddamned standstill?! This was how things had to be, him without her and her without him, otherwise the fate of mankind was going to be hung from a rope.

"How many close calls have we had?!" He yelled, raising his voice again in the argument.

**Dot [Ellie]**

What did that even matter? For most of their journey, it'd been spent alongside Clementine and Lee. How did he fucking expect her to take him seriously when his excuses were nothing but that, pointless things that he thought would justify him abandoning her? Well, fuck that.

"Well," she started bitterly, throwing her hands out in exasperation, "we seem to be doing alright so far."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

His voice raised especially for his last moment, an arm extending to his side, index finger aimed at the door. "And now you'll be doing even better with _Lee _!" Joel nearly screamed, furious and frustrated with this whole ordeal. He was nearly done with this conversation; he had made his choice.

**Dot [Ellie]**

His words _nearly _echoed in the room, and he turned away from her with an angry sigh. As his gaze turned away from her, Ellie closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Mentally cursing herself, she took a step forward, though Joel's gaze was still towards the door. She bit her lip, for just a moment reconsidering the words that were about to come out of her mouth. In the end, she said them anyway.

"I'm… not her, you know."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Before Joel could turn around, she said it. Of course she had to bring _that _up. He winced as he turned around, looking over her. He asked the question, but he knew who she meant as he said it. "What?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

She hesitated for a second, hands twitching as she tried to muster the courage to keep going. "Andrea told me about Sarah." She continued, voice cracking slightly as she struggled to maintain control of it. "And I-"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Ellie." He interrupted her before she could continue, eyes gleaming, tears welling up in them. His hand extended as his voice cracked, gruff. "You are treading, on some_mighty _thin ice here." She had to go there, _didn't _she?

**Dot [Ellie]**

His threat would go unheeded, anger once again swelling within her. Her tone shifted from soft and apologetic to harsh and bitter in a heartbeat. "I'm sorry about your daughter, Joel, but _I _have lost people too."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

His reaction was instantaneous. Angered and bleak, his tone turned for the worse, eyes squinting in their collective rage. "You have no idea what loss is." Accusatory, almost.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She stared at him incredulously. She almost wanted to punch him. How could he say that? How many times had this world taken everything from her? From everyone?

"Everyone I have cared for has either _died _, or left me." She took several steps towards him, tears welling in her eyes. "Everyone..." She pushed him, though he barely budged, " _fucking _except for you."

She didn't give him a chance to reply, pointing towards the door as her voice cracked, nearly falling apart completely. She didn't even stop to breathe. "So don't tell me that I would be safer with someone else - because the _truth _is I would just be more scared."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel backed up as she pushed him, watching the girl. A number of things flooded through his mind; but as he had said before, he had already made his choice. "You're right..." He started, his voice as low as a whisper at this point. "You're not my daughter." He stood stern before her, not budging in his moves. "And I sure as hell ain't your dad." His head shifted forward, down, if only slightly. "And we are going our separate ways."

He had already made his choice a long time ago.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She was hoping that would've been enough to get him to change his mind. In some small part of her brain, she thought it'd actually work. Instead, his words hit her like a pile of bricks, and she averted her gaze to the floor. What was she supposed to say to that? Fists clenched, then unclenched, then clenched again, breathing in and out slowly. Words hung on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't have the courage to say them. Instead, she gave Joel one final glare, then turned towards the door, almost stomping.

She threw the next two words over her shoulder, her voice dejected and resigned. "Fuck you."

She tried to get him to stay, and she failed. She wasn't going to try again.

Before Joel could reply, she slammed the door behind her, leaving him inside the bedroom as she headed downstairs.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He didn't say a word. He just stood there, frothing and seething in his own tempered rage. Joel tampered with his shirt, turning around and looking at the door for a second. He was tired of this. Tired of all of this. But it was going to be over soon, at least. Ellie's words had hurt him, they had affected him, and a million things were running through his mind now.

He just needed to get Ellie with Lee and Clem now, then everything would go much, much better. He hoped. He opened the door after a few moments, heading downstairs as well.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea couldn't help but wince at the noise of angry shouts coming from the second floor. After Lee filled her in on what was going on, she found herself unable to sympathize with Joel's predicament. What did he expect when he was offloading Ellie onto someone else?

Nevertheless, she didn't say anything about it, instead focusing herself on searching the house for any supplies that were worth taking. Being beyond their patrol zone, this place has mostly been left untouched, and she stuffed anything useful she managed to find into her backpack.

Lee had also attempted to bring up the Fireflies again, not to her surprise. She knew it had been coming the moment he explained what was going on with Ellie and Joel, and she tried to brush him off, though he'd remained persistent. In the end, she told him that they'd talk about it once they returned to Jackson. After her last conversation with Tommy and Carl, she was starting to think that she needed to rethink her strategy. Eventually.

Feet stomping echoed through the open rooms downstairs, and Andrea made her way back to the front of the house, finding Ellie coming down the stairs two steps at a time. Once her eyes had found Andrea, she stopped for only a moment, then continued towards the front door, and where Clementine and Lee waited outside.

By the time she finished zipping her backpack up, Ellie had disappeared outside, and Joel was coming down the stairs. She approached him, keeping her gaze focused on the front door as she leaned against the railing running along the stairs. Eyes bounced between the door and Joel before she finally opened her mouth. "You two sort everything out?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

As he opened the door, vibrant light shot out and tore through his reckoned eyes. The venture inside the ranch house had taken its toll on him, the words exchanged between the two parties being something he was sure to think about a lot more. But that was how he got by now, by _not _thinking about it. So he didn't, he tried his best because he didn't _want _to think about it. And it had worked before, back with Tess, because she had the same goddamn line of thinking and...

Ellie didn't have to bring them up. Sarah and Tess. He was still bitter over it, but he supposed he understood her reasoning behind it, even if he grew angry over it the more it festered. So, he let it go and so it was gone.

It was unfortunate then, that Andrea had to bring it back up.

Joel stopped in his tracks, looking over at the woman as she leaned up against the railing. "I guess we did." He turned to her; it was obvious that wasn't the only question she had for him.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea's eyes instinctively narrowed at Joel's statement, at how casual it had sounded. It didn't take a genius to figure out that whatever happened up there, it didn't end with them deciding to stick together. She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Can I tell you something?"

Joel's expression was unreadable, as it usually seemed to be, but he nodded nonetheless.

"This notion you've got in your head, that you're better off getting away from her… it's bullshit.." She spoke evenly, calmly, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with the larger man in front of her. Whatever respect she had gained for him was already dwindling, and would completely disappear if he went through with this. Ellie deserved better. "It's your decision, obviously," she continued, sighing. "Just… I hope you know what you're doing."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel opened his mouth as if to say something, before shutting it to give himself a little more thought. He didn't care what others thought of him. He hadn't got this far caring about others trying to guilt trip him into what was morally correct. This was a dirty job and he had never said it wasn't. He had never said he would stay with the girl either. Twangs of doubt had infiltrated his mind, of course, as they always did, but the decision was final.

"I'm better off getting away from her and she's better off getting away from me. That's it." He walked past her, down the steps of the porch, before reaching his horse, hoisting up on it and spurring it away from the ranch.

That was it, then. That was _it._

* * *

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine pressured her legs and tapped the horse with her heels, urging him to trot faster. They'd been searching for almost half an hour, by then. The long-winded silences making the girl grip the horse's reigns harder and harder. The both of them, her and Lee, ended up lagging behind Joel and Andrea, not only due to Clem's lack of experience, but also because Whiskers was galloping for two. Clem made it work the best she could, checking for anything the duo leading them might've missed, her eyes constantly scanning the bushes and trees. As the sun began to descend past a comfortable point, a sense of terror began to set in once more. If they couldn't find Ellie before nightfall... just thinking about it had the girl shaking in her boots. The best they could hope for were the horse tracks popping up every few minutes, the ones that were gradually becoming harder to see the darker it got.

Thankfully, those would eventually lead them somewhere, for as long as it might've taken.

An old ranch. Clementine sighed through her nose as the adults slowed down to a halt, Whiskers following suit at her command. The horse was there… _a _horse, anyway, but Andrea sounded pretty sure it was Ellie's. One at a time, they dismounted their horses; Joel, Andrea, and Lee. Everyone except for her, who did so last, apprehensive to an undeniable degree. There was nothing she would've wanted more than to go inside and talk to her, but circumstances dictated otherwise, Lee placing a hand on her shoulder and insisting she let Joel handle it. She didn't really know why, and she didn't ask either. Whatever the case, Clem already had her shot at trying to knock some sense into Ellie… _So much good that did._

… And so they waited, not long enough for it to be _worrying _, but enough so to get Clementine all fidgety. The girl sat on the porch, her two arms rested on her knees, powerless to do much of anything. Lee was talking to Andrea… in fact, they talked for a while. It was so strange, that entire thing, from the moment Lee called her downstairs less than an hour ago. Something was going on…

Shortly after Andrea headed in, Ellie stormed out, every step she made echoing in Clem's ears. Looking at her, right then, well… Clementine had plenty to say. She had more than a dozen minutes to _think _about just that, while searching for that dumbass on horseback.

Yet for some reason, she genuinely didn't know what to say to her. Maybe there was nothing she _could _say that Ellie didn't know already. From the moment Clem averted her gaze, ripping it away from the girl she was so desperately looking for… she figured the message was pretty fucking clear.

**Dot [Ellie]**

It was almost like a weight had been lifted off Ellie's shoulders as she stepped outside, though that feeling would only last so long, long enough for her to notice that Lee and Clementine were standing nearby, looking back towards her. She averted her gaze, face returning to the 'pissed off bitch' facade she'd already began to perfect, and stepped past them without a word.

She approached her horse, untying the reins from the wooden pier, and climbed into the saddle. She softly ran her hand through the horse's hair, keeping it calm as they waited for Joel and the others to join them. The sooner they were out of here, the better. At least she'd be able to put some distance between her and Joel once they were back.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As Ellie stormed down the stairs and made a beeline for the horse, Andrea saw fit to have a word with Joel inside. Lee slanted up against the wooden pier of the porch, gun in hand as he kept a lookout, head swung low in thought whilst his foot rhythmically tapped away at the ground in frustration. The look on the immune girl's face said it all; it was done and dusted between her and Joel. Nothing he could do about it now. It was best to just leave her alone… then, sometime later, they'd have to talk it out, or form some kind of plan... provided they finally _did _decide to give them that location. He was hoping that Andrea would sympathize with him on that, but it was obvious she had some sort of obligation to Tommy for his approval on that matter.

This was all so overwhelming for one day, from Joel admitting his planned departure to realizing that he now had another to take care of for the rest of the journey. He felt like Joel was giving him more trust than he deserved, granted probably because he was so desperate to leave, but that didn't mean Lee wasn't without his doubts on this whole Firefly thing either. Now wasn't the time for this.

It was already hard enough to keep Clementine from going inside when they got here, and he wasn't looking forward to explaining the predicament they were in now either. Better late than never. He slowly made his way towards Clementine's side, taking his seat next to her on the porch. The man didn't say anything at first, mostly because he was still thinking about how to approach this. He kept his eyes forward, towards the treeline, half his attention directed to keeping a lookout as he spoke, his voice low. He figured it would be enough for Clementine to put two and two together as to why the whole day suddenly went to shit.

"Joel's leaving."

**Art [Clementine]**

Part of her always expected to hear it. Sooner rather than later, admittedly, though the news came to reach her ears nonetheless. Clementine didn't _want _it to, and still, finding out about Joel's departure did make her upset. A fact the girl hid well, with the exception of the somber sigh that escaped her.

_Why, _was the first thought to cross her mind. Why now?

… and Ellie?

_Yeah, _Clementine supposed it made sense, that whole… well, _thing. _After Lee explained what was going on, everything else clicked fairly quickly. It didn't make her any less mad, but she did understand it. If something like that happened to her, it wouldn't be that great of a stretch to see herself wanting to run away too. Joel couldn't have picked a worse time to ditch the three of them.

Lee kept his eyes locked on her, a warm gaze she chose not to return. What the hell was she supposed to say to that? It hardly helped that she was the last to find out. Everything felt so backwards... like reality itself was crumbling under her feet and everything in it decided to stop making sense all at once. One thing _was _made pretty clear, though. Joel _didn't _care and he never did. He could go back to Boston or go straight to hell. She didn't care either way. Clem shook her head in a vain attempt to clear her mind, tired eyes that barely had the strength to look angry anymore facing the one beside her.

"Where is he?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Inside. Andrea's having a word." Lee shot a glance over his shoulder, as if expecting to get interrupted at any moment, before turning back around to face Clem, sighing out as he ran a hand down his face. He felt like he'd been effectively sapped of all his energy, all this drama... he was just _done _with it. Things felt like they were going okay for that week, so why did everything have to get so complicated all of a sudden? "Listen, he wants us to take her the rest of the way..."

**Art [Clementine]**

"Of course he does…" Clementine retorted in a grumble, clenching her eyes shut. It wasn't fair. Not for Lee or for Ellie. Was that really it? After _everything…? _If Joel really wanted to leave, then... so be it. They were gonna find the Fireflies one way or the other.

The girl very abruptly rose to her feet, hands drifting to her jacket pockets. _I'm so sick of this. _The more her boots crushed the humid grass under them the farther she got from Lee and the ranch, the coldness in her eyes like that of a feral hound. Clem needed a minute alone to cool her head off.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie fidgeted in her spot on the horse, keeping her eyes away from Lee and Clementine as they talked nearby. A small part of her was grateful to Clementine, that familiar tone of anger that often settled in Clementine's voice returning as Lee explained the situation. Ellie lifted her gaze only as the girl began to walk away, heading for the outer perimeter of the ranch, though the girl didn't return it. She didn't really blame her.

Attention directing back towards Lee, she shifted in the saddle, petting the side of the horse's neck to keep him calm. A sense of restlessness was washing over her, only accentuated by the fact she was wringing her hands together nervously. She briefly let her gaze settle on Lee. Despite how fucking pissed off she was at Joel, at least Lee wasn't abandoning her, so she couldn't say the same for _him _. After last time, he'd have been the one she expected.

Guess she knew who to trust now.


	37. Afraid, II

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

After having found what they were looking for, the survivors finally began to depart the ranch on horseback. With the new arrangements set in motion, Andrea led the front as they headed back towards Jackson. The tranquil sounds of the wind and leaves almost daunting as it accompanied the dead silence.

Something had changed.

No one spoke on the whole ride back, not even one word. The unspoken alliance had been effectively shattered into tiny pieces, perhaps it was always meant to happen sooner or later, perhaps not. Although, it was clear that today's events had been a rollercoaster of emotions for everyone, having clearly taken its toll on the Pittsburgh survivors.

It wasn't long before the three horses approached a clearing in the trees, slowly stopping on top of a hill that overlooked the entire Jackson community from a distance. The town was in good view, boasting its electricity that had been operational since last week, which was clearly doing well to light up the streets within. It wouldn't be long before someone would have to break the persisting silence.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The silence was excruciating. To only be left with your thoughts, others glancing over you and judging you as they did. It gave Joel a lot of time to think, a lot of thoughts churning and mixing in the soup of his mind. By the time they reached Jackson, he had made up his mind on one thing.

Joel glanced towards Andrea. "You might as well just tell us where the Fireflies are held up now." He adjusted his seat on the horse, still gripping the reins.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea's gaze had lingered on the sprawling community beneath them, lit up by the street lights dotting the town center. The ride back had given her the time to think, to address the issue that had been brought to the forefront by this whole situation: this group's desire to find the Fireflies to get the cure. They even had Carl on board with this now, and that only complicated things for her. All she wanted to do was the right thing, and she'd thought that was keeping Ellie away from those terrorists, yet maybe… maybe her view on the Fireflies was clouded by her own murky past with them - something she'd never be able to let go - but the fact remained that they were _not _equipped to handle researching the cure here in Jackson. There weren't any other groups out there with the capability to pull it off, and FEDRA would more likely kill the child than try to get the cure from her. They'd given up on making one a decade ago.

So when Joel spoke up, asking about where the Fireflies were at, she wasn't surprised that the topic was brought up again. Though, she _was _surprised by who the question had come from.

She glanced towards him, eyes lowered slightly into a look of skepticism. "I thought you were leaving?"

Joel's expression remained unreadable, and he continued in his southern drawl. "I'd just like to know."

Sighing, she shifted uncomfortably in her saddle, looking between Ellie, Lee, and Clementine before focusing on the sight of Jackson once more.

_Fuck it._

Tommy would forgive her.

"Last I heard, they're down south. University of Eastern Colorado."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel began nodding, turning away from Andrea and smiling lightly. "Go Big Horns," he muttered, eyes drifting off towards his horse. He looked forward, at the town of Jackson, one more time, before his head slowly turned to his flank. He glanced at Ellie, opening up his mouth. "Ellie, get off your horse, give it on back to Andrea."

He paused, but it was too late. As said before, he had made up his mind. He turned to Andrea. "I'm gonna hang on to this fella, if that's alright with you." After this was said, he looked back at Ellie again. "Go on, don't make me repeat myself."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_The University of Eastern Colorado. _Lee took note of that, it was key information he'd have to remember, seeming as though Joel's job was _his _now. Even after hearing everything that the Texan had spouted off today, he was still wondering…

Did Joel really believe what he was saying before? About wanting to leave? Most of all, did he really have the will to follow through with it?

Lee's gaze shot between Ellie and Joel in confusion as he heard Joel asking Ellie to give back the horse. He'd learned not to have false hope, but for a split second... he did.

"What are you doing?" He directed his gaze at the smuggler, brow raised.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel leaned forward on his horse, looking back at the man who had accompanied him for so long now. "That girl of yours kinda scares me." He paused, smiling weakly from his position atop the horse. "I don't want her coming after me."

So, it was done. Just like that, he had changed his mind and shifted Ellie back towards him; he assumed, at least. The man turned around, waiting to help Ellie up onto his own horse.

**Dot [Ellie]**

For most of the trip, Ellie had been zoning out, trying to avoid looking in Joel's direction in the ever-darkening forest they had rode through. When Joel had asked about the Fireflies, her ears had perked up, attentiveness coming back in full swing. Joel's tone had changed, noticeably so, and she found her jaw dropping slightly as Joel told her to give her horse back to Andrea. She hadn't expected it, and that surprise had to be plastered across her face while she looked towards Lee and Clementine before finally settling on Joel once more.

As Lee and Joel talked, Ellie clambered off the horse, gently tugging it towards Andrea with the reins in her hands. Andrea's eyes lowered towards her as she held the reins out to her.

"Sorry for stealing your horse," she spoke softly, smiling, and Andrea returned it with a warm smile of her own before shifting her gaze to Joel and Lee.

"Look, come back to town, at least for the night." Her smile widened slightly, shrugging her shoulders. "Tommy'll be pissed if he doesn't see you off."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel shrugged at Andrea, reaching out for Ellie's hand to pull her up. He supposed he would want Tommy to see him away, but... no, he didn't want to deal with that much anymore. It would just make things more complicated if he were to come back. So, he tilted his head and looked at Andrea. "Eh, you know me, my mind's all made up."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

" _That girl of yours kinda scares me, I don't want her coming after me. _"

Lee couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at his remark. "Smart decision." A smile washed over his face as he glanced towards Clementine, then back at the man who he had figured he'd be seeing for the last time. But that wasn't the case anymore, he was staying… he really was. It was the right call, to see it through to the end, and he was pretty sure Joel knew that too.

He wanted to ask what the reason was for him deciding on staying all of a sudden, but seeing how genuinely happy Ellie looked, as well as Joel's overall change in attitude as he helped her up on the horse... it told him all he needed to know. Maybe all it took was someone to snap some sense back into him, and out of all of them… it could only be Ellie.

"Looks like it is." He spoke up after Joel, a warm smile on the man's face as his respect for the other man began to rise once more. He glanced over to Andrea, deeming it was time to get down to the nitty gritty before they headed onwards. "So, where exactly can we bet on finding their lab?"

**Dot [Andrea]**

"Tommy mentioned something about it being in the science building. Said that the whole thing looked like a giant mirror." Andrea shifted in her saddle once again. They were going through with this, and she was letting them. She was letting the cure for mankind leave, in search of a group she would never trust. Maybe she _had _gone crazy, but what mattered was that there was someone out there that could see this thing through. Terrorists they may be, but maybe things could change. If Joel could, then so could the Fireflies, right? She cleared her throat, continuing. "Sounds like something that'd be hard to miss."

**Art [Clementine]**

They had it. _They actually had it…! _The location of the Fireflies, down to the tiniest detail. It was verging on causing Clementine's head to spin out of control from just how long it took her and Lee to get to that point. Excitement came naturally with the news. Tired as the girl was, some semblance of direction after months had Clem _stupidly_hopeful for the first time in a long while.

…Then there was Joel. Clementine wanted to stay pissed at him. God, did she _try to, _and still, against all odds, the guy managed to rob a smile from her. The jerk did almost leave without a word, but… Ellie was okay. They both… looked okay. At the end of the day, that sorta overshadowed the fact that they both scared the shit out of her. _Sorta._

She could put on as big of a façade as she wanted, really. Clem was glad Joel was staying. That was the sincere, unfortunate truth. The girl groaned under her breath, staring off into the glimmering lights of the vast town below… largely to avoid the whimsical look Lee shot from behind her.

_I'm __**not**__scary._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked at Andrea."Jackson's nice, but... you know me." He shrugged it off, ignoring any semblance of an offer that she might throw his way. His head turned slightly back, nodding with a weak smile. "Tell my little brother I said adios." With one final turn, he glanced over to Ellie. "You good?" He asked.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie climbed onto the horse with Joel's help, looking between Andrea, Joel, and Lee as they talked about their destination: the Fireflies base. They had the destination, finally. Now they just had to make it there.

When Joel looked back towards her, she replied to his question with a half-smile. "Yeah, I'm good."

She wanted to be angry with him after nearly abandoning her, but she couldn't. For some reason, he decided to stay, and that made her happier than she ever thought possible. It was all that she could've asked for, to be traveling with her best friend, and the man she was beginning to look up to with each passing day. Despite all odds, the four of them have stuck together since Pittsburgh, and that wasn't going to change. She could feel it.

* * *

_8:50 PM_

**Dot [Andrea]**

It wasn't long before Andrea found herself back inside Tommy's office. Once she'd returned, she informed the guards at the gate of the situation, finding Carl there as well, as if he'd been waiting for her. She told him to head back home, and they'd talk more about it after she's finished talking with Tommy.

That conversation was going to be more difficult.

The door creaked open once she was beckoned to enter, and her gaze fell onto Tommy once more. He was seated, his eyes focusing on her as she entered. She closed the door, returning the room to its semi-darkness.

"We found Ellie. Ran off to the old ranch in the north valley."

_Baby steps. _She thought to herself, taking a step closer to the man's desk. She already could foresee his angered expression when she told him that they've left for the Fireflies, but she was prepared for it.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Sitting had become very old, as of late. The feeling of going nowhere, the feeling of nothing getting done. When Andrea barged into Tommy's office, he knew he wouldn't be sitting any longer. Part of him was sure that he should have gone with her to deal with the problem, but he had faith in Andrea. She was the stern one, she could put them back in line. She told him where Ellie had gone, and he hazarded a smile. Nerves weren't soothed, but at least she didn't go somewhere especially dangerous. He stood up and clasped his hands together. "So I take it she's okay?"

As long as the cure was safe, he was content.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea slowly nodded, smiling slightly as she placed her hands on the back of a chair in front of his desk. "She's okay."

There was a brief silence that followed, akin to the tension in the room dying, though that was hardly the case for her. This was only just beginning.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Your brother pulled a stunt. Tried dumping Ellie off on Lee. She overheard, ran off." There was another pause, followed by the scuffing of Andrea's shoes against the wooden floor. "Whatever they talked about at the ranch changed his mind. Decided to stay. I..." Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip, averting her gaze. This was it. "... I told them where to find the Fireflies."

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

She was okay. _Thank god. _Tommy relaxed a little more, but something seemed off. Andrea wasn't as sure as she usually was, and that was concerning. Listening patiently, she continued to tumble onwards with her words. Until it came to a very tumbling stop.

There was a very tense silence. He didn't say anything, squinting angrily at the woman through the semi-darkness. It took him a few seconds to fully comprehend what it was she was saying, but no part of it made him happy. His voice was dangerously low as he spoke, "I don't think I heard you right."

Surely, he was just getting old, and his ears were shot from gunfire. What on Earth could have happened that made Andrea be lenient enough to let them go? _Nothing._

**Dot [Andrea]**

She didn't like the look Tommy was giving her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, defensively, and she leaned over his desk, tilting the brow of her hat upwards as it obscured her vision. Words hung on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back, ultimately deciding to approach this rationally. Tommy had a temper sometimes, but she knew how to handle him.

"They weren't gonna take 'no' for an answer, and face it, Tommy, we're not equipped to deal with this. What's the point keeping her here when we don't have a clue what we're doing, or if we're ever gonna be able to pull it off? At least the Fireflies have been looking into this thing for the past decade." She shifted, lips twisting into a frown. "They're terrorists, yes, but right now _they're _our only hope for getting that cure out there. Like it or not, we don't gotta choice."

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Tommy couldn't help but be angry - it was Carl's speech Andrea was preaching. His words came quickly, "The Fireflies don't really _know _anything. They had gotten nowhere by the time I left!" The idea of a cure was so far-fetched that no one was really prepared for it. "And if they know anything about immunities, they'd be spreading the word and looking for more people. Ellie was the _chance, _and now she's wandering towards Colorado with no idea what to expect when she gets there." Finally, he fell back into his chair, his head in his hands.

His brother had come, bearing a tempest of news that shook the fundamentals of what he knew, and then vanished again without saying goodbye. Bringing the first and most important element to a cure, and taking it once he was ready to learn more. In a sudden burst of rage, he slammed his fists down on the desk. However, no words came.

**Dot [Andrea]**

His reaction had her pushing away from the desk, standing up fully while trying not to sigh. What did he expect her to do? Tell them they couldn't leave? Bring them back by force? They'd decided, and Andrea wasn't going to let go of her morals just to keep the catalyst to a cure in Jackson. The words spewing out of Tommy's mouth now were nearly complete bullshit, excuses that even she had used at one point to justify keeping Ellie here, yet they held no real meaning. It didn't matter if the Fireflies were prepared to make a cure or not, they had the manpower to pull it off, and _they _didn't. It was as simple as that. Knowing Joel and Lee, they'd ensure the cure would be distributed, or at least she _hoped _. Hope was something hard to come by, but she was sure that she'd bet on the right horse. She _had _to.

She didn't argue further, since she knew how it would turn out. He wouldn't change his mind. He rarely did. Instead, her voice was calm, collected, and she returned the man's steely gaze with one of her own. "He wanted me to tell you that he said goodbye."

She waited to see how he would react, to see if he'd continue to go down this path of letting his rage consume him. It was a quality that he'd picked up recently that she wasn't fond of. That same man that she met on the road, his heart full of conviction, wasn't anywhere to be found in that room. Maybe she'd see him again. Some day.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Andrea's words only brought Tommy anguish. _Who does he even think he is? _Swallowing back his anger, he hardened himself. "He said goodbye to you, not to me."

If Joel wanted to be the little brother, then that was how it would be. All that he had done was give Tommy a clear path forward; a fine silver lining. Sitting up and taking a deep breath, he didn't leave any room for Andrea to cut in.

"We're adults. I can't control him, and Ellie is in his care. _For some reason." _After hearing that he'd tried to pawn Ellie off onto Lee, it was a wonder they were still together at all.

With them gone, there was still no reason not to pursue a cure. Newfound determination entered his voice as he continued. "We need to continue looking for a cure. If one girl was immune, there might be others, and if we keep researching ourselves we might still make progress."

It was obvious that arguing was getting him nowhere, and he needed to act, _they _needed to act. If even Andrea wasn't on his side, then he'd drop his brotherly strife. This, however, was the future of mankind, and she had to understand that they couldn't wait for someone else to figure it out when they were in charge of their own lives. The Fireflies don't care about some town in the boonies, they'll want to cure their assets. It was up to them to save themselves in this world.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Tommy had calmed down, if only by a little. Andrea didn't move, slowly nodding as he went on about continuing their work on the research. Though they didn't have Ellie anymore, looking into it further wouldn't be the worst idea. A backup plan.

"I'll tell Eleanor to keep it up, then. Maybe get Carl and the other runners to extend the search radius around Jackson. Maybe we'll get lucky, find something useful." She finally sat herself down in a chair, meeting Tommy's gaze. "There's an abandoned QZ in Idaho Falls. Might be worth taking a look there. Who knows how much research got left behind, back when FEDRA was actually working on the cure."

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

In proper style, Andrea ignored his first comment and got right to the point. Grinning, Tommy agreed. "That's a great idea! There must be something hidden there... " After a second of thought, he opened a drawer and pulled out two books - the books Carl had brought. "We still have these, to work off of." He handed them to Andrea. "I was looking through them, but it's all gibberish to me. Eleanor could make more use of them." With just a little lack of thought he could bury himself in a new purpose, and that was exactly what Tommy needed after Joel left.

No longer was there a tension in the room, dreading the next shouted words or snide comment. Once again, they were leaders, and now they knew where they were leading everyone. He studied Andrea's eyes for anything that said she was unsure, but he saw nothing. Something in her eyes, however, brought him a moment of calm in the excitement. "I don't know if we'll succeed," he spoke slowly, "But now we fight for a higher cause."

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea was glad to see that Tommy had something to focus himself on, to get his mind away from his brother and the Fireflies. Granted, it wouldn't last long, probably. But… it was worth trying, if only to get a better understanding on what the hell they're doing with the cure. For Andrea, it only mattered because it gave them a goal, something to strive towards in this hellscape that surrounded them.

And that was enough to convince her that this was worth pursuing.

She slowly nodded then, pushing herself back to her feet as she clutched the books in her hands. "I'll get them back to her, then."

With seemingly nothing more to discuss, Andrea took a step back, turning to head towards the door. She didn't let out her breath until the door clicked shut behind her.


	38. Trust, I

_10:47 AM - August 3, 2025 - Highway out of Jackson_

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

So just like that, for most of the community, the visit was over and they all left. Only he and a few select people knew that Ellie was the cure, so no one really cared. Carl supposed that caring himself wouldn't matter - it had happened, so why dwell on it? It wasn't up to him, he wasn't there. He should have known those girls would do something, but apparently it was so drastic that Andrea let them go. They wouldn't tell him why.

But, some things were up to him, and Lydia was his friend and it would stay that way. They couldn't stay mad at each other forever. Today, he was told to find food to eat in the woods and catch any animals could, which usually meant a mostly relaxing day in the forest. Perfect setting to lay it on her. So out of the gates they went, but it was a little uncomfortable. He had to apologize somehow without spilling what the whole _insane _situation was about, but it hadn't worried him so much. The tension already existing made it hard, but he knew they couldn't just walk silently to the highway. _At least it's a great day for a walk._

So, ignoring the sun glaring in his eyes, Carl tried to start a conversation. "Thanks for coming out with me today." When she didn't say anything, he nudged her elbow with his. "Did that game finally rot your brain?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

It felt, liberating almost. Like a giant fat boulder blocking her way had finally been moved and left behind to be forgotten. Now that she could finally breathe, the next step was obviously trying to patch things up with Carl, it was pretty clear that's what he wanted when he invited her out. Granted, she was in a much better mood now that the she-devils weren't in her face every day, of course she wouldn't show that to Carl just yet.

She wouldn't let him off that easy, she was still mad as hell at him for not siding with her. Make no mistake. The fact that Carl tried to sit on the fence when it came to backing her up in Tommy's office, in her mind it was almost like… fucking treason. Maybe it was because she was so used to getting her own way with Carl, everything was on her terms… even when she ended their relationship. And the one time it hadn't gone her way with him last week … it was enough to just make her snap. He'd put up with a lot from her, she knew that.

When he nudged her, she didn't look at him, simply keeping her gaze forward as they continued to walk, not giving him much to work with purposefully. All the while concealing a smile at the playful jab. "I haven't been playing, since you didn't visit all week." She spoke in a dry tone, knowing he knew they usually played on the console when he came over.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Success! Carl had gotten at least a response, which meant she was at least willing to try. "Hey, it's a box of evil. Every time I play, my eye hurts, but I can't stop playing it whenever I can." Sparing the chuckle he was prompted to make, he continued right onward. "But, you're right. I've been pretty cold lately, and I'm sorry. We've _all _just… had a lot on our minds." Fading off, his hand scratched the back of his head as he tried to continue awkwardly. "But, they've caused their trouble and now they're gone."

He wasn't sure if he should say something more. She _had _started a fight - she had the cold shoulder coming. It wouldn't help his case to dog Lydia on it, but it was true. When he didn't take her side, she had, no doubt, been very upset, but even friends disagree. At this point, he was hoping she'd be willing to forgive and move on.

There was an oak tree planted in a ring of dirt in the sidewalk that had long since grown to move the concrete aside, right at the intersection of the highway. It was a landmark that he liked to use to find the road to the community from the main road; besides, the mighty trunk of the huge tree, moving new pieces of cement every season, was a sight to behold. It was here that he stopped and faced Lydia, letting his grin escape. "I'd rather go back to our normal routes to school."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

He was trying, he really was. It only made it harder to keep up the facade, she supposed it was time she started trying too. They were still friends, after all. Lydia couldn't lie to herself, she felt a slight tinge of satisfaction when _he _was the first one to apologize. Maybe that was all she wanted. Getting past that stage of awkwardness after a fight… it wasn't really her forte, admittedly Carl was a lot better at breaking the ice than her.

She knew what he was implying with that last remark, the fact that they weren't even walking to school together anymore. They'd barely interacted the entire week, which was why she'd been so pissed. Finally, she decided to let it go.

"Yeah." Lydia finally turned to Carl, flashing him a small smile, agreeing with him. "Me too."

She looked away immediately, eyeing off the large main road that led back towards Jackson, her eyes lit up as soon as an idea struck her. What better way to say sorry? "Um, I don't think we need to be back yet… and since we still got time."

"How about we go and see if the hangout is still intact?" She proposed, facing him as she took a few steps backwards, urging him to follow. It'd been so long since they'd been there, but Lydia was still curious to find out if it was still untouched. Her and Carl had made it a while back, just a secluded place they found in the woods not far from Jackson that they decided to modify into their personal playground, as childish as it sounded. The girl still remembered that tree they'd throw the knives at, as well as that tire swing they made from the stuff they found in the garage back at Jackson.

"We uh... haven't been in a while, it'll be fun. Better than taking the _boring _way back home."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

There was an anxious moment of silence, but Carl knew Lydia well enough to watch her emotions play out on her face. Of course, Lydia faced the highway while she thought, leaving him to guess all of the worst things before she responded to him. Eventually, however, he finally got that smile he was looking for, and it was _infectious. _His own grin returning, a few short steps brought him to her side as she looked back out over the road.

Her eyes twinkled like no one else's did when she had a fun idea, so he readied himself to say yes to whatever it was. Much to his relief, it was something that enabled him to work. The path to the hangout was littered with places for mushrooms and berries to grow, and they'd long since determined that _something _liked to hunt along the path. Maybe he'd catch some hares or even a deer! "Sounds good!" Cheerfully, he bounded after her, and they moved past the gnarled oak.

The hangout was always a place where he and Lydia could relax. No one else knew about it, as far as they were sure, so it gave them a place to stash anything they didn't want found. Things that would be confiscated for the armory, such as Lydia's throwing knives, or the materials to make traps that Carl didn't feel like hauling all the way out there each day. As unsure as he was beforehand, now he was confident that it would be a great day. Still smiling, he spoke again. "When was the last time we'd gone out there together? It feels like it's been ages." It had been since the last snowfall, if he wasn't mistaken.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"It has." The girl confirmed, her tone blunt yet rather faint. Lydia was trying to tread carefully here, wanting to avoid the topic of the memories associated with the place, like the fact that their relationship just wasn't what it used to be since the last time they were there. Still, in her mind, that didn't warrant pretending the place never existed like they'd been doing lately, more so her.

Luckily for them, they were just about as quick to mend their problems as they were to create them, even if Lydia always made it harder than it had to be. It'd be great to just.. ease up and slow down for once, make some time to enjoy herself. _You need to, badly._

They trudged onwards, boots crunching against the dead leaves combined with the damp mud from the rain that had only recently ceased. The both of them practically had the secret location memorized by now, and it didn't take too long to reach. It wasn't long before they passed through the thick brush, having to duck and weave over the branches that jutted out from every direction, until they saw an opening.

Lydia's eyes darted around the place, half scanning for infected or undead. Things were all over the place, and the weather had assisted in its deterioration. However she almost shrieked when an old object came into sight.

_Yes!_

The girl's eyes lit up as soon as she spotted the contraption hanging from the tree they'd chosen a long while back. A yellow rope accompanied by a large tire. She placed her pistol into her side holster as she darted over. Lydia placed her foot on the tire and tugged on the rope, testing its strength, before slipping her legs through and sitting down._Still works._

The blonde averted her gaze to Carl, who was still standing there like a scarecrow. "So, uh… you gonna push me or what?" She ordered, calling out with a tiny smirk on her face.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

As Carl followed Lydia through the dampened forest, he tried to look back on the way to little playground. It was nestled safely in the dense forest, right inside a grove of aspen trees. There was a big, rotten stump that could be seen from a part of the trail, and that was how he liked to remember where it was. Not like he needed it, the two had spent so much time there, he was sure he could find it from a mile off the trail. Now, the stump served a different purpose. Walking past it led to the hideout, but he'd never had a reason to go farther as of late. He kept ropes and baskets inside the hollow wood, and the once-exciting relics beyond lay forgotten. Until today, that is.

They trekked past the musky stump and further into the woods, pushing through the creeping branches and thick scrub oak. Until, with enough persistence, the forest gave way to grassy undergrowth and a cluster of nearly identical white, black-speckled trees. Dust and pollen hung in the air without wind to push it along, and beams of light shone down through the air and illuminated the little diamond patch amidst the rough forest. He turned his eyes to the sky and smiled at the bright green canopy above. _God, I've missed it here._

Lydia wasted no time plunging into the field, and he was swift to follow. She beelined for the tire swing, and his smile only grew. It was almost like old times. He looked around, but scarcely anything besides the tire swing was still in place. A foldable table and two plastic chairs that had been painstakingly carried out lie consumed by the undergrowth, and the ancient drink cooler had long since flipped and disposed its contents into the muck. He held back a grimace as he examined the damage, until a familiar request met his ears.

She sat in the degrading tire swing, gazing at him with those sweet, expectant eyes. How could he withstand such powers of persuasion? Carl strode over and took up position, just like he had so many times before, and gave her a gentle push. There was a serenity about the entire moment, but he couldn't fight the urge to interrupt it. "Why did we even stop coming out here?" He thought aloud.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia swung her legs forward, using Carl's push to ever so slightly propel herself onwards. The swing had probably seen the worst of the climate by now, but it held strong. She just wanted to let herself get lost in it, the tranquility of this place. But it wasn't just that, it was a hideout that fostered so many awesome memories, from better days. It was hard not to get all nostalgic about it, maybe trying to relive those feelings by coming here was stupid… but it was better than just leaving it behind completely, right?

She was brought out of her thoughts at the sound of Carl's voice, which caused her to let out a faint sigh in response. "I didn't think we… had a reason to, lately." She trailed off, her voice growing meek as she failed to continue, not wanting to make things awkward by bringing up the past. Instead she opted towards asking a question of her own, after a slight pause.

"Did you miss it a lot, too? Coming out here?"

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl heard her strained response, and elected to be silent for fear of upsetting her. Sometimes, it felt like Lydia's thoughts were unimaginable. He hadn't been the one to end their relationship - which he knew, in turn, led to them abandoning this place - but ever since it had happened, she was different. A new person, although not a _better _person; he saw how confused and unsettled she was, without the slightest idea about how to help her. As conflicted as he was, as _confused _as she made him, it felt like he was still taking it better than she was. Did she dwell on the past as much as he did?

His question was unanswered and forgotten as she moved on without too much hesitation, and he was glad for the respite from his thoughts. The question was certainly a no-brainer. "This place might as well be the Garden of Eden." He said truthfully, letting his gaze sweep across the grove of trees, an almost angelic hue cast through the shadows of the leaves above. It wasn't the same coming out here alone, but this was still indisputably the most beautiful part of the forest. "Coming out here with you was the best part of living in Jackson."

He was unable to stop himself from flinching at the words; a slip up that he sincerely hoped she didn't take too heavy-handedly. As hard as Carl tried to hide it, such _sweet_remarks often danced at the tip of his tongue, but now he'd made the mistake of saying it aloud. As he admired the field and the gorgeous nostalgia of the moment, however, he knew it was still true.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

_I can't..._

That was it. Suddenly she planted her feet into the ground, her shoes grinding and skidding on the dirt below her as the swing came to a halt. Lydia's head sunk downwards, and by now it was fairly obvious she didn't want to be pushed anymore. Carl's words triggered the immeasurable guilt she felt to start bubbling up to the surface, and it was hard to keep her emotions in check when she got like this.

"Carl… enough." She begged, the girl just couldn't bear it anymore. She'd ruined things between them, kept her distance… and even tried to stop him from making other friends. As much as she couldn't stand them… It didn't mean she had to deprive him of enjoying himself. The fact that he was being so nice to her, still, was just appalling to her; there was no way she deserved this.

"I came here because…" She managed to turn her head around just enough to see him, promising herself that she wasn't going to cry, it was already hard enough to keep herself from getting misty-eyed just by talking to him. "I wanted to give you back _this. _" The girl spoke before reaching up to the sheriff's hat on top of her head, taking it off. She let it sit in her lap for a moment, staring at it in shame as she looked away from him.

"It's your dad's, and… it's just not right for me to have it. I don't even know _why _you let me keep it after everything that happened." Lydia admitted, deciding to finally let her thoughts drift out into the open. Exposed.

"I've been so horrible to you, Carl. It's the truth." Her voice quivered, the tears threatening to burst out and spill down her face at any moment. Lydia held out her arm with the hat in it towards him, continuing to look away from him so she wouldn't break down. "Just take it... please."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Lydia skidded to a stop, and Carl felt something heavy settle in his stomach. When she spoke, however, there was a very different tension there. She almost sounded… _sad._He bit back his tongue, not daring to even apologize. Turning back to him, she began again - very tediously. He wasn't sure where she was going with this, but it couldn't be good. When Lydia was angry with him, at least he got to be defensive. When more _complicated _emotions flew, he was in over his head.

There was nothing that could prepare him for what happened next.

As if it were a heavy burden, she lifted the stetson off of her head. _Why would she want to give it back? _Carl was unsure if he should feel hurt, but as she rattled off her reasoning, he knew he couldn't be upset with her. Or, perhaps he could, but him being offended wouldn't make the situation any better. Now, they had not one confused teenager, but _two._

So there she stood, holding the hat out to him. Carl didn't take it. He began softly, but faltered before he said something he regretted. "Lydia, I…" What was he to say about something he hadn't given thought since he gifted it away? He once loved Lydia - no, he _still _loved Lydia - and to him, an old hat was a small price to pay to get the message across. "I gave that to you. It's not mine, it's not my Dad's. It's yours. I made that decision when I gave it to you, and I won't take that back." He said finally.

He took a deep breath and continued quickly, so she couldn't interject. "And it doesn't matter what you've done to me. Or, it _does, _but do the things that already happened have more impact than what we do now?" Reaching out a hand, he took the hat from her grasp and placed it back on her head. It had always looked better amidst her blonde locks than on himself; at least, he thought so. Now it was his turn to adorn a little smile. "There, right where it belongs." As he finalized his words, he leveled his gaze with Lydia's. "Now don't think I'll let you go so easily. It would be too quiet without you around."

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

In the midst of Carl and Lydia's conversation, a faint sound slowly began to come into focus in the distance, drawing ever closer to the clearing the two had found themselves in.

As Carl placed the sheriff's hat back on Lydia's head, the lull in the conversation allowed a moment of silence, long enough for the sound to become clear. By the time they could react, though, the foul creature stumbled its way into the clearing, jerking its head side to side as if looking for prey.

It was clear that it didn't know where the two teenagers were, based on its feral clicking and search pattern, though it wouldn't be long before it would be able to pinpoint their location. All it'd take is a single misstep.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

For once, Lydia had been left absolutely stunned by Carl's actions. She couldn't think of any excuse, or any retort she could fire back. She opened her mouth as if to speak, nothing but air managed to croak out. Instead she averted her gaze to her feet again, feeling the familiar embrace of that hat as he placed it back on top of her head. She didn't want it back by any means, but it didn't change the fact that she still let him do it.

Why did he have to be so good to her? He was always like this, for as long as she could remember, still willing to look past everything... even if he'd been hurt. And hurt him is always what she managed to do, every time. Lydia knew she'd been nothing but a toxic influence on him… seeing what life was like outside of the Whisperers, what a real family looked like inside of Jackson... it was easy to grow resentful of the fact that 'family' was never really what her mother raised her to believe it was. The girl just wanted to stand on her own two feet now… make up for lost time and rebuild her life. She wanted to do that without needing Carl around… at least that's what she wanted to believe. A guy that'd only serve as a constant reminder of how vulnerable she used to be… or still was.

Yet, his smile was too contagious, and Lydia found herself faintly returning it when she eventually forced herself to look back up at him. A tantalizing thought she couldn't quite control began to cloud her judgement as the silence ensued, one that she felt stupid for even thinking. It was selfish of her, it'd go against everything she'd done as of late, but oh boy... did she want to right then and there. And that was that, there was nothing else to be said as her eyes slowly began to drift down towards his lips.

However, a sound was quick to snap Lydia out of her trance. The pained and contorted clicking causing her head to jolt towards some nearby trees, something had heard them.

_Oh fuck._

She panicked, hauling herself off the swing as she left the tire dangling there. "_ Get down. _" She whispered, instinctively dragging Carl to crouch behind some of the nearby brush as the blind fungus-infected creature stumbled out into the open, searching for the noise.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

There was an odd tension in the air as he waited for her to say something. Carl hoped that he'd said the right thing; he thought he understood her, but he never knew with Lydia. She was a book written in some language that was unknown to him. Trying to study her expressions to figure out what she was thinking proved fruitless - she obviously didn't expect such a response. _Maybe… I should just give her a little space._

When he went to take a step away, however, he was pulled down behind some scrub oak with little more than a whisper to warn him. He locked eyes with Lydia, but before he could say anything, he heard it: clicking. There was a tense moment as the _nicely-aged _clicker lumbered blindly, and he grimaced at his companion. Like so many times before, he combed the ground with his eyes till he found a decently-sized stick among the grass, and every sway of the undergrowth as he rummaged around for it made him hold his breath. Standing up shakily, he drew back an arm and hurled the stick across the field.

The forest seemed to go silent as the piece of wood soared, until it crashed down into the bushes like thunder. The infected snapped around to face the sound, clicking erratically and moving in the opposite direction quickly. Flashing Lydia a grin, he stepped around the oak and pulled his knife from his belt, prepared to finish the pest off. _You are not welcome here. _Trying his damndest to be silent, he crept up on the Clicker.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

Noise. Rustling in the bushes nearby. The clicker stumbled towards the bush with a guttural growl, only stopping mere inches away as the perceived threat remained out of sight. However, the sound of crunching leaves alerted its attention to something behind it, and its head snapped around to look towards the new threat with enough speed to snap a normal human's neck. It bared its teeth, clicking violently as it swiveled around, rushing towards him with a deafening roar.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

In the true fashion of a living nightmare, the clicker spun around as if it were yanked on a string. _Shit! _The thing paused only long enough to sneer with uneven, gray teeth and click violently before it rushed at him. Carl knew there was no way he could wrestle the thing down head-on, so he stepped to the side - only for his foot to connect hard with something heavy, and he didn't have the field of vision to see what it was without losing sight of the clicker. As gravity claimed him, he glanced downward just in time to see that it was the broken table before he was taken off of his feet by the infected. The thing bowled into him full-speed, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Carl lunged to his feet, but the clicker was faster. He faced it and was forced to dodge a mottled hand as it swung at him, only for another to connect with his blind spot. Flashes of light appeared in the darkness, and he desperately tried to grab his knife before it was upon him. Kicking at it to keep it at bay, he pulled the knife from its sheath and was horrified to feel a heavy pressure on his shoe. "Fuck!" He yanked his foot out of the boot, leaving it behind in the clicker's teeth. He saw the tiniest bit of one eye hidden in the folds of its face, and thrust the knife forward with that target in mind. _Just a little more luck! _As a cold iron grip caught his wrist and flung the knife away, he knew the luck had run out.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"What are you-?!" Lydia harshly whispered towards the stubborn boy. _Let's just fucking leave! _She wanted to scream at him, to let him know that he didn't need to let his pride get in the way just because an infected had wandered into their makeshift hideout. But, without a moment's notice, Carl had already flashed her a grin, indicating that his stupid mind had been made up. He was already out of arm's reach, trying to sneak up on the thing. She couldn't grab him or get to him without making a bunch of noise, all she was reduced to doing was watching in horror, hoping he'd be able to take care of it.

There was no way she'd be able to predict just how _wrong _she was.

"Carl!" Lydia shrieked in terror, pushing herself to her feet, feeling her heart thump and a certain adrenaline rush she couldn't quite control run through her. It happened so fast, that abomination heard him try to sneak up, and before she knew it... the clicker was already over him. It was too late to be mad at him for botching things up, right now the priority was saving his life.

Having foolishly packed very little for what was supposed to be a short expedition, the only weapon she'd brought along was her Walther P99. She withdrew her pistol in an attempt to aim it towards the fungus-infected freak, but they were both thrashing around so damn much. There was no way she could fire without the risk of hitting the boy, nor could she forgive herself if she did.

Every second that went by was just one more opportunity for Carl to get bitten, and she was done wasting time. She gritted her teeth whilst she holstered her weapon, and while the clicker was occupied with Carl, the girl charged at it as fast as her legs would carry her. The diseased beast almost had no time to react as Lydia pounced on its back, the infected screeched and writhed in response, trying to throw her off. She cursed under her breath, tightening her grip on the thing as it flailed around, attempting to divert its attention off of Carl.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

Another threat. Its weight was threatening to bring the clicker to its knees. The clicker jerked, growling violently as it tried to rip the living being off its back, succeeding finally as the human was thrown backwards, back colliding with a nearby tree. The boy forgotten, the clicker turned its attention on the girl, letting out a croak that could likely be heard for miles.

It rushed towards the human with inhuman speed, intent on sinking its sharp fangs into the girl's neck.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Right when his desperate mind turned to Lydia, the Clicker leapt off of him with a terrible groan. The call for help hadn't left his lips. As if a switch had been flipped, the beast had turned its attention to Lydia, grabbing her with an iron grip. They twisted violently, the ghoul losing balance for one moment and then nearly throwing her off in the next. He was on his hands and knees in an instant, crawling along swiftly to find his knife in the brush and fallen leaves.

As this proved fruitless, he jumped to his feet. Stars danced once again in the emptiness where his right eye used to be, and a sudden wave of vertigo came over him. Trying to ignore the throbbing in his face, he breathed deeply and focused his eye on the clicker as it pinned Lydia against the tree. Carl froze for a split second, feeling as if someone had trickled cold water from the nape of his neck all the way down to the base of his spine as he saw its teeth snap _so close _to her freckled nose.

His dizziness was forgotten, and he strode forward while pulling his gun from its home in his waistband. There was _no way _that he rode a rollercoaster of emotions just to watch it be taken away by the snapping of teeth. Without an instant's hesitation, he pointed his gun up against the nape of the clicker's neck and pulled the trigger. A shower of brain matter, skull, and spores poured down around them. Covering his nose with a grimace, he pulled Lydia away from the cloud of deadly growths. "Are you okay?" He asked her, his voice hushed and worried.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

A shot rang out, piercing the air not a moment before the clicker's gnashing teeth were brought to a halt. Blood and brains from the creature splattered onto her face, her eyes wide in panic as the revolting thick goop trickled down her forehead. The infected body went limp, its lifeless carcass now slumping onto her. Lydia was hyperventilating at this point, quick and hysterical huffs of breath leaving her, the thought of it still being alive was enough for the girl to frantically kick it away and scramble backwards on her hands and knees, Carl tugged her arm for support until she was finally at a safe distance.

Everything around her seemed to come to a halt as she sat there, trembling whilst she looked at her now dispatched aggressor, its mangled and deformed body lying against the tree. Lydia tried her best to regulate her breathing, but to no avail. It felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest at any moment. She felt sick, a horrifying sensation in her gut threatening to send her over the edge.

The girl continued to stare at the corpse in shock. It was fucking scary, how close they'd came to joining that thing in its suffering, and all it would've taken was one bite… one second too late for either of them. This was too much, things were already hard enough. The last thing she needed was this kind of _shit _on her conscience. Almost as a reflex, a quick surge of aggression spontaneously overcome her.

"Fuck!" Lydia screamed at herself as she sat there, before balling up her fists and grabbing whatever her hands were resting on, which so happened to be a bunch of leaves. She pegged them forward at the dickhead clicker, not managing to hit it by a long shot, each individual leaflet slowly fluttering back down to the ground. A futile and pathetic attempt at expressing her frustration. And to top it off, Carl was asking if she was okay.

_Fuck this. Fuck this. Fuck this. _The girl wiped the blood off her eyes, only serving to get the sleeve of her shirt dirty and smear the blood elsewhere on her face. She stood up, crossing her arms and facing away from Carl so he wouldn't see the look on her face.

"We never should've come back here." The girl deadpanned, face towards the ground, her tone dry, and back still turned to him. Whatever sense of joy she had that was associated with this place, it was long gone after that thorough reminder; she was done with this shit. "I want to go." She spoke up again, and it wasn't a request, it was a fucking order.

"_Now._"

**Dot [Dwight]**

What the hell were they doing out here? There was nothing for hundreds of miles around Paradise, let alone nearly a thousand miles away. Negan, of course, couldn't stop searching for communities to exploit, like the leech he'd become, so there Dwight was, fumbling his way through the forest to meet back up with the rest of his contingent.

Of course, he didn't have the luxury of going on this scouting run alone. Brooks walked alongside him. At least he kept the silence going, so he wasn't all that bad. Being out here with an asshat like Negan, though… that'd be a torture he wouldn't wish on anyone.

They were nearing the road when a gunshot pierced the air, forcing the two Saviors to look towards each other before rushing off towards the noise. If their men had run into something, they needed to be there.

They came to a clearing soon after. However, instead of finding their men, they were met with two teenagers, a boy and a girl, the latter shouting at the boy for them to leave. Dwight hesitated, looking towards Brooks with squinted eyes before finally reaching for his revolver. Like it or not, he was going to have to do this. Being with the Saviors left no other choice.

He raised it towards them, his harsh voice being the thing that caught their attention. "Hands up, and don't make any sudden moves."

_Don't force me to kill you._

It was then that he finally saw the boy's face. He only had one eye, the other being a sunken mess of a hole. Under normal circumstances, the sight would leave him feeling disgusted, but it was surprise that ultimately overwhelmed him.

Surprise to see that the kid was Carl Grimes. The last time he saw the kid, he was just that, a kid. Gunning down a bunch of Saviors after sneaking into one of their vans, waiting for his chance to strike once he arrived at the Sanctuary. That was before Dwight had gone to the Kingdom, before he decided to join the war against Negan.

A lost cause, in the end.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Well, suffice to say, Lydia was _not _okay. Now, the corpse at his feet was the least of Carl's problems. There was a heavy silence as he decided that he should just agree with her and go; she was right, after all. The clearing now held a much more sinister likeness. The scrub oak swayed in the breeze, and every shuffle of the leaves put him on edge. The pale trees bore threatening faces in their bark. With a sigh, he realized that playtime was over for good this time.

He stuck his gun back in his waistband and spoke. "Well, then let's get to it. It would be a shame to get caught out in the open like this." Lydia was right, after all - someone or something definitely heard that gunshot. He'd probably have some explaining to do when they got back, and he could practically hear the first questions… _"Who shot first? Who did they work for? Who got hurt?" _Sometimes, Tommy acted like one bullet was worth _more _than one life. As _if._

Suddenly, there was a voice that didn't belong to him or Lydia, or anyone he knew. _Me and my big fucking mouth… _he did not _like _the voice. Complying, he turned slowly to see who exactly it belonged to. His hands raised in an attempt to be non-threatening, he saw the man's face.

It was as if Carl had been thrown back in time. To a time when guns were a lot heavier, his family a lot closer, but faces like _that _were no harder to forget. One half of his face was a scruffy, aging man, the other a warped and scarred piece of scar tissue, with an intense eye and half of a slit that might have resembled a smile. _Negan's dog. _There was altogether too much going on behind those eyes, because the gruesome man locked his gaze with Carl and didn't let go. _He recognizes me!_

Crossing his arms, he tried to ignore the gun being pointed at him. What was he supposed to say? Could he do anything? This was _it, _they had finally hunted down the son of Rick Grimes. _Stand a firm ground, Carl. _"I know you." He started, matter-of-factly. He was almost proud that he didn't sound like he was scared shitless. "Whatever it is you're looking for here, you should find it somewhere else." _I'll kill you both before I let you find Jackson._

**Dot [Dwight]**

Dwight narrowed his eyes in response to Carl's threat. He hadn't changed a bit. Older, but still the same kid that gunned down half a dozen men without remorse. His eyes bounced between Carl and the girl with him, before settling on Brooks next to him, who kept his weapon trained on the two kids.

A thought lingered at the back of his head, seeing this situation as an opportunity, one that he'd been looking for for _years _. A chance to get away from the Saviors. But was it a bet worth taking? That he'd finally be able to get away from Negan? That Carl wouldn't just shoot him as soon as the tables turned? He resisted the urge to sigh, deciding to feel out the situation first.

He kept his weapon raised, finger off the trigger. "Then you know that we can't do that. Take us to your community, and we'll talk things out there." _Don't make this difficult, Carl._

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

_Dammit..! _Her heart jumped at the sound of the unknown voice. Two men, each with guns pointed directly at their heads. Lydia knew the stakes here, one wrong move could mean a bullet getting sent their way. The girl slowly turned around, mimicking Carl as she raised her hands, deciding to comply for now. Carl and the guy with the half burned face started to talk, Lydia sending a mixture of stern yet confused glances between them as she listened.

_They... know each other? _That was what it fucking seemed like, at least. And that was when Lydia began to connect the dots. Carl and Andrea didn't talk about them a lot, but she'd heard enough about it… about some group that forced them to run away from their previous community. Was it really them? Were these the people that Carl told her about? The way the man demanded to see their community, Lydia only had to assume.

"Is this what you guys do…?" She butted in, staring at the man with the gross scars. "Run around the woods looking for kids to harass? We don't _have _anywhere to take you. So why don't you just look the other way and leave us alone..."

**Shadow Boy [Brooks]**

Brooks could feel his scruffy beard stir in the wind, hiding the scowl lying underneath. Now this was a find, wasn't it? Carl Grimes in the flesh, or lack thereof. Man, he'd heard stories about that fucking hole in his head, but neither of them even remotely made it justice. Boy was lucky to be alive.

The blonde was new. She had one helluva stare, little too razor-sharp for her own good. He'd put a good scare on her. "Oh, we don't just harass 'em, darlin'," said Dwight's company, the man carefully leaning forward with a faint smile, matching her height.

"Trust me."

The shotgun Brooks held in his arms, he now gripped it with only a single hand, using the free one to take a worn pistol out of its holster. "Here's how this is gonna play out." He spoke matter-of-factly, shifting his tired eyes between the two children. He didn't wanna kill a couple o'runts, no. Neither did Dwight, he was pretty damn certain. They just had to put on a little show, get the pipsqueak to run his mouth.

But then again, he _was _his father's son.

"You're a smart kid, ain'tcha? Y'know we only need one of y'all breathing to find out where you live." Brooks pressed the pistol against Lydia's nose bridge, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Make the right call, Little Grimes. No one's gotta die."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

There it was again; like a wet piece of ice was slowly making its way down the back of his shirt, leaving a trail of cold misery behind it. _What… What do I do? _For the first time in a long time, Carl was stunned. He didn't expect to see Negan's lackeys so far out of their way - or maybe, finally, they had reached all the way out here. _Is there no stopping these monsters?! _He couldn't hide the fear he felt anymore as his gaze swept between Lydia and the man who he didn't recognize, but who still bore the same sinister look in his eyes as every Savior he'd known. He felt his hand twitch involuntarily, but he _had _to stop himself from retaliating. A short, tense second passed as he came to terms with the gun in Lydia's face.

Finally, Carl let out a resigned sigh. "I guess you don't leave me much of a choice," he muttered angrily. He uncrossed his arms and took one final glance at the field behind him. _Goodbye for good, fantasy land. _With a hesitant glance at Lydia, he walked over to where the wall of oak thinned and waved for the rest to follow. "The trail is this way. Let's get this over with." He gave them a moment to follow, and as he looked past the hollow stump he was already trying to formulate a plan.

He ground his teeth in frustration, thoroughly offended that they were so close to intruding in his home. _They have no right! _As harsh as the predicament they were in was, there still was one thing he was sure of: they were wrong. They said that no one was going to die, but he knew better. It wouldn't be either him or Lydia, however - _they_would be the ones to die. Carl refused to accept any other outcome.

**Dot [Dwight]**

So, there they were again, holding up a couple kids just to get to their community. It only made matters more troubling that Carl was the one on the other end of the gun. Though they never worked together during the last war with Negan, Dwight had come to respect his father, even if his ideas had been foolhardy in the end. Now that same man rotted in a cell and would probably remain there until he died. Negan would make sure of that.

Brooks kept his shotgun trained on the two kids as they led them down the trail, away from the clearing. The trees began to constrict their movements, almost claustrophobically so. The chirping of birds filled the air… about the only thing filling the air, really. Silence reigned between them and the kids, giving Dwight plenty of time to think. About what they were doing here. About what path they were about to go down, again.

Did he really want to go through this again? To bring an evil bastard like Negan to a place filled with innocent people?

He'd already had enough months ago. He pulled strings to get the people at Paradise to rise up against Negan and failed. Whoever was left had gone into hiding, which was to be expected. The captured remained tight lipped about who was leading them, giving Dwight all the reason in the world to volunteer for this expedition west. It kept him away from Negan if someone _did _talk.

Now that he thought about it, what was the chance that someone had already?

He lagged behind Brooks, taking in a deep, quiet breath. What was about to happen would ultimately change everything. This was his chance to start again, to find a life for himself that wasn't at the heel of a man he wanted dead. All he had to do was…

It took little effort to aim his pistol at the back of Brooks's head, firing a shot that rang for miles around. The man's head jerked forward, blood and brain matter splattering the nearby trees and Dwight as Brooks collapsed to the ground, still clutching his shotgun tightly. The two kids stopped, and Dwight immediately raised his hands into the air, keeping his finger off the trigger.

Now was the hard part.

"Carl, I need you to listen to me," he started quickly, trying desperately to get every word in before either kid could try to kill him. He needed to give them a reason not to. "The Saviors are expanding, heading out west. We're just the scouting party. There's three others out here. Brooks and I were supposed to meet back up with 'em. If we kill 'em before they can get back to Negan, then we got a shot at keeping that asshole away from here. You understand?"

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

A gunshot rang out, sending a cloud of birds into the air around them. For a second, Carl saw red, and his hand grabbed at the empty air where his gun should have been. Pivoting around, he was once again shocked to see the stranger on the ground with a serious chunk missing from their head. "What the fuck?!" He exclaimed, before he could stop himself. He felt a knot in his stomach, expecting Two-Face to shoot them next, but today was truly a day for surprises. Dwight raised two shaky hands in the air. His finger wasn't on the trigger.

He had to force himself to stand still as the grotesque man tried to explain himself; the other men, the expansion, none of it surprised him. What angle Dwight was playing at was the only thing lost to him. _Do you understand? _His question was met with a scowl from Carl, who instead dove for the gun Brooks had dropped at his feet. Clambering back up, he held the shotgun to his chest and keeping his own finger off the trigger. He didn't point it at Two-Face, but he wasn't going to be the one without a gun in this discussion. Finally, he put together his retort. "What are you playing at? I'm surprised Negan hasn't melted the other half of your face, based on this shit." What possible reason could Dwight have to betray Negan? It had always been apparent that crazy attracted more crazy; was he wrong about this guy?

**Dot [Dwight]**

"I want Negan gone. Same as you," Dwight replied instantly, shaking his head slightly as he realized Carl wasn't going to accept this easily. Who would? He just had them up at gunpoint not ten minutes ago. "I _wanted _him gone," he continued. "Then Rick shows up one day and plans a revolution, and I saw my ticket out. Your father really had a chance, and I wanted him to win. I went against _my _people to help Alexandria, but then your place was gone, and the rest of the communities fell apart after."

He took in a deep breath, letting out in a sigh. "Believe me or not, you don't want them knocking on your door, and it's only gonna be a matter of time unless we take them out _now _."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia's shoulders jolted upwards as a bullet pierced the air, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest, feeling it beating like a drum. She could've sworn that bullet was for her or Carl, that these two assholes were just gonna say _'to hell with it' _and shoot them. But to her surprise, that dickhead that'd shoved the gun in her face slumped to the ground. It only made sense once the man began to explain himself to Carl, only causing Lydia's eyes to widen further in disbelief.

"Carl, don't fucking listen to him. H - He's crazy!" She yelled out in frustration, gesturing towards the guy that was currently leaking brain juice out of the hole in his head. The idiot shot his own guy, and part of her was hoping Carl would just shoot him too. And now the man was asking them to go on some culling mission with him? This was insane.

"They'll just send more to look for the ones that don't come back. A - And if one of them sees you and gets away…" Lydia knew the Savior leader was the reason why Carl ran so far in the first place. There was no doubt in the girl's mind that once this 'Negan' heard a Grimes was still alive and was here, he'd come to find him… then it'd be over for them and all of Jackson.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Lydia's words fell heavily on his judgement, but Carl was still unsure. _Why _should he be unsure? The man was obviously not trustworthy - he'd just killed someone from his own group. He eyed the man's gruesome face; was it really the face of a person he could trust? No one needed to tell him the answer, because this _dog _obviously had a very rabid bite. So why, then, couldn't he bring himself to dispatch the threat and go on with his day?

Unlike Lydia, the mere words that Two-Face spoke were enough to make him hesitate. If they killed them, Negan might come looking or - and this was much more likely - he wouldn't care, assuming that they got killed because of their own stupidity. If they saw Carl, however, they'd return with the news. Negan would come up here personally. If they saw the dam, they'd return with the news. Negan might not care as much, but it was still a brilliant find; a hydroelectric dam that they didn't even have to fix up themselves! As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, the dog might be their only way of making sure no one got back to Negan.

If they had to kill him too, once things were said and done, so be it.

Carl turned to Lydia, trying to put on a reassuring face. "I know we can't trust him. They're all brainwashed maniacs." He told her; Lydia was still the only one on his side in this situation. Then, he turned to face Dwight, and let the gun fall to his hip. "But that doesn't mean he isn't right. We don't know where these other Saviors might be, and he does." Carl furrowed his brow at their temporary ally, giving him a critical stare. "You have one chance to prove yourself; otherwise, we'll grind you up and you'll be nothing but squirrel bait." He threatened, but he didn't point his gun at the man. Trust was take and receive, after all.

**Dot [Dwight]**

Dwight had expected this reaction, though it still made him want to sigh in frustration. He knew that they were just kids, but surely by now they understood how the world worked? Killing a couple Saviors was the equivalent of killing a couple flies, insignificant in the grand scheme of things but at least it gets rid of a pest. Being a Savior and being _loyal _to them were two entirely different things, and it'd been nearly a decade since he'd been _loyal _to them. It took Rick Grimes and his 'revolution' to finally get him off his ass, though, but even then, it turned out to be futile. Maybe he had a chance here, far away from Negan's sphere of influence, and that was _only _if they found the other Saviors and took care of them.

When Carl called him a brainwashed maniac, Dwight kept quiet, deciding that picking a fight with the teenager wouldn't end well. They had to work together, like it or not, so he'd deal with the insults as they came. Sighing, he slipped his pistol back into its holster, eying the two teenagers before brushing past them.

"C'mon. They're probably not far."


	39. Trust, II

_12:27 PM_

**Dot [Dwight]**

They found the rest of his men setting up camp in a clearing near the entrance to a mountain trail, nestled inside what would've been a farmer's market over a decade ago. The entire area was surrounded by a wooden frame that would've supported a cloth-like roof that would be interwoven between metal pipes extending across the gaps between the frames. Years of decay had gotten rid of the cloth, along with parts of the old frame, but various stalls were still evident within the complex.

At the far end, three tents were pitched around a small fire, where one Savior, a young boy named Jeremy, probably no older than twenty or twenty-one, was in the middle of roasting some wild animal on a spit. Nearby, Chris, a built man with a long, graying hair, stood watch, clutching a hunting rifle. Finally, there was the third, Vince, who had the physique of an athlete and brown, close-cropped hair. For now, they were unaware of Dwight's and the teenagers's presence.

Dwight kneeled on the ground, squinting towards the three with contempt. All of them had done horrible things in the name of Negan, so there was no room for mercy. No matter what, they had to do this. He clenched the eye on the burnt side of his face as the feeling of dryness began to become too much to bear. He grabbed the bottle of eye drops from his pocket, taking a moment to moisturize his eyeball before turning his attention to Carl.

"Look, I understand if you two want to hang back. You don't have to kill anyone if you don't want to. I also know that you don't trust me not to sell you out, which is fair. So you decide what you want to do, and I'll follow your lead." _If he's anything like his father, he'll have this under control. _He pushed himself back to his feet, sighing. "If we're quick, we can have this over in under a minute."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

As they arrived on the outskirts of the little camp, he was already thinking of ways to deal with the three Saviors. Could they sneak around the camp from all sides and shoot them? It would require spotless shooting and being very quiet, so maybe it was too risky. Could they lure one away, deal with him, and then face the others three-against-two. _No, _numbers didn't matter in a firefight. Only precision. So the first idea, then? If they were heard, they'd be too spread out to cover each other. What other choice did they have?

Suddenly, Dwight was speaking, and he got an idea. "Alright, then this is what we're going to do." He explained. "Two-face, you're going to approach the camp. Get the attention of the guy on watch, or all three of them if you can. Distract them. Lydia and I will sneak around either side of the camp, and we'll fire simultaneously. You kill the old guy, Lydia can take the other, and I'll take the kid." He set down the shotgun in the grass and pulled out his pistol; it was a much more accurate companion. "We can't afford to miss. Does everyone understand?" His gaze lingered on Dwight longest.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

This whole thing reeked of trouble. She didn't like it. Not one bit. Lydia persisted with trying to convince the boy to back down. It wasn't getting her anywhere, he just outright refused to listen. That kid was adamant, stuck in his ways when it came to keeping the Saviors away. _This _reckless side of him… she could only assume it was driven by Carl's feelings for his dad. That horrible fate his old community had suffered at the hands of the Saviors... Carl couldn't let it happen here again. In a way, she understood why he was doing this.

Carl started barking orders almost as if he was Tommy himself. In a fucked up situation like this, Lydia was always in awe at how quick he was to straighten out and keep his composure when he made plans. It was something he got from his dad, it had to be. Nonetheless, she still didn't think engaging them was safe at all. But what other choice did she have other than to come along? Carl wasn't about to let them live, and _she _wasn't about to leave him alone with that untrustworthy half-faced freak.

Lydia begrudgingly nodded towards the boy, withdrawing her sidearm as she readied herself to follow him. "Guess I'll make sure you don't get yourself killed…"

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl said nothing, eyes still trained on Dwight. His doubts about the man were strong, but he couldn't turn back now. But, what if he betrayed them? Gave away the plan? How could they turn the fight back in their favor? Glancing to Lydia, he hoped that she was considering the same things that he was. If they were suddenly outnumbered and separated, Carl wouldn't be ashamed to run back to the highway. Surely, Lydia would share the same sentiments? Survival is priority number one, after all. Of course, there would be no need to worry if Dwight really _was _trustworthy, which put him back at square one.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Dwight, you need to tell them to 'pack up camp.' When we hear that, we'll shoot." He said. Silently, he was praying. _Be a real Savior for once._"Alright, you two. Let's get this over with." There would be no prize for worrying, only acting. There was no choice but to trust him, now. Slowly, he turned down the left side of the camp, trying to be as quiet as possible. It was a small comfort to sense Lydia creeping along behind him.

Twenty feet along or so, they found a decent vantage point. Carl turned to Lydia after they stopped. "If he betrays us, we shoot him first." He muttered gently. On that note, he settled into a comfortable spot and tightened his grip on his pistol.

**Dot [Dwight]**

Dwight answered Carl's 'order' with a nod, mentally chewing on the plan for a moment before standing up. It was simple enough, and believable. Dwight knew exactly what to say to get them moving, distracted enough to allow Carl and Lydia to get the jump on them. He pulled out his pistol from its holster, clutching it in his hand as he kept to the trees, putting some distance between himself and the two children. Enough to not draw attention their way. When he emerged from the trees and approached the market, he eventually caught their attention, weapons raising for an instant before they were lowered.

He took each step deliberately, aggressively, knowing that this had to look convincing to pull off. "Pack it up, boys. Some assholes caught Brooks and I by surprise, killed him and ran off, and we're gonna catch up with 'em." He stomped into the middle of camp, pointing a finger towards each member of his old crew. "Chris, get the car started. If we're finding these assholes, we need to cover as much ground as possible. Jeremy, get everything back in the car. Vince, help Jerry. C'mon people, let's fuckin' move!"

**Shadowman [Chris]**

"Someone offed Brooks...?" Chris smacked his lips in disappointment, they were all under the impression it was barren out here, but Negan seemed so sure that there'd be something. Maybe in the end, he was right. It was too early to tell if this culprit was a straggler or a part of a bigger community, but he was sure as hell gonna find out. "Goddammit, alright then. Let's get 'em." Chris spoke, walking towards the car without a second thought, swiftly followed by Vince and Jeremy, who began to fumble around with the tents in an attempt to quickly disassemble them.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl was so intent on making his vantage point as comfortable as possible he nearly missed the signal, and Lydia thumped his shoulder to regain his attention. Fumbling with the gun for a second, he regained a grip on it, and aimed. There was the slightest pang as he trained his sights on the clueless boy. _Ha. Here I am calling him a boy, and he's probably older than me. _Regardless of morality, he chose the wrong side to be on. Not his problem.

His eyes locked on to Lydia's for a second, and he nodded. Confident that his shot would be true, his finger stroked the trigger and two _**bangs**_shook the forest.

Carl eyed his target and blinked several times. "No fuckin' way…" He mumbled. He had missed! Lydia's target had an unfortunate mess of a face, but that _brat _had dropped something, bending down to pick it up. The bullet struck the tent and disappeared in the forest beyond, and it was all that the enemy needed to suddenly be on high-alert. He stared at Dwight furiously, hoping that he'd go above and beyond, before getting Lydia's attention. "I fucked up, I know." He admitted, before she could say anything about his shitty aim. "But we need to move, _now. _" Before getting a response, he moved back towards the path that had led them there. If they could just get a different angle, they could pick the rest off.

**Dot [Dwight]**

The two gunshots rang out for miles, nearly deafening in the confined space of the market. Vince's face erupted into a fountain of blood as a bullet burrowed into him, while the other buzzed over Jeremy. Cursing under his breath, he reached for the pistol in its holster, pulling it out just in time to send Chris crashing to the ground, a bullet through his ear and into his brain. The younger boy had fallen to the ground, scrambling away from the scene. Dwight immediately followed after him, stopping in the middle of the aisle as Jeremy broke out into a sprint, heading for something glinting in the noon sun. It took only a couple of seconds for Dwight to figure out what it was, and he lifted his pistol to stop him.

Another two bullets pierced the air, ripping through the boy's leg as he crumpled to the ground, his hand inches away from the shotgun Carl had left behind. Dwight rushed towards him, stomping his foot on the boy's hand as he finally managed to grasp the stock of the shotgun.

He almost respected the look in the boy's eyes. Fierce, defiant, like a bull waiting for its opportunity to charge at a matador. He threw a slew of expletives towards Dwight, though the older man chose to ignore them. He had to flip the switch, to shove his humanity towards the back of his brain. Jeremy was just a kid, despite everything he'd done to earn his position with the Saviors.

Had this been any other situation, he might've let him go.

Instead, he pointed his revolver towards the boy's head, firing off a single bullet in one, smooth motion. The forest surrounded them fell quiet.

He took in a deep breath, looking around to find the two kids nearby. "It's done. You can come out."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia swiftly made sure that her target wouldn't get back up, the body of a person that used to be alive mere seconds ago was slumped down. A dark red mass already pooled on the floor, leaking out of his head. And with that, she'd blindly just killed a man, purely based on the word of Carl alone. She trusted him, of course. But did they deserve it? Everything she'd heard from Carl and the way that Savior asshole pointed the damn gun in her face earlier had her pointing to _yes. _There was a good chance most of them were like _that _guy. It didn't matter, there was no time for regrets now.

_Oh… please no. _She'd been afraid of something going wrong, and there it was. Carl missed his shot. Lydia's head swivelled towards the boy next to her in swift aggression. "Are you fucking kiddi-!" She almost yelled before being promptly cut off, he wasn't having it today. Lydia warned him before, she'd **warned** him something like this could happen. They hadn't seen Carl's face yet, she didn't think. The girl followed after Carl with a bitten tongue, all she could hope for at this point was that Two-Face and the other guy would shoot each other dead.

Sadly, that wasn't the case. The girl sighed at the sound of the sole survivor's voice beckoning them to come out into the open. _Yeah, you can wait. _Lydia mulled over the thought in her mind, before grabbing Carl by the arm, forcing him to look in her direction. She spoke in a hushed tone, they were far enough away that Two-Face probably couldn't hear them, but better safe than sorry.

"Carl, he's the only one left that knows _who _and _where _you are. You get that… right?" It really didn't take a genius to understand what she was getting at here. Lydia wasn't sure of it herself, but if anything… she knew leaving loose ends like this was dangerous.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl eyed Lydia levely, unsure of what to say. Of course he was still potentially a dangerous target, but he'd done nothing to hurt him… _recently. _He had helped them deal with a very dangerous situation, when previously his chances could have been much better. Now it was him against everyone, and there would be no surprises. On the other hand, he had helped them by stabbing his other friends in the back. What could possibly be made of that? It would be a private discussion for him and Two-Face to have later. "I'll always keep an eye on him no matter what, but he's proven to be capable and…" He paused, considering his next words carefully. "You've seen the burns on his face. I don't blame him for wanting to get away from that maniac. And I definitely won't just go shoot someone who's gone to such extreme lengths to earn our trust." On that note, he moved away from Lydia and stepped into the clearing.

The campsite was modest, the few resources they had either packed or dropped on the blood-speckled ground. Three unmoving enemies that no one would miss, but at least the crows and maggots would be grateful. Carl flashed Dwight a weak smile, knowing full well that he'd almost fucked them all up. "Glad to see you made it out in one piece. I appreciate your help in defending our home." He said, walking up to the taller man and extending a hand. Perhaps shaking his hand would signify that Carl was actually going to give him a chance. _Here's the olive branch, dog. Don't make me regret it._

**Dot [Dwight]**

Dwight took the boy's hand and shook it cordially, meeting Carl's gaze with respect. Though he wasn't sure which one of them had missed the shot, Carl was still Rick's son, a man that he both respected and pitied at the same time. A part of him both wanted and feared telling Carl about Rick. The situation was delicate as it was, without adding a sense of potential distrust in Carl the instant Dwight mentioned the boy's father.

Eventually, though, he'll have to find out.

"If you're lucky, the Saviors will think it's too dangerous out here once these guys don't make it back. Might keep them off your lawn." He let go of the boy's hand, glancing towards the bodies littering the market. Was this who he'd become? Someone capable of murdering people he knew without remorse?

Well, he'd done a _lot _worse for the Saviors, hadn't he?

He returned his gaze to Carl, sighing. A question burned in the back of his mind, and eventually, it became too difficult to ignore. "Did anyone else make it out of Alexandria after the war? After Negan demolished your home, I figured you all got killed."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl only managed to hold his tongue, the sharp words unfitting for someone he'd just shook hands with. It was as if he thought the Saviors were idiot barbarians, but Negan was no idiot. Something told him that the Saviors would be back; it may just be more scouts, but the man that Negan was back then probably wouldn't have stayed away if a scouting party didn't return. He might just suspect that someone else had stopped him - they'd all survived for fourteen years by now, after all. Even close calls like in the clearing, those were a part of life sometimes, but man had bested walker. If Carl came to that conclusion, Negan probably had, too.

Man was man's most prominent enemy, even in this world.

So he was silent, appreciating the trail of corpses that the day's events had left behind. He realized that he was not directly responsible for any of them - besides killing the clicker, of course, but that thing had _died _a long time ago - with an odd satisfaction. Two-Face must have been uncontented with the silence, however, because before Carl had even moved another question was launched his way; one that he could answer with ease.

"You probably knew Andrea, right? Rick's girlfriend?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned away from the grisly scene and began stalking off towards the trail. "Well, she's back at home. I don't know about anyone else." Then, he stopped. "Oh, she's in charge, too." He added as an afterthought, waiting for them to join him by the trees.

**Dot [Dwight]**

The instant Andrea's name left Carl's mouth, Dwight began to regret this entire thing. Oh, he remembered her alright. She hadn't approved of Rick working with Dwight, especially after everything he'd done to them before he turned against Negan. They'd probably never forgive him for Abraham, though he didn't want them to. What he'd done for that asshole… he was accountable for it. Always accountable. He'd done them of his own volition, even if they were done for someone else.

He only hoped that time had mellowed out Andrea, and this reunion wouldn't turn out to be his demise.

Though a small part of him hoped that it would be.

* * *

_2:11 PM_

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

His brother had left as quickly as he'd arrived. When he found out that Tommy wasn't going to handle the situation for him, there had been no chance to stop them. Well, it wasn't like he _actually _had control over them. Their leaving happened, and there was nothing that could be done. The cure may die on the road, the barbaric Fireflies may actually develop it, but that didn't matter anymore. It was out of his control.

His brother, Joel, left as quickly as he'd arrived, and Tommy was relieved. He was not prepared for the responsibility.

The sun rose on another day, and Joel had already faded. He had to focus on his people. At the moment, he found himself in the company of Eddie, sitting by the front gate. Several people had reported hearing gunshots in the hills. If it was someone in their community, guns were a weapon only used when necessary, and there would be an explanation. If it wasn't someone in their community, well… he didn't want to think about that scenario yet.

So they sat atop the wall, staring at the treeline. Tommy was bouncing his knee, anxious for something to happen, but Eddie was as lax as always. Thumbing through his book, he spoke to Tommy, "Y'know, I sit here every day for a reason. You don't have to sit here with me."

Tommy snorted, crossing his arms and shifting on the uncomfortable stool. "I spend plenty of time on my ass, too. What makes doing it here any different?" A bored shrug was all he got in response.

He turned his attention back to the trees, and something caught his eye. A flash of blonde in the trees. Focusing on the path, he heard someone on the other side of the gate announce that they could see movement, and his pace quickened. Three people came into view through the shrubbery, and he immediately identified one as Lydia. That meant one of the other ones had to be Carl, but that left no explanation for the third person. They got closer, and he could tell that it was obviously a man - he was at least a full head taller than the kids.

Standing up and stepping away from Eddie, he started down the wall's ladder. He had no way of knowing what awaited him on the other side of the gate.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl felt apprehensive as he spied several men atop the wall. He should have seen it coming. Tommy or Andrea would have extra guards stationed after hearing so many gunshots out in the woods. He was hyper-aware of Dwight, the stranger/previous enemy, walking beside him. Their walk had been peaceful and sincerely lacking in surprises, giving him hope that things would work out. They could only hope that Andrea would be forgiving, and no one else would ask too many questions.

The great gate drew close, and he took a deep breath. Things would work themselves out. Even if they reprimanded him for bringing Dwight, it had seemed like the best course of action. Carl would rather not have the extra blood on his hands.

A call came from the wall and he saw Eddie waving from atop; he waved back. They all mostly looked relieved to see the two of them back okay, but he could see a few odd glances directed at Two-Face. Doing his best to ignore it, he waited patiently for the gate to open.

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

Tommy sauntered over to the gate and stood as close to it as he could, watching the guards haul the heavy doors to the side. The gate opened with a clang, and the trio entered. They didn't look ragged, per se, but he could see leaves in Lydia's hair and flecks of blood on Carl's clothes. The youngsters were forgotten when he layed eyes on Dwight, however.

The stranger looked like he had come out of an old horror movie, half of his face a relatively normal and scruffy man but the other half a hideous mass of wrinkled scar tissue. He had a blank disposition and grim eyes, as if his face was a wall that no investigating would knock down. They approached, the guards stopped them and collected weapons, and Tommy never took his eyes off of the stranger. Just from the way this man carried himself said that he probably trusted them less than they trusted him.

Clicking his tongue, he pulled out his walkie-talkie slowly and muttered into it, "Andrea, you'd better come to the gate. We've got a guest." He frowned and shook his head out of his thoughts, stepping forward to greet the guest. "Carl, Lydia, it's good to see that you made it back," he told them warmly. Then, he turned a quizzical expression to the man, but held out a hand to shake nonetheless. "What's your name, stranger?"

**Dot [Dwight]**

The amount of times Dwight had approached communities like this were verging on numerous, but this one had a special case of anxiety attached to it. Being with the Saviors, they'd always had the upper hand, and with Negan swinging his bat around, Dwight hardly had to lift a finger in the 'negotiations'. This, however, was different.

He was alone. He'd betrayed his group, for the second time. He was putting his faith in a group that hardly trusted him and hardly had any reason to keep him alive. In a way, he couldn't _help _but feel anxious.

His gaze took in the impressive display of the Jackson community before eventually falling onto a man that seemed to be running things at the gate, who'd extended a hand to greet him. He took it, trying to smile casually as he spoke up. "Dwight." He glanced past the man for an instant, before letting his gaze return to him. "Quite the place you got here, mister…?"

**Screamin' Eagles [Tommy]**

The man seemed to soak up his surroundings, his eyes darting every which way as he entered the community. Probably sizing us up, Tommy concluded. He didn't let it sully his welcoming smile. "You can call me Tommy." He told the man - Dwight - before waving at the men on the wall. Now that everyone had come home, there was no reason to keep the gate open. With another metallic crash, the heavy door had closed them in. It was hard to tell how Dwight felt about this, based on his twisted expressions alone.

Well, now it was a waiting game. "I'm not quite the person in charge," he explained to their guest. "I co-lead with someone else, and she's on her way. Take a look around, while we wait." He turned away from the stranger, then, trusting that Carl and Lydia wouldn't let him wander too far off. He wanted to see what Dwight would do.

**Dot [Andrea]**

"No need, I'm already here." Andrea called out as she hastily approached the scene. Any sense of politeness went out the window, though, as soon as she realized who she was looking at, standing at their gates like a ghost. She stopped a few feet away from Tommy, narrowing her eyes. He seemed to expect this reaction, his expression remaining unchanged.

"Dwight," she spoke the man's name as if it were an insult, though she wasn't sure whether or not she really meant it that way. He nodded his head once, clearing his throat.

"Good to see you made it out okay," he spoke evenly, a hint of concern that she didn't believe for a second.

She'd never trusted Dwight, even while he was 'working' with Alexandria to get back at the Saviors. During the war, he'd proven to be a valuable ally, but not a trustworthy one in the least. Only made matters worse when the Saviors steamrolled over Alexandria and the survivors had to scatter into the countryside. She had no idea what Dwight had been up to since then, but she could only guess.

And she didn't like it.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was emotionless, though a hint of bitterness lied beneath the surface.

"Negan's expanding his horizons. Couple guys and I were out scouting when we ran into Carl and the girl. I saw an opportunity to get out, so I took it. The others are dead." The way he talked about the Saviors was callus, and for once… Andrea couldn't fault him for it. "I'm here to help," he continued, taking in a deep breath. "In whatever capacity you let me. Things have changed, Andrea. _I've _changed. I'm just… ready to put the past behind me."

Her lips twisted into a half frown, and she glanced towards Carl with a hint of disapproval, though she was curious to see what he'd say on Dwight's behalf. With a small nod towards Dwight, she glanced back towards Tommy.

"Take 'em to your office. We'll deal with him later."

Tommy nodded, escorting the ex-Savior deeper into Jackson. Andrea let out a breath, trying desperately to clear her mind. Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

She turned towards Carl, taking a step towards him with her hands on her hips. "What's your take on this? You trust 'em?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Trailing at the back of the mini group that formed near the entrance stood Lydia, her arms folded and her head swung the other way in disgust. Was there even a point in arguing against this? She'd already desperately _tried _with Carl, and was getting the feeling he would vouch for the so called 'former Savior.' Even worse, Andrea wasn't gonna listen to her over _him _, no way. Right now, Lydia just decided it'd be best to stop giving a shit and let the rest deal with it, for the sake of her own health. Especially since in light of everything that happened, her head was only going back to one place. It all just felt… _confusing _, Two-Face and the Savior drama aside. The talk between her and Carl at that old playground, then getting jumped by that clicker... Lydia's mind was glued to those events, replaying them over and over.

She couldn't keep standing here. And she sure as hell wasn't planning on being around for the eventual questioning on how they found that guy. Carl could explain it, because this was all on him. With her mind made up, the girl took a stride backwards with a quickened pace, before fully turning around while the rest were occupied as she began to walk off.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

_Here it was. _The fated question. Carl had already come to the conclusion that his word would be a major defining factor on how much they trust Dwight, so when it came down to it? What _did _he think of Dwight?

Clearing his throat, he lowered his voice and spoke, "I don't really know what his deal was back in the day. I was a little out of it, being as young as I was. But I know that they had already disarmed us, and Dwight turned on his teammate to save us." The words felt bitter, admitting that he'd been taken hostage and saved by a former enemy. He balanced on the balls of his feet, unsure of how to proceed. It was hard to take a side, but Dwight had been nothing but cooperative and even friendly thus far.

"I say he can stick around, but we need to keep an eye on him. We might want help if the Saviors come back, right?" An extra guy with a gun never hurt, when it came to protecting what was theirs.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea regarded Carl with a keen eye, looking for anything that he might be conveying underneath it all. Anything that might tell her if he wasn't absolutely sure on this. When she found nothing, she simply nodded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Then we'll do that." She sighed, shifting as she leaned against the side of the wall. "By the end of it all, after I'd already pegged Dwight for what I thought he was… your father, he-" Her words got caught in her throat, thinking about Rick Grimes again only made her realize the void that'd been left in his absence. One that she had to fill, alongside Tommy. "He still gave Dwight a chance. If things turned out differently… this might've been a nice reunion. He's going to have to earn our trust, now."

"But this… this is a start, I guess."


	40. Promise, I

_10:14 AM - October 30, 2025 - University of Eastern Colorado_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The air was cool and crisp, a gentle breeze rushing through the street as Whiskers carried Clementine and Lee towards the looming mass of buildings that made up the University of Eastern Colorado. The road ahead was clogged with rusted cars, and the road itself had turned mostly to grass and moss. They were approaching a large opening in the brick fence surrounding the college, the letters UEC were attached to the side of the brick wall, nearly as rusted as the cars surrounding them. A sign hung on the wall haphazardly, indicating the entrance.

Lee held the reigns now, most of the journey being spent with Clementine giving him tips on how to maneuver and handle Whiskers's strength. The man was still getting used to surpassing his fear of losing his balance and falling off the damn thing. Luckily, because they were naturally a lot slower, Whiskers had developed a bit of a habit. He always kept that other horse in front of them in his sights, following his trail, it was almost like he didn't want to get separated from his buddy. It sure as hell made it a lot easier on Lee when it came to keeping up.

It was almost over now, the Fireflies they'd set out to find just about in reach. If Lee could get there without falling off… His eyes glazed over the small patches of overgrowth, taking note of a ripped up Homecoming sign that hung from the wall, flopping in the wind. He half-turned his head over to Clem behind him as they rode through.

"How am I doing?"

**Art [Clementine]**

The great thing about traveling on horseback was always the fresh air, the light gusts of wind that pushed her locks of brown hair back at every opportunity. Keeping the horses fed, sleeping out in the open… it wasn't as easy as napping in the back of the van, _no, _but it did make for a far more exciting trip.

It gave her plenty of time to teach Lee how to ride. Short lessons at first, that given enough time evolved into the two of them taking turns. Whiskers wasn't a fan. That blockhead wasn't much of a fan of _people _in general. He loved fighting back, whipping his head to the sides like a punk. It made those lessons a living hell, though they were a challenge the girl took in stride. So long as he kept getting apples, they'd be doing _fine._

With Lee's glance came a question Clem had been expecting, and one she was happy to answer. "Better," nodded the girl, pride embedded in her voice whilst her eyes shifted toward the reigns. "Just don't pull on it too hard or he'll get jumpy." The silence was nice, too. No more roaring engines or accidental alarms. Ellie still wouldn't shut up, granted, but Clem'd take what she could get.

Their next stop was coming to a head, and Clementine's eyes were glistening with enthusiasm. _A university… _The Fireflies almost took a backseat to the buzz of seeing such a big place for the first time. And as usual, with interest came curiosity.

"You used to teach in one of these, right?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

And with that, Clementine may have opened up a line of conversation she wouldn't be able to get out of for a while; he could go on about his teaching days for several hours. Just being back on campus was enough to get him nostalgic about his time as a history professor.

"UGA was similar to this. _Really _similar." He nodded before trailing off, visualising himself walking down one of these pathways, coffee in one hand, suitcase in the other, making his way to the lecture hall.

"For a lot of people, this place was their ticket to finally getting their dream jobs."

**Art [Clementine]**

As the thought snuck into her head, Clementine lost herself to it, her eyes trailing off to the large building ahead. All the noise and the commotion… she could practically feel it, or at least about as much as her imagination allowed her to. It wasn't that long ago when people used to study there, like a school, only twice, maybe three times as big. A relic of the past…

…not all that unlike the concept of a _'dream job'. _People from the old world were so lucky. What she wouldn't give to have gone to a place like UEC one day. To have her parents drive her up to the entrance... chat up with friends about some stupid dream job and complain about student fees. Fantasizing about it would have to suffice, sadly. With Lee, though, it was a different story altogether. He had all the time _in the world _to worry about that sort of trivial stuff. "What was yours?"

"I mean… did you always want to be a teacher?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

For as long as he could remember, teaching was his pride and joy. Lee could happily say he was content with what he did. That was why when Clementine asked the question he actually had to think twice.

"When my dad was getting older, he wanted my brother and I to take over at the pharmacy… always talked about trying to expand the drugstore, so I thought I'd end up doing something in business or property." He shook his head, he could still hear his father lecturing both him and his brother about working together at the drugstore. That place was like a second house for them.

"I tried a few things before studying teaching, just wasn't happy with them. Nothing felt better than waking up in the morning and actually going to study something you_didn't _hate. That was rare back then, so that's how I knew teaching was right for me. It was all just trial and error until you found the right thing for yourself."

**Dot [Ellie]**

They drew deeper into the parking lot bordering the university, Ellie's gaze focusing on the vast buildings that surrounded them. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lee and Clem's horse catching up to them, until they were sauntering next to them. She glanced back towards the university, eyes furrowing. "Okay. None of these buildings look like a mirror to me."

**Art [Clementine]**

Past the entrance, not much was novel. Rotting cars encircled the parking lot in small batches, as did the lots, _lots _of grass. For once you'd think they'd find a place that _didn't _ look like a trash heap… especially if the Fireflies were hunkered down in the university for as long as they were supposed to be. Clem pouted her lips, begrudgingly welcoming the stench of rust crawling up her nose.

Maybe that was just wishful thinking.

Poking her head out from Lee's back, the girl scanned the buildings for the so-called 'giant mirror', finding about as much success as whoever had the job of guarding that main gate they'd sauntered through. "Best we keep looking…" Clem said in a low voice, wary of the silence that had welcomed them; a red flag that wouldn't stop weighing on her mind. _Mirror. Science building… and where is that?_

"Anywhere we can get a better look?" She asked aimlessly, raising a brow. _It's like a maze in here._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"They gotta have a campus map around here somewhere. Should tell us exactly where this building is supposed to be." Lee spoke before trailing off, looking around at the old-styled structures. It wouldn't be that hard to spot out a _giant mirror _from the rest, but maybe that was because they weren't in the right position yet. _Think... where would these guys put up the campus map?_

Back at the UGA, they had it outdoors in an open area, usually where they thought the new students would be able to easily spot it out. Of course he was just relying on his own university's layout to make a guesstimate, but it was the best one he could make currently. If they still didn't see this supposed giant mirror by the time they got to the map, then at least it would tell them where to go; it was insurance.

"It might be in the courtyard, should be towards the middle of campus up thataways." He gestured his head over to a proposed path that headed inwards. "Better view, too."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"We can just head for the central grounds. Should be able to see most of the campus from there." He told Ellie, now looking at Lee. "Yeah, what he said." Joel proposed, the horse kicking up in speed again. _Sorry, not the horse. Callus. _What kind of a name was Callus anyways? Joel had no idea what that even meant. _Callus. _Joel figured that a campus map was unlikely after the two decades they had been out of production around these parts, likely decaying or brushed aside by the wind. "I wouldn't bother looking for a map, Lee. Don't think any are left." He called to Lee as he spurred Callus forward, heading deeper into the campus.

He looked back at Ellie for a second, making sure she was still hanging on, before letting his eyes wander to the wastes of the college. He had never been able to come to one of these; not after Sarah. He had considered it, of course, but it would never have worked out, not with everything he had to deal with at home.

**Art [Clementine]**

And so, that's where they went. With Lee in charge, on the reigns, that's how stuff usually worked out. His riding was still kinda rough, but he more than made up for it with confidence. Whiskers hated it when they acted bossy, like a whiny little kid, but Lee wouldn't have any of it. Maybe in that regard, he was better than her at it… just a tiny bit.

While the horse leapt over concrete roadblocks - the kind that were scattered throughout the place, and covered in barb wire - Clementine held firmly onto Lee, a hint of a smile taking over her expression. "I'm glad you… found your _'right thing' _."

It sounded really hard… trying to figure out your place in the world, back before when there still was one. Imagining Lee as anything other than a professor was a struggle unlike any other. _I guess he just knew it when he saw it. Trial and error… right? _"You're pretty good at it," the girl pointed out with a smirk while Whiskers traversed through the remnants of the university. _Better than a horse rider, at least._

Thus came back the silence she enjoyed so much, everyone seemingly too busy searching for that map to say anything. Clem wasn't so concerned. The place was so huge, it was hard not to keep staring at literally _everything else._

"Y'know, Mom used to be a doctor before." He knew that. At least she was pretty sure he did. Lee had to sit through enough talks about her parents to last two lifetimes. "I bet she would've wanted me to be one too."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"I always figured that's where you inherited your knack for it, from the day you stitched up your own arm." He added with an amused grin, guiding Whiskers onwards deeper into the university. Lee felt a slight amount of pressure now that they were the ones taking lead with Joel and Ellie trailing behind, he'd just have to try not to screw up with the horse.

"After we find the Fireflies, if you want to pursue something like that. You have my blessing." He encouraged, she was already like his personal doctor already with how many times she'd fixed his wounds. He could definitely see Clementine going the medical field route for work in the near future. The kid was intelligent, switched-on, and resilient. And he was sure the rebel group would have the facilities there to teach her. It was all too exciting to think about, the possibilities in their future.

**Art [Clementine]**

"We'll see," the girl replied with amusement, tilting her head to the side as she mulled over the idea. Being a doctor didn't sound so bad. Sort of like Katjaa, 'cept… on people rather than animals. They used to rely on her so much, half the time you couldn't tell the difference.

Up ahead, past a large tree drowned in orange, was a chain-link fence about Lee's size. Too big for Whiskers to jump over, and too long to go around. They stopped for a moment, eyeing the object standing in their path, before Clem adjusted the tip of her hat, dismounting the horse. "I got it," she said, confidence in her voice, her boots colliding with the dirt below.

The girl inspected the fence a little closer, finding a door Whiskers could just barely squeeze through. It, however, refused to open, no matter how much she wanted it to. The sound of a chain being violently tugged on made as much really clear. _Locked. Of course. _She could feel Lee's eyes on her, like he was about to tell her to give up and get back on the horse. _No way. _Clementine went on the tip of her toes, placing her palms on top of the fence and pulling herself upward with some help of her feet. Once she was over the edge, Clem leapt toward the other side, letting out a heavy breath after the fact. _There we go. Easy._

The lock was the hard part. There wasn't much in the way of options besides smashing their way through. So, that's what she did. Clementine reached for the knife in her holster, swinging at the lock with its handle. It didn't do much the first time, besides make a lot of noise. A sigh was followed by another attempt, and another, until…

It fell apart on its own, all that rust forcing it to give in and meet the dirt. _Huh._

With that out of the way, it was as simple as pushing the door with her foot. Doing so, prompting it to make a satisfying grinding sound. _Score! _As she walked back to the horse, Clementine extended her hand, hoping Lee would help her back up. It was kinda hard otherwise, given her… _size._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Nice work." Lee smiled, a sense of of pride washing over him. After all, there was a time he'd probably get upset at her for pulling a stunt like that. He held out his hand for her to grab, helping her back up on the horse. Lee hunched his head downwards and tried to shrink himself as they just barely managed to squeeze through the opening.

He gave a brief thumbs up towards Ellie and Joel, letting them know it was clear to come through. Once they trotted onwards, an open grounds could be seen as they turned the corner. It ended up looking a lot more bland than Lee was expecting, he supposed he could blame wear and tear over the past fourteen years for that. However, regardless of Joel's suggestion, Lee wouldn't give in just yet on finding that map. At first glance, there wasn't much in sight besides tattered garden beds and rotten benches scattered around the yard.

"There's gotta be something, keep your eyes peeled."

**Art [Clementine]**

_Gotta be something. Right. _The further they rode, the harder it became to be so optimistic. Nevermind how creepy it was in there, the lack of any sign of _anything _was downright uncanny. _Geez. _Even spotting a walker or two would help her feel more at ease. It's no wonder, then, that the moving foliage in the distance nearly caused the girl to jump on her seat. Probably raccoons, right…? Or a Firefly scientist crawling on all fours. Now that'd be a sight.

Though the absence of any Fireflies went on to linger, Clementine did spot a small board from the corner of her eye, urging Lee to head towards it. At first glance, it looked like they'd hit the jackpot. Numerous schedules were plastered across the wall, some warnings about a 'disease', even, that probably showed up too late to do any good. When the girl's eyes landed on the map, however, there was nothing but letdown in them. "Aw, it's all torn up... " Most of it was, enough so to make it unreadable. It wasn't even ripped off or anything… it'd just sorta corroded with time.

It led to more galloping, anyway. More wandering around following Andrea's direction, which was looking pretty vague in hindsight. What the hell did she even _mean _by 'a giant mirror'? And why was it so fucking hard to find? Clem found herself hunching backward, looking to sit more comfortably on the horse, knowing they'd be searching for a while. _What a drag._

And so they searched, passing through the likes of cafeterias and libraries - the latter grabbing Clem's meandering attention. "It's all pretty barren here," she stated the obvious, eyes narrowing in boredom. Even from a distance, she could tell Joel and Ellie were yapping on about something or other. It'd be a lie to say she wasn't a little jealous. "Okay…" Clementine uttered to nab Lee's attention, rubbing her hands together. Gosh, it was getting cold...

"Worst memory of UGA. Go."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Dammit, looks like Joel was right." The apparent sign board they'd found was beyond recognizable, its wear and tear well within effect, probably from harsh weather over the years. _Looks like we just gotta wing it, onwards to central grounds then. _He smacked his lips as he gave the reigns a tug, coercing Whiskers onwards.

"Yeah, it is." Clementine had taken notice too, at the fact that there wasn't a peep from any Firefly so far. But it was too early to tell, they were probably all hunkered down in this so called 'mirror building' they had yet to find. These buildings were so damn tall that it was hard to get a beat on what was ahead.

His thoughts were interrupted as a question was thrown at him by Clem, probably to help her pass the time. "Oh, uh…" Lee thought about it as best as he could, there were a lot of off days that stuck out, mainly from lack of coffee. But one memory came into the forefront.

"There was this one time… everyone's group history presentation was due, like homework. We'd put it up on a big screen like an electronic slideshow, and they'd have to explain to the class what they wrote up in response to question I gave them..."

"Anyway there was this one girl that got up to speak in front of class… Didn't notice she was looking nervous until she started stammering." He shook his head, feeling like gagging at the thought of it. "Next minute she starts clearing her throat, then covers her mouth… and then, uh…. she projectile vomited… all over my desk. It was pretty nasty."

**Art [Clementine]**

Speaking up in front of the _whole _class? Clementine could feel her brows furrowing as the thought was drilled into her head, a chill in her arms that wouldn't go away. That wasn't like homework at all. It sounded ten times worse. That slideshow thing seemed pretty cool, though, like in one of those fancy board meetings? Still, the story got pretty gnarly as it went on.

"_Nooo…" _Clem uttered in surprise, holding back a fit of laughter and refusing to believe it at the same time. She knew all about vomiting, but _projectile vomiting? _Like a waterhose?! "That's so gross!" The girl shut one of her eyes, grimacing, trying to drive the thought away. _All over the desk, too. Oh, yuck... _"Then what happened? What'd you do? Was she okay?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"I called a break, got everyone out of class." He felt bad about the both of them joking about it, the smallest of smirks creeping up on him. That acidic disgusting smell of vomit, it paled in comparison to walker guts nowadays, but back then that was just one of the worst things.

"Her partner ended up having to do the whole presentation for her, the sick girl was fine... but, yeah." He trailed off, trying to put it in a way the teen would understand. "Some people used to put a lot of pressure on themselves when it came to studying and getting good marks. _Too _much pressure."

**Art [Clementine]**

_I know what that's like, _Clem thought to herself, a sheepish smile creeping into her expression. It must've sucked for that girl… none of her classmates would let her live something like _that _down. Ever.

As awesome as it would've been to talk about puking for the rest of the morning, Clementine decided to drop the subject, letting the silence set in once more. The harsh, cold wind ringing in her ears, the occasional neighing from Whiskers, which always sounded like whining… It didn't do much to keep her mind from drifting someplace else.

Clem couldn't stop thinking about Joel, of all things. It'd been that way for the past few months, ever since they left Jackson behind. After that whole Ellie mess and the sudden one-eighty he pulled, she couldn't settle on what to think anymore. Clementine had a hunch Lee felt that way too. She put off that sort of _'talk' _for a while, hoping the thought would go away on its own… but with their first sign of the Fireflies on the horizon, she felt it was worth bringing up. "You think Joel's gonna want to leave again?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He'd been expecting it, a question like that, for some time now. The only surprise that came was how long it took for her to ask. It was something he thought about from time to time when they left Jackson, although a lot less now that they were almost at the end of their journey. The man briefly glanced over to the other pair, who seemed to be indulging themselves in conversation. Joel looked… happier? And so did Ellie. It was something he'd noticed every passing day since they left Jackson.

"I think it's for good this time. Besides, it's a _long _way back now." Lee shook his head; he reckoned Joel and Ellie must've hashed out their plan by now. Had a long talk about it, of course there was no saying for sure, but… he trusted Joel to do what was right. There were questions that were still left unanswered, if they would be able to formulate a cure from Ellie? What next? Would they be staying with the Fireflies like they were… or would Joel want to take her elsewhere? Lee valued Joel's privacy enough not to ask, they'd just have to see.

"What do _you _think?"

**Art [Clementine]**

She thought a lot of things, most of them not so optimistic. The guy was as bitter as coffee, and he liked to keep it that way… Felt like he did it just to spite her, sometimes. Only person stubborn enough to crack through that shell of his was Ellie, to varying degrees of success. Every time anyone made a step closer to the old guy he was already two steps ahead, backing away in a hurry.

"I wish I knew. Honest." That was the best she could give him, lowering her head in defeat. With the way things were, there really weren't a lot of options other than waiting and hoping for the best. The girl's chin did perk up, though. Something else - just as important - crossing through her mind and spreading like wildfire. "We're staying, though, right? With Ellie?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"The only thing I know is that we're staying with the Fireflies." Lee spoke, choosing to be direct with her. After all, this had been their plan from the beginning. It was still too early for him to start assuming things; Ellie could very well want to stay with the Fireflies too, or not. Regardless, it wasn't something they'd have to keep wondering about for very much longer. Maybe it warranted a conversation between the four soon, after they got there.

"I… haven't asked what _their _plans are yet."

**Art [Clementine]**

Lee's response had all kinds of rash words being held back by Clementine and her puffed up cheeks, the girl fighting not to raise her voice, to fire back by saying something on impulse.

Like hell was she gonna split with her best friend, even if they weren't on great terms anymore. Sure it was selfish, the prospect of giving up on the Fireflies, the whole thing, just so she could stay with her... heck, the assumption that Ellie even _wanted to, _after Clem gave her the cold shoulder for well over a month. That's probably why she refrained from saying anything, and it made her all the more frustrated that she did. It wasn't sensible at all to make a fuss about it, much less to get pissed off at Lee for saying what he did.

…'Cause he was right. They didn't know what Joel and Ellie's plans were, and they sure couldn't change their own on a whim like that. Clementine settled for a sigh, one that let out all the tension welled up in her throat. Maybe that was something she'd have start preparing for… Ellie and Joel parting ways with them. Just more bleak crap hanging over her head, added to the pile...

If anything, it made the rest of the ride pretty miserable.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Her attention was drawn away from the sudden shift in temperature as she noticed something in the distance, towering over the rows of buildings they were trotting along.

The building was _massive _, seemingly newer than the rest of the campus surrounding them. Its sleek design seemed familiar, which had her pointing towards it excitedly, shouting. "Hey! Over there. Is that it?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel glared at where she pointed, his eyes vibrant in the clouding sky. "Looks like it. We better get headed over."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee's head pricked up in the direction of Ellie's voice, who seemed to be calling out and pointing at something. He was quick to give a tug of the reigns and send Whiskers trotting over, eager to see the new discovery. Needless to say he wasn't left disappointed. There was no doubt about it, above the row of buildings in the distance there was one that stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Yep, that's a giant mirror if I've ever seen one." It was almost like a treasure now, seeing buildings this big. Since FEDRA, it'd been small towns and a lot of trees for Clementine and himself. It was crazy to think that for other groups, massive areas like these were the norm, almost like the old days.

Nonetheless, onwards they went in its direction. Navigating through the decrepit and run-down pathways was a slight chore, but they managed just fine. Of course, getting to the Fireflies was the main priority, but right now Lee just couldn't wait to be invited indoors to get away from this chill in the air.

It wasn't long before their path took them to a big, grassy clearing, a large statue of a man… possibly the founder of this place, stood in the middle. But that wasn't what caught Lee's eye.

"Oh god." The man uttered in surprise at the troop of monkeys down below that had spotted them and their horses first. Screeching and hooting as they rumbled off towards another end of the courtyard.

**Art [Clementine]**

They'd found the sciency mirror place, finally, and _boy _was it big. A real monster building. Did the Fireflies all live there? She'd never been inside one that hadn't been all wrecked before. It was almost kind of weird, seeing one standing up, all neat and shiny, but it just made it all the more glorious to look at. So much so, that the cold was the last thing going through the girl's head, for once.

Suddenly, Clementine heard it again. More noise, something tiny sneaking around the bushes. Most days she would've guessed a skunk. Maybe a cute bunny on a good day, if all the luck stars aligned.

Never _this._

"Oh, no way!" She had to suppress her voice, all that excitement coming out in a whisper. Monkeys! So, so many of them, climbing on posts and abandoned trucks, squeaking like crazy. The fuzzy things were off as fast as they came, running with their tail tucked between their legs, literally, for some. I mean, it'd be a huge, massive miracle if they ever caught up to them, and even if they did, they'd probably be carrying diseases and stuff… but wow, what she wouldn't do to check one out up close.

Fireflies or not, getting to see that little band of troublemakers made the whole trip pretty worth it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

They'd finally found it, the building where the Fireflies were supposedly holed up, and a sense of unease had started to tickle up the back of her neck. Despite how excited she was to finally be at the end of this journey, not knowing how this was going to go down only fueled the anxiety filling her veins.

Luckily, she wouldn't have to dwell on it, though, as the sight of a group of creatures moving about the courtyard they were entering caught her and Clementine's attention. Her smile grew, and she pointed towards them excitedly. "Oh shit, look! Monkeys." She couldn't help the smile that was plastered on her face; seeing an _actual _monkey wasn't something she expected she'd ever be able to do, but _man _, did it live up to expectations.

They moved together towards a building separating them from the football field, and her eyes followed them, entranced. _This is so fucking cool!_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As brief as it was, it was nice to see their reaction to the little critters. Maybe it was good they granted them the luxury of running off before one of the kids asked to get a closer look. Who knew how many types of nasties those things were carrying, as cute as they might have seemed.

As they moved forward into whatever was left of the courtyard, Lee couldn't help but find the odd absence of any human activity a tad troublesome. _Shouldn't we have seen something by now? A guard or something? _Of course, he wouldn't say much until they got to the science building… then they'd know for sure. There was no doubt in Lee's mind this is where they were holed up, given all the symbols they'd seen spray painted on walls around here. That crescent being unmistakable to the man.

"Here we go." Lee finally broke the long silence with a tinge of satisfaction in his voice, both of their horses coming to a full halt. They had another sign of human activity and a possible way forward, one that stuck out like a sore thumb. In front of them was a large electrically-controlled gate, which he could now see the now much less distant science building through.

A control panel with various cords leading to the other side was bolted to the wall, along with a message presumably left for whichever guard was posted up to watch the generator on the other side of this gate.

"Don't suppose the guard was clumsy enough to leave the cord in before he left." The man smirked, of course knowing it was never going to be that easy.

**Art [Clementine]**

The text was kind of blurry, hard to make out words written with some type of chalk. Clementine found herself narrowing her eyes, staring bemusedly at it, before reading them out loud in a low voice. "Disconnect generator… when not on duty." Right. She knew what those were. Like the ones on the dairy farm. _Eugh. _She was probably the last one to piece it together, all things considered, but there really wasn't much mystery to the predicament they'd found themselves in.

There was no one _on _duty, so no power. That meant they couldn't get past the gate.

They tried, anyway. Not that she expected Ellie to be able to lift it all on her own or anything, but Clem supposed it was worth a shot, even if she didn't bother trying it herself. The girl stayed on her horse, waiting for a solution that obviously wasn't about to show up on its own. They could wait, maybe… someone could pop up on the other side, right? Or was that wishful thinking? There weren't any locks to bust this time, so brute force was out of the equation. _... But if we found another car? Couldn't we ram it? _

She voiced neither of those more devil-may-care ideas, worried that someone might make fun of her for it. When no one else stepped up with any of their own - that's when she started to worry. "What now…?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The monkeys were a pleasant surprise. Pleasant for the time being. If monkeys were running around the university, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the Fireflies were... gone. Joel's hands clenched the reins tighter, his expression turning sour for a brief moment, before returning to neutrality. "First time seeing a monkey?" He asked Ellie, prodding the horse forward, after Lee and Clem. It was hard for him to even think of a world where a kid had never been to a zoo, never seen a monkey... he had gone to the zoo often whenever Sarah was younger. It was a hard thought, indeed.

The gate did not lighten his thoughts.

Joel frowned, looking over the dead generator and the crooked text on the wall. "One way to get a message across." He mumbled, barely audible for the others to hear. He looked down at Lee, descending from his horse and shaking his head. "No, I s'pose that'd be too easy." He turned and looked at the other two, glancing at Clementine as she questioned the elder members of the group. "Girls, stay with the horses. Come on Lee, the cord is probably around here somewhere. We can find it." He pushed forward, not waiting for an answer.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Alright then, let's see what we can do." Lee nodded in agreeance with the Texan, before letting out a small huff as he slowly dismounted the horse. Right now, they just had to find a way to get those horses through, and getting the gate working seemed to be their best bet.

Once both of his feet were on the ground, he gave the horse a slight scratch behind the ears, now glancing over to Clementine. "Keep a lookout, we won't be far." His gaze then followed Joel as he was quick to take point, ducking under some debris to get through a doorway that led into a building near them. "See you on the other side." Lee exchanged a nod with the girl, before following the other man out of sight.


	41. Promise, II

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Apart from being completely desolate of activity, the dorm rooms they were travelling through seemed relatively untouched. Lee's eyes fanned over to the man in front of him as they walked. He thought about why Joel decided to change his mind all those months ago. But it really wasn't something that needed to be talked about. In Lee's mind, the reason was obvious enough. When it came to being stubborn in his ways, Joel was comparable to a mule. But it was good to see him finally softening up around everyone, as much as he'd probably try to hide it.

"Been quiet so far, but the generator is a good sign. What do you think?" Lee spoke up, wondering if Joel had the same thoughts running through his head.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel had little to comment on the situation as a whole. He figured Lee wanted to talk to him about something; it wasn't like finding a generator cable was all that difficult. He supposed he was starting to ease up a little on his intensity; all that hatred and hurt and been tucked away... or rather, laid out in plain view. He chewed on his gums, hands flowing along the wall of the dorm rooms.

He could have been in one of these. Had Sarah not come up... but little nostalgia was brought to him by these living quarters. "Could be a good sign. Figured we would have seen someone by now... but maybe they're all just congested in one area."

Joel's head cocked to the side as they passed by the individual dorms. Some of the doors slightly ajar, as if there were hasty evacuations in the beginning. Little time to escape back then. Little time to escape now, too... had the Fireflies been forced to run? By something out there...

"Lee, I'm gonna check the dorms to see if there's any sign of the Fireflies. I'm sure we would have seen one by now if they were in these dorms, but it can't hurt to check." In truth, he was looking for any kind of weapons they may have left behind. But some tinge of hope had struck him, some hope that the Fireflies were still here. He opened the door to the nearest dorm, stepping into the former bedroom. A girl's, from the looks of it.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Alright... hell, maybe they got something useful stashed around here." The former history teacher agreed, his eyes fanning towards one of the vacant rooms. If he was lucky, maybe he could score something for the generator outside... some fuel or a cable perhaps. "I'll take the other rooms near the end of the hallway, meet up with you soon." And with that, Lee quickly waved off the man before heading his own way, disappearing into one of the quarters.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The vibe of the rebel group was very well present, a firefly pendulum hung from the doorknob, clanking against the wood as Joel opened the door to the room. Evidently, the place seemed to be untouched, although messy nonetheless. Suitcases and old clothes were sprawled out across the floor, almost as if someone had been in a hurry to pack their things for a late airport trip. The layout was pretty basic, a bed… a bathroom and a mini lounge area.

Unfortunately for the man, his searches came up almost empty. Only managing to scrounge up a preserved candy bar from one of the drawers.

However, just as it seemed that there was nothing more to see. An odd sight gleamed off the desk in the lounge area, things that were stuck on some type of homemade bulletin. Various papers, documents and whatnot could be seen on there. All Firefly related... bearing names and members of top FEDRA officials yet to be taken down, as well as various wanted posters of who were presumably dangerous targets of the government. If FEDRA were after people, then the Fireflies definitely wanted to know who, seemings as though whoever was living here had been bothered to take them down and store them.

Many of the wanted posters displayed scum and degenerates from the Quarantine zones, people that were on the run for doing the worst kinds of things. However, after some shuffling of papers… one familiar face stood out to Joel.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

_What the... what the hell? _Joel's inner voice boomed as he laid down the rest of the papers. His hands felt near feeble as he pulled the drooping piece before him. _Murder. Resisting arrest. _Joel bit his tongue furtively. Had Lee been? No... there was no doubt that Lee had been hiding this. Why wouldn't he? He was seen as so mentor-like, so pure, so goddamn altruistic. But it wasn't like Lee hadn't lied before. And it wasn't like Joel hadn't killed people before, but this implied something worse.

Joel had only ever killed people who he thought deserved it, or out of necessity for his and Tommy's survival. What had Lee done to earn the ire of FEDRA? And why hadn't it gone through his head to tell them he was a wanted _criminal _?! Joel had been mostly upfront with his crimes... mostly. Silent yeses were the best he had mostly done, but they understood that he was dangerous. And at least Joel hadn't gotten caught in the damn act by FEDRA.

He sighed, resting his knuckles onto the desk. The man was there for just a few moments before he dragged the paper off the table and opened the door. Joel shoved himself down the hallway, slowly creaking doors open in a search for Lee, before finally he found what he was searching for, creeping through a dorm in possible fear of infected.

Joel's left eye twitched ever so slightly, ever so noticeably as he lifted the paper and offered it to Lee. A demanding, biting breath shot from his mouth. "Lee. We need to talk."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The surroundings of these dorms stunk of the Fireflies and were littered with signs no doubt. Still, it looked like this probably wasn't an area they were using all too much. Given that no one was even in sight. Maybe it was a safety hazard, tougher times always called for tougher measures. Tightening up the safe zones and pulling back wasn't entirely unheard of. The government had done it a lot throughout the first few years.

All that Lee managed to come up with were some old rags, more evidently some kind of old note that looked to be written by some college kid. It read that a lot of the young folks here tried to band together, hold out and put up some kind of fight… but their food situation was getting dire. And that's where Lee stopped reading… the man didn't really have the time… or willpower to finish it. He already knew what the end result was for all these kids here in the first days. Nothing good at all.

Eventually he trudged onwards back into the hallway. _Might be worth getting a look from here…_

A nearby window offered a view back out to the other side of the fence, the side the generator was on. He hunched down, cupping his hands around the sides of his eyes as he perused the area. He could see it, the cordline that was running on the ground from the other side of the gate, he just had to follow it. However, before he could get a good enough look, footsteps interrupted his train of thought. His head shot in the direction of the noise, not surprised to see Joel heading his way, finished with whatever he was doing.

"Hey, I think I got us a lead here. We just gotta-" Before the man could even finish his sentence, Joel stormed straight up to him, holding a piece of paper out that had Lee all but confused… only for a few seconds.

It was like being hit with a fucking freight train, seeing everything you loathed about yourself staring right back at you. His relaxed features soon dropped into that of dread as he took the paper from Joel's hand, staring down at it for longer than he would've liked to. _Well, shit._

Lee wasn't ready to hear the whole spiel from Joel. The question begged how the hell he managed to get his hands on this. Which was why, without a moment's notice, he let the wanted poster fall to the floor, tossing it aside. Back where it was supposed to be, along with all the other mistakes he made a lifetime ago.

"We don't have time for this crap now. Save it for when we get to the Fireflies." He spoke dismissively, his eyes fixed on the door at the end of the hallway as he attempted to move past Joel.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel squinted, tossing a hand up carefully to stop Lee, but was brushed aside by the man. "Lee, goddammit." He took off after him, following steadily and quickly. "You plan on telling Clementine?" He bit. He would have tolerated the poster had Lee just told him the truth. But Lee couldn't even face him; the bastard _had _to do this, hadn't he? "I don't give a shit what you did Lee, but she deserves to know. Been with you for this long, longer, hasn't she?" His mind drifted back to the time that Lee told him about Clementine's parents; he still hadn't let her know.

She deserved to know. Joel narrowed his eyes. He would never lie to Ellie, he would never lie to Sarah... unless... no, he wouldn't _dare. _Whatever Lee was afraid of, whatever he was running from, it was over here. It was over _now._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee managed to make it to the end of the hallway as he was essentially tailgated by Joel, who refused to drop the subject. It only served to irritate the man more.

" _She deserves to know, been with you for this long, longer, hasn't she? _"

He placed his hand on the doorknob, as if ready to open the door to where the generator was. It'd gotten to him, those words, as much as Lee hated to admit it. Retreading this point of his life with Joel of all people was hardly on the agenda... but that wasn't what bothered him. It was frustration due to the fact that the stubborn man might have actually been speaking sense. He could feel the man's eyes on the back of his head, probably judging him at this very moment. Nonetheless, the mention of Clementine was just about enough for the guilt to almost send him over the edge. He finally let go of the doorknob, swivelling around to face Joel, a scowl on his face as he crossed his arms.

"She's already got enough shit on her plate. We all do. I don't see how telling her something from a _lifetime _ago is gonna help anything."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel kept his arms at his side, squinting angrily as Lee brushed his concerns away. He felt bad for a minute; hypocritical, even. He had killed so many, he had done so much wrong, yet here he was playing moral compass for Lee. A man who was better than him in every regard.

"And what happens when she finds your wanted poster?! What's she gonna think?" He threw at Lee, frowning considerably now. As he did that, his nerves calmed for but a moment. The waves of anger subsided, a heavy sigh and breath releasing from Joel's chest.

"Look, Lee... just tell me what happened. What... what did you do?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It wasn't until now that it started to dawn on him, the ramifications of his actions… his misdeeds. It took several years of covering it up and trying to forget, but only several minutes for the secret to give way and crumble under his feet, and now, he was right back to square one… again. Joel was right, if the Fireflies had photos of him around here, how long would it take for Clementine to stumble up on it? Simply hoping that she wouldn't wasn't a viable option and hopelessly naive to think at this point.

Lee fell silent after Joel's question, his gaze drifting away from the other man as he tried to formulate some kind of response, or excuse. He had nothing, Joel was right in every regard here… it was over. And after a slight moment passed, he again met Joel's gaze.

"I was on my way to the firing squad for killing a guy in a fight." There, he had said it aloud. It was worrisome, how casual it sounded coming out of his mouth, regardless of all the sleepless nights the memory gave him. "It was back when I was living in the Quarantine zone…"

"Came home one day to find someone else in my house… he and my wife were…" The man trailed off, again crossing his arms as he looked away, not able to muster up the courage to recount that part of the memory.

"I saw red... and, Christ. It was an accident, Joel." That was what Lee wanted to believe, after suppressing the memory for so many years, but truth be told even _he _couldn't remember if he really meant it or not anymore, only that he regretted it soon after.

"Only reason why I'm still here is because the Fireflies had the bright idea to launch an attack on the zone the day I was being led out… managed to get away in the crossfire. Just a damn stroke of luck…"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel frowned. This wasn't what he had planned on dealing with today... but, here it was. Ask a question, get an answer.

"Jesus." Was all that Joel could say, looking down from the man. It was an accident. How many people had Joel killed, intentionally? He wasn't here to judge Lee, but that was all he could say. "That is... lucky." He mumbled, scratching at his chin in thought. He supposed it didn't matter to him; but it would matter to Clementine. "I ain't here to judge you. But you gotta tell her at some point. She can't keep going, not knowing the truth." He hoped that Lee understood that his murder wasn't the only thing that Joel was referring to.

He could understand Lee. His wife in an affair. An accidental murder. Hell, Joel would have killed someone had he seen a man with his wife. And how many times had Joel seen red? No, he understood Lee there. But the lying? It was too much.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"I know, I know." Lee finally sighed out in admittance. Joel's persistence seemingly had a way of getting through to him, and in a way, it was perhaps even reassuring that Joel still wasn't about to hold his past against him. If the same could be said for Clementine… there was no way of knowing until he told her the truth, it was the right thing to do. Joel wasn't wrong there, as much as Lee wanted him to be, he knew what he had to do soon.

"I guess… trying to avoid it is just gonna make things worse. Isn't it?" He shook his head at himself, feeling ashamed and quite frankly embarrassed at how much he tried to dodge the topic earlier. The question still begged, had he already waited too long to tell Clementine? Was it too late?

"You're right, I'll find the time to tell her soon. I gotta." He looked back towards the other man, speaking more confidently this time as he exchanged a nod with him before turning his attention to the nearby door. After a brief moment of silence, he contemplated thanking the man for the advice, but ultimately fell short on the right words before moving onwards. "We should really get a move on and fix this thing, before the girls start getting impatient."


	42. Promise, III

**Art [Clementine]**

Off they went. Not even that long ago, and she would've probably been all up in Lee's face about wanting to go too, all because of that stupid, nagging feeling that he didn't have enough faith in her, and that constant need to prove herself. It… changed. Slowly, maybe, but it did. He trusted her enough to let her hang onto that rifle all the time. What else could she ask for, right? And so, Clementine nodded with a smile, thinking it was her turn to give back some of that trust.

_Got it. I can watch the horses._ _We, Clem. __**We**__ can watch the horses._

Yup. Ellie was there too. That was, what? The first time they were alone together in weeks? It probably _wasn't, _for real, but it sure as hell felt that way. There was this… weird, just… weird fricking tension between the two of 'em, and it was _her _fault for letting it pile up the way it did. I mean, she wasn't even mad at Ellie anymore, so what was the deal? Why couldn't she just talk to her? It wasn't hard. Talk. _Talk._

Clementine held onto those reigns like her life depended on it, a chilly feeling in her stomach all too tough to shake away. She was horrible at this. They didn't have anything to talk about, or- well, Clem couldn't think of anything. The girl couldn't tell if that was a blatant sign of how bad things were or what, but she couldn't even talk to her best friend without acting like a nervous wreck.

The icing on the cake was her dickhead of a horse. Callus wouldn't stop smelling her, inching closer like he was about to try and lick her in the face. _Geez, _maybe he was planning to. With everything else going on, it ended up _really _getting on her nerves, forcing Clementine to finally say something. "Can you tell him to cut it out?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Nice was an absolute understatement of how fucking awesome seeing monkeys turned out to be, though it hardly lasted as long as she wanted. She'd never seen one before outside of books. And after they left the courtyard, they were met with a metal gate keeping them from the next area of the school grounds, and Joel and Lee went off to figure out how to get through, leaving Ellie and Clementine alone to tend to the horses.

Needless to say, the thought almost terrified her, of being alone with the girl she almost _completely _fucked her friendship with. In the months that have passed since Jackson, she hadn't mustered the courage to apologize for what happened. A small part of her knew that she knew, but that wasn't going to be enough, was it? It usually never was.

Then there was still the part of her that saw her as something more, a side that she'd buried as deep as she could, in the metaphorical ocean of emotions that seemed to control her. Hopefully it'd remain there, lost at sea and never to be seen again. So much had changed between them, and so much more had changed in their situation, and who the fuck knew what lied for them around the next corner? She wasn't ready to experience that again, losing someone she cared about. It was hard enough to lose a friend. It'd be harder losing three. Harder still to lose-

_Stop._

So, they remained in silence for longer than Ellie thought comfortable, until Clementine broke the silence, mentioning something about Callus. Ellie straightened herself on the back of the horse, scratching Callus's neck lightly in response before grabbing an apple from her backpack, reaching to let Callus eat it. He chewed loudly, and Ellie turned her gaze towards her friend. "Sorry. I'll, uh… keep an eye on him."

Another silence filled the air, thicker this time. For an instant, she was almost tempted to let it settle, wait for Joel and Lee to get back, but it was becoming far too uncomfortable to keep going.

She cleared her throat, shifting in the saddle. "So, um…" She fidgeted, reaching for her switchblade in her pocket and flicking it open, running her finger lightly along the metal. She only spared Clem brief glances, mouth twitching as if she was chewing on her words. "What's… the first thing you're gonna do? When we find the Fireflies?" It seemed a bit late for that question, but it was the first thing she could come up with.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine let the question to sink in for a sec, largely because she didn't have an answer ready. Funny. She thought she would by the time they got there, always did. Pretending that bullheadedness to find the Fireflies wasn't just a device to keep her mind focused somewhere other than everyone she missed. In a way, the answer was pretty obvious. The reason she wanted to go there in the first place.

_Catch up with Mom and Dad… right?_

It kept getting harder, every time they ran into a place like Jackson. Every time she dared to hope the next place would finally be the one. There had to be a point where she'd draw the line. That's what Clem kept wanting to tell herself, and what she was never strong enough to do. Giving up on her parents wasn't an option… but she couldn't stand to bring them up anymore. Being told that they weren't there just one more time would probably crush her beyond any healing.

Still, stuff came to mind. Plenty of stuff. They weren't just finding the Fireflies, they were bringing the cure with them. It was hard enough for Clem to fully grasp just how much of a big deal that was. Just trying to imagine what she could do without the walkers around could've left her pondering for hours. A sigh later, and her mouth was hanging open, the words meant to leave it still playing catch-up. "It takes a toll, y'know?" Clementine wanted to smile as she said it, though it didn't pan out. Not by a longshot. She was so exhausted, drained to the bone. This whole thing made the Motor Inn days look easy by comparison. "Staying up all night, afraid someone, or some_ thing, _might sneak up on you."

"I guess I'd wanna… not have to think about that, just for a little while." That was the goal, there was no denying that. A world where you didn't have to keep looking over your shoulder so often. Ellie must've thought the same. Who hadn't ever dreamt about it?

"You?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Clementine's answer didn't immediately make sense to Ellie, but when the baseball-capped girl explained herself, she found herself nodding. The one thing she missed about being behind walls was not having to metaphorically sleep with an eye open. Even once they're with the Fireflies, that feeling might remain. FEDRA was still out there, so the possibility of the Fireflies being found was still on the table.

But at least they'd have the cure, right?

Sighing, her eyes flicked towards Clementine as she redirected the question towards her, mindlessly tapping her fingers against her jeans as she struggled to come up with an answer.

In the absence of any real answers popping into her subconscious, she decided upon something else, smiling. "Finding the dart board as soon as possible."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem scoffed fairly audibly, though the faintest smile did get dragged along with it. It'd been forever and they were still going on about that stupid thing. "Not happening," she told Ellie straight, without the slightest hint of doubt in her mind. Amusing as it was to imagine, top dog scientists and bar games just didn't go together.

Then again, what would _she _know?

"Tell you what, though," Clementine continued, that previous smile warping into a sneer. "If they _do _have one this time, you're about to get owned. Again."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Oh ho ho, is that a challenge?" Ellie chuckled, raising an eyebrow at the girl's confident words. She wasn't about to let her friend show her up _again _, not when she had already been beaten in countless other games they've played on their journey. Her smile grew, however, and she continued to speak teasingly. "I'm _so _gonna dart you into next year."

**Art [Clementine]**

And then, before she knew it, from Clem's mouth escaped a bustle of laughter. One that lacked a lot in elegancy, admittedly. "No, you're not!" Barked the girl, leaning forward confrontationally. They might've tied before, but _no way _was she gonna let Ellie win the next one. Not in a million years. _I'm gonna dart you into next… century!_

It felt pretty alright, patching things up with her, or at least building towards it. Weird, right? One minute she was too anxious to even look in Ellie's direction, and now look at her. Clementine couldn't get enough of it. Not that it was a surprise to _anyone _that she missed the hell out of being around the only person not three times her age. Talking to Ellie about nonsense - even when it was smack talk - was just… crazy fun, bar none. _Well, most of the time._

"We're gonna be here for a while, I think," Clem pointed out with a soft sigh after a somewhat long-winded silence, the thought urging her to reach for the backpack tied to Whiskers's behind. There had to be something they could do while Lee and Joel were out doing their _thing._

_Horses look pretty hungry. I'm kinda hungry, too._

A few rummages later, and the girl was already speaking up again. "Okay, so..."

"We have two cans left: Spaghetti, and uh…" Her eyes narrowed all too suddenly, spelling out the impending doom about to unfold from her voice. "... Spinach." _Shit, _it couldn't be. Not now. Canned corn was plenty bad, but _this?! _It was like the unholy grail of preserved meals. Clementine sat on the discovery for a few long seconds, considering her next move very carefully. _Change of plans. _The girl lifted the two cans out of her backpack, holding them both up next to each other.

"How about we make it a bet? Whoever wins gets to pick."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie examined the cans in Clem's hands with scrutiny, her smile growing as Clementine suggested making a bet to see who'd get which one. She shifted slightly in her saddle, letting go of the reins. "Alright, Baseball Cap. What do you got in mind?"

She wasn't about to be shown up again if she could help it. One way or another, she was getting that can of spaghetti.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine grinned in anticipation, carefully dismounting the horse in order to set the two cans down on the ground. Finally they'd get to do something fun, for once! The girl turned towards her friend, extending her own hand to help Ellie get down from Callus - all that excitement bubbling up and unveiling itself through her fiery amber eyes. "Let's see whose horse is more loyal."

For starters, she dragged Ellie away from Whiskers and Callus. Not _too _far, of course. They still had to watch those two. To the left of the gate was this large building with rows and rows of windows, which Clem had to assume were part of the dormitories. Must've been where Lee and Joel were, too. All that said, the most noteworthy thing there was the Firefly symbol sprayed on the wall. Not very inconspicuous.

"You and I are gonna stand right over here," said Clem, pointing at the crescent of grass under them. "Rules are: We each get one apple, and you can only use stuff like… your voice. No touching. No throwing."

"First horse to eat the apple wins. Simple, right?"

It wasn't too bad of a pastime back on the farm, back before their horse got sick. Like playing with a dog, only… _No. Not like a dog at all. _Finally, Clementine crossed her arms, going over the last bit with a tender smile. "And it's gotta be _your _horse. If Whiskers eats your apple, I still win."

**Dot [Ellie]**

She didn't resist as Clementine escorted her towards the wall of a building nearby, still within sight of their horses by the gate. As the girl tried to explain the bet, Ellie slipped her backpack off, grabbing an apple from inside, before putting the pack back over her shoulders.

"You're _so _gonna lose," Ellie tossed over her shoulder, smirking. She outstretched her hand, clutching the apple, before whistling sharply. "Callus, food!"

The horse in question turned its head towards her, neighing. When it caught sight of the apple, it slowly spun around, lightly trotting towards her. Ellie's smile grew, and she gave Clementine a victorious wink.

_Don't let me down, Callus._

**Art [Clementine]**

The shorter one rolled her eyes at the show-off, ecstatic to return the favor. Clem replicated Elle's moves for the most part, lifting the apple near shoulder height before whispering loudly. "Whiskers! Over here, boy!" She was so beyond confident that after all those months together, he'd come running to her as soon as she called.

Too confident.

"I got you this _really _tasty apple." She continued, pointing at the fruit and changing the tone of her voice to a much more playful one. Clem tried, and tried again, but Whiskers didn't move. He wouldn't even look at her. Her jaw dropped, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Why wouldn't he come?! "Uh… Please?" Luckily, Callus moving the way he did seemed to nab Whiskers' attention, prompting him to follow… slowly, that is. Very slowly. _C'mon._

**Dot [Ellie]**

It wasn't long before Callus stopped in front of Ellie, grabbing the apple with its teeth before gnashing away greedily. She petted the side of its muzzle softly, whispering "Good boy."

Once her horse was finished chewing on what remained of the apple, Ellie's attention turned towards Clementine and Whiskers, who had yet to make it over to them. She patted Clementine on her back softly, grinning. "Thanks for the spaghetti, Clem."

**Art [Clementine]**

_No way! Are you serious?! _Just like that, it was all over. Callus was the hero and they were the whopper of a zero. And it wasn't even a contest. Clem's horse slowly trotted her way with his head down, almost like he knew how bad he botched it.

"Whiskers…!" The girl uttered through gritted teeth, reaching her hands around his neck for a delicate - if not undeserved - caress. "You're _supposed _to come over when I yell for you, big guy." Whiskers let out a gust of air through his nose, smacking the apple away from Clementine's hand, before lowering his head further down to reach it with his salivating teeth. "Okay, then. Nevermind. I guess we can work on that later…" With her hands resting on her hips, Clementine accepted defeat.

The cans were still right where she left them, as was Ellie's grand prize. Clem picked the canned Spaghetti up with one hand, getting a quick feel for its weight before tossing it to her. "Here you go. You won fair and square." _Should be plenty there to make for a good breakfast. I hope. _She wasn't sure she could say the same for spinach. _Yuck…_Better than eating something spoiled, though. Much better.

Clementine sat on the pavement next to the wall; that nifty Firefly symbol serving as backdrop. Since leaving Jackson, they'd had the foresight to bring spoons along for the trip. Eating with your hands… well, while it wasn't the worst thing in the world, it _was _one unlucky day from getting someone ill. Couldn't afford that when you were trying to cross the country, or so Lee would tell her. So… they ate together, waiting for the old guys to come back. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Never a cause for concern, but never quite a reassuring feeling either. At least he was with Joel. Man, that guy could handle danger better than anyone she'd ever seen. If not just for that reason alone, Clem didn't hate having him around.

What she did hate was that lingering fucking silence. Wasn't easy to get her mind off of Lee when the only thing to do was watch that place crumble at a snail's pace. With the spoon still nestled between her fingers, and dry spinach hanging from her mouth, Clementine took it upon herself to break that iceberg-sized ice. "So, now that we're at the end of the road and all…"

"Anything you wanna… y'know, talk about?" _Weird question, Clem. _Just the worst. Sadly, it was a little too late to unsay it. "And I don't mean it like another game or anything, just…"

"Whatever you wanna ask before we do this thing, I'm… I don't know. I'm open. Do your worst and all that." Hiding it was pretty tough. Scared. She was… scared, that they'd both go off their separate ways once this was all done. If her and Lee's plans didn't go together with theirs, then that was that. Maybe never see Ellie again. The thought freaked her out, a lot more than she was ever comfortable with saying out loud. Clem figured if it did happen… then this'd be the last chance to _really _talk with her… and, _fuck, _ if it was, then she wanted to make it count.

"Hit me with anything."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie reached out to catch the can as her baseball-capped friend tossed it to her, though it managed to slip through her fingers and land on the ground at her feet, narrowly missing her foot in the process. Silently cursing, she bent to retrieve it, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. _Good fucking going, klutz._

She followed Clementine to the wall, sliding down to sit against it. She fumbled with her knife, cutting the can open in practiced movements. The smell of spaghetti sauce hit her, and she couldn't help the smile that crept its way onto her face. Despite it being lukewarm, having something in her stomach made the taste bearable.

She was in the middle of sucking up a noodle when Clementine broke the silence, nearly causing her to choke on the pasta in the process. Of course, it wasn't because the girl was talking to her, but the words that she was saying. A dozen things had been running through her mind, questions she had but would never ask, or just didn't have the courage to do so, they all sprung up in her mind one after another, like a bunch of reporters crowding around and asking their questions all at once.

How could she settle on just _one _to ask? Which ones would she never dare ask? The list was unnervingly long and grew longer by the day.

Things like 'would you have come with us if I _wasn't _immune?' leapt to the forefront, damn near on the tip of her tongue. It always came down to that side of her, that ugly side that wouldn't stop thinking about the day she'd eventually be alone again. The way she'd spent most of her life in those orphanages, never to experience a lasting companionship with… well, anyone.

Riley had been the exception, once. But that was a long time ago.

Now she had a whole group, people that she cared about more than she'd care to admit. What would things be like now, if Lee and Clementine left back at Paradise? If they'd never come with them in the first place? What if Joel would've just left her to Tommy and Andrea to deal with? He damn near already did with Lee and Clem around.

And what would stop the world from ripping it all away again? For Joel to die? For Clem or Lee to die? What kept history from repeating itself?

The silence had gone on for way too long at this point, and she coughed as what little remained of her food in her mouth found its way into her windpipe, cleared nearly just as quickly. "Clem, I-" Finally, she managed to croak something out, only to be stopped by another harsh cough.

It always came down to those same thoughts, the ones she buried at sea. They always seemed to get dug up again, as if some treasure hunter decided to have a go at retrieving them. The thoughts formed in her head, like words on a teleprompter, and she mentally focused on ridding herself of them. Yet, not even a teleprompter would obey her commands. It was controlled by something else, and there was no stopping it.

Sooner or later, those small words on a screen would turn into screams, and when that time finally came, she wouldn't be capable of burying it any longer.

"I…" _Don't say it. Don't say it. Fuck, Ellie, you can't say it. _"I, uhm…" _You're going to ruin this. _"Do you ever-" _Stop. Stop stop stop stop stop._

Whatever mental battle she was having with herself reached its climax, streams of thought that resulted in nothing but a cacophony of _'no, stop' _s and _'we have to tell her' _s, until finally, she'd had enough.

_SHUT THE FUCK UP!_

For once for the past minute, silence met her silent scream. She could almost let out a breath of relief.

She was doing this. No matter what happened next, whatever _this _was needed to be addressed. At least, she'd get closure.

Or so she hoped.

She opened her eyes, finding herself unaware of the fact that she'd closed them in the first place, and unclenched her fists. The can she'd been holding in her hand was twisted inwards, if only by enough to have the contents inside reach the top of the can. She set it down next to her, breathing in rhythmic ins and outs, preparing herself for what was to come.

"…Have you ever…" Another clearing of the throat, followed by her fingernails scratching at her shirtsleeve, "…_ liked _someone, and just… kept it to yourself because y'know it's probably better that way?"

Her heart was in her throat, and she wasn't sure if it'd ever come back down.

**Art [Clementine]**

While Ellie savored the wonders of stored italian cuisine, Clementine had to settle for... whatever you called the worst veggie of 'em all by a fucking mile. Beggars couldn't be choosers, and neither could _losers, _but it really wasn't as bad as she made it out to be. It wasn't gonna beat eating cake, though. Never. Now, it might've been right up in her face, but Clem could say with a lot of assurance that _spinach _was the last thing going through her head at the time.

Considering she was literally expecting the worst, Ellie's question wasn't that bad at all. Well, it was strange, no denying _that._

"_Like_ how?" Clementine found herself questioning, furrowed brows and a frown accompanying that very present feeling of uncertainty in her voice… that is, until the answer clocked in on its own, smacking her across the face "Oh, right." Ellie's silence spoke about a thousand and two words, all of them making her feel pretty dumb. _**Like,**_ _like. Okay._

It wasn't a question that hard to answer, truth be told.

Clementine let out a soft chuckle she just couldn't keep tucked in, lightly shrugging her shoulders. "No? I don't know." Truth is, the girl didn't quite get _what _she was asking. It sounded so weird and specific… then again, weird was pretty much Ellie's flashiest calling card. It would've been weird _not to _expect her to act like a weirdo. "I don't think I've ever... _liked _anyone, Ellie," she said, flashing her friend a smile.

Clem had to ponder over that one on her own for a while. To a certain extent, she pretty much couldn't stop thinking about it. How could she? Ellie might've not intended for it, but that little inquiry did make it pretty obvious that she was into someone. With a brow raise and an increasingly growing smile, Clementine turned her eyes to miss inquisitor, giving her a counter-question she was all too excited to hear the response to. "Why?"

Okay, _fine. _She didn't expect to get an answer to that one. Whatever it was, Ellie looked super torn up about it. Trusting her hunch to be spot on, Clementine settled for the second best thing: teasing her relentlessly, with one or two good nudges to go along.

"Is it Carl?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

It took a lot of effort to not laugh at that. Not that Carl was horrible, or bad-looking – though she'd never admit that to his face – she just had… well, she just didn't like boys. That was the gist of it, really.

She instinctively rubbed her arm after her friend nudged her, half-feigning that it hurt, and half just wanting _something _to keep herself occupied. She was already in too deep, now. There was no going back, unless she let Clem believe that she did, by some miracle, _like _Carl.

Which was a big 'nope' for her.

"N – No, I…" _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. _Words were once again failing her. She wanted to kick herself, both mentally and physically, yet settled for not moving a muscle. Some part of her had a feeling that Clem wouldn't understand what she was trying to say, no matter how much Ellie tried to explain it. Any attempt to just throw it in her face would likely end in failure, too.

Then again, everything was going to end in failure. Wasn't it?

She idly picked up the can again, twisting a couple noodles around a plastic fork. She dropped the fork inside the can, leaving the noodles uneaten. She didn't have much of an appetite left anyway.

"_Sorry…"_

_The smile on Riley's face simply grew wider, and she let out a breath of exasperation._

"_For what?"_

But Clem wasn't Riley. This wasn't going to work. She – She could just say it. Tell her that she liked _her _and have it over with. The context was there now, right? It could work.

But she wasn't going to respond in kind. Not this time.

Either way, she was right. Her heart wasn't coming back from her throat. She could practically feel it pulsing, threatening to cut off circulation to her brain. Maybe it'd be better that way, so she'd not have to finish this conversation and she'd-

_Just back off. You're making this fucking awkward._

It was clear now that Clementine didn't feel the same way, just based on what she'd said. It was a bad idea to even bring it up in the first place. She wanted to curse herself. Pick herself up and get back on Callus and put as much distance between her and Clem as possible. As far as you can get without leaving the gate, anyway.

She wouldn't get that luxury though. For now, she had to come up with something to say. Something to get her out of this mess.

Finally, she cleared her throat, breathing in. She averted her gaze, looking towards Callus and Whiskers as they neighed to each other. "It…" Her voice trailed off, fingers tapping on her jeans around her knees as she held them to her chest. "…was Riley."

Both a lie and not a lie. The perfect misdirection.

"Well, uhm… for the most part." She continued, fumbling over her words. "I – I told her… right before she died."

"_We could just… be poetic and lose our minds together."_

_Well… one of us did, anyway._

**Art [Clementine]**

_What?_

No, she hadn't heard that wrong. There wasn't any… _different _way to hear that, nothing to get mixed up about what Ellie told her. Ellie liked Riley. Ellie _liked _Riley. Clementine couldn't keep her eyes from widening no matter how much she tried. _But, wasn't… wasn't Riley a girl? _Yeah, no shit she was a girl. That was like… the one of three things she even knew about her. Clem could've been there forever, mulling over the fact that Ellie had just told her she was into girls. She really, really could have, but she didn't. Not because it got any _easier _to understand, no. The volume of questions popping up in her head, one after the other, it felt almost suffocating.

A good chunk of it was regretting the fuck out of the last minute or so.

As soon as she was done wiping the shock off her face, Clementine lowered it into the palm of her hands, covering her eyes, exasperated. "I'm so sorry, I didn't- I mean, I thought you-!" One word left right after the other, in a sequence that just barely didn't come out sounding like nonsense. Clem couldn't believe how bad she blew it with her. "God, I'm an idiot."

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Clementine rushed to apologize, Ellie held out a hand to stop her, closing her eyes as she turned away from her friend momentarily. She'd opened the can of worms, and there was no putting them back now.

"It's… alright, Clem. It's not your fault. I'm- I'm the one that brought it up," her words were quieter, dejected, and she forced herself to look in her direction. To finally voice the concerns that plagued her heart, with Riley _and _Clem.

"Y'know… I almost told her 'no'," she spoke after a moment, inhaling deeply before letting it out. Her fingers were moving by their own accord now, shaking violently, and she held onto her other hand to try and stop it. "When she snuck into my room that night, trying to take me to some _stupid place _to tell me that she was leaving. After she disappeared, I… thought she was dead. She'd just… told me to 'fuck off' and disappeared, never to be seen again. I was _angry _with her, but… part of me didn't want to waste the second chance I was given." Tears stained her face, small enough to only leave thin trails. She wiped them away bitterly.

"If I said no, then she would've left with the Fireflies, and she'd still be alive today. It's my fault. Because I went with her, she died, and I got bit and this whole fucking thing started, and I-"

She gulped.

" …_I don't want that to happen to you, too. _"

**Art [Clementine]**

It was the toughest thing ever, trying to think of anything to say. Hints of thoughts surfacing and fading, all while she watched her best friend weep in front of her, begging her not to go away, die like everyone else.

They both shared in that awful fucking burden. Good things, even the simplest of them, they always ended prematurely. Never with a proper goodbye. Never without forcing one to hog around sorrow and a mountain of regret. After seeing so many of her friends, people who didn't deserve it, die, over and over again; it left Clementine hollow for a long time.

Lee. He was the only one, for a while. The one who dragged her along, who kept her from giving into the fear that they'd die next. They were on their own for so long, Clem almost convinced herself that she preferred it that way. Who in the world could blame her? Not having anyone to lose just made everything so much easier.

Meeting Ellie and Joel felt pretty surreal in that regard. The ones who hadn't died yet. Clementine couldn't count the nights she'd lay awake, contemplating just how long they had left. How many more run-ins with walkers until they ran totally out of luck.

So, in a way, she did understand. It wasn't easy for anyone to pretend they weren't scared, worried about losing someone. She was scared, too. Terrified.

"Ellie…" Clementine called out in a soft mutter, those brows of hers refusing to lower even an inch. Even now, she couldn't stand to watch Ellie cry. Like it felt wrong, somehow, not seeing that smile on her face. Not having her throwing wisecracks or being a total pain in the neck. Maybe it was a silly thing to think… seeing all that spirit fade away, and… seeing that Ellie was just as scared as she was. It was a painful thing, but it was comforting one, too. Maybe they were both frightened crybabies. So long as they were terrified together, right? They could take on the whole world, just the two of them.

Clem reached her hands forward, taking hold of Ellie's wrists and pulling them closer, drawing the girl's attention to her eyes. "Ellie. Look at me." She uttered those words with conviction, her brows finally lowering, following behind the newfound intensity in her voice. "I'm not leaving you, alright? I'm **not** leaving." Before she knew it, Clementine's eyes were foggy with tears, the kind you only notice once they're already running down your cheeks, like small waterfalls. She really couldn't help it, not when that stupid friend of hers kept stirring her up like that.

"Please don't cry…"

**Dot [Ellie]**

_But how do you __**know**__?_

That morbid side of her reared its ugly head, and she clenched her eyes shut, desperately trying to rid herself of it. It was hard enough to keep herself from crying her eyes out as it was without adding a sense of pessimism on top of everything else she was dealing with.

Her body felt as if it was frozen, only moving when Clementine would move her hands around by her wrists. She was brought back to that dingy bathroom in Pittsburgh, where she'd first told Clementine about her immunity and how she got it. Guilt had eaten her away, leaving nothing behind but a crying mess. Now, at least, it was manageable, until the moment she noticed Clementine crying too.

That one hurt more than she could admit.

And that hurt was mirrored in Clem's own eyes, a look that all but screamed that she knew how Ellie felt, more than she'd probably be able to fully grasp. Loss had become a common part of life, especially so outside the quarantine zones, and the thought occurred to her that maybe she was being a little selfish. To think that her losses were greater than anyone else's, or that other people didn't worry about _her _, too. Her gut twisted, and she let her eyes drop to the ground between them.

A dozen things ran through her head, things that she could do to make this shitty situation a little bit better, but ultimately decided upon one thing.

She pulled her wrists out of Clem's grip, wrapping her arms around the girl in a tight embrace. If anything, they probably _both _needed a hug. She stuffed her face into the girl's shoulder, sniffling as she murmured the words into Clem's shirt.

"_I'm not leaving you, too._"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's breathing slowed down to a halt as she felt her body melt between Ellie's arms, the girl leaning in for a hug. It came as a bit of a surprise, _that, _maybe a lot more than it should've. Hugging anyone other than Lee still felt like such a rare thing, like some kind of anomaly, and her shoulders reacted as such by leaping in response. How many people stuck around long enough for more than one? A lot less than she would've liked. Moments like that… they always went by so fast. That time, at least, she wanted to enjoy it. Try to, anyway. Give Ellie the best hug she could ever give... because God knows they both deserved it. Just one minute of that, a break from everything else.

Even in the sobbing mess of a state they were both in, Clementine still found the strength to smile, putting her arms around Ellie just as the other girl had. They stayed that way for a little while, though Clem couldn't tell how long. She couldn't care less. Clementine shut her eyes, letting her muscles relax, and her breathing go back to normal. Those tears still wouldn't stop, but she didn't _try _to stop them, hands clutching at Ellie's jacket, as though she was too scared of letting go.

That wasn't so bad. Staying that way for the rest of _forever _sounded pretty great, actually. Even for just one more minute. "We should really keep an eye on the horses…" Clementine softly reminded her, trying to get Ellie to pull away… though at that point, she wasn't that sure she could.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Clementine's words only made Ellie want to hold her tighter, to relish in that sense of peace that had started to wash over her. Maybe she was still scared, that by letting go she'd only allow her deepest fears to realize themselves.

Despite that, she eventually loosened her hold on her, pulling away before wiping the streaks of tears from her face. Her emotions were jumbled together in a chaotic soup, and she wasn't sure where one ended, and another began. Urges to go back to Clem or say something to make them both feel better about this whole thing, or… _fuck _, just kiss the damn girl for being such an awesome friend all floating on the surface of the metaphorical soup. Then again, she knew that wouldn't be the reason.

So, she scooted away from the baseball-capped girl, picking up the can of spaghetti once more as she scooped more of the noodles out, carefully eating them while she focused her attention on the two horses standing in the middle of the pathway.

A thought crossed her mind, only widening her smile.

"They _better _have a dart board after all of this."

**Art [Clementine]**

She had to fight hard not to roll her eyes. _In your dreams, _thought Clementine, those words just narrowly not escaping her tongue, for she kept them to herself. This time, at least, she was gonna let all that hopeless optimism slide. Hell, if Ellie kept believing hard enough, maybe it _would _happen, then she could rub it in her face for being a naysayer.

For better or for worse, Clem never got a chance to reply, as the resounding sound of that generator on the other side finally reached her ears. "That's them!" The girl cried triumphantly, swiftly standing up to greet the two adults. Well, before _that, _Clem had to make sure she and Ellie did their job right.

Whiskers looked pretty busy, licking a rotted tire on the ground like it was a large scoop of ice cream. When Clem approached him, she wasn't even sure _what _to do, worried he'd kick her head off for trying to pry him away from that rubbery goodness.

"Can't eat that, buddy," she said, caressing his mane to keep him relaxed. Way things were, she wouldn't be all that surprised if he actually went and did it. They couldn't afford to feed the horses any five-star meals, sadly. "I know you miss Andrea's food, but we're nearly there, 'kay?" Sometimes, she felt pretty dumb talking to a horse. Was it stubbornness? Hoping he'd eventually recognize the sound of her voice? A little bit. Mostly it was force of habit. With the gate open and the horses all rounded up, there was only one thing left to do. Clementine grinned sheepishly, holding Whisker's reigns on one hand, and extending her other arm to her right, where the gate was, purposefully playing up the inflection of the words that followed. "After you."

**Dot [Ellie]**

A relieved smile etched its way across Ellie's face as Joel and Lee finally returned, that sense of worry burrowing its way into her gut leaving in an instant. She picked herself up, discarding the empty spaghetti can before climbing back into the saddle on Callus.

When Clementine spoke, Ellie let out a playful "_ Pffft _," smiling as she bowed slightly before urging Callus to trot through the open gate. Once on the other side, her gaze fixated on Joel and Lee, stopping Callus with a soft "whoa!" before scooting back to allow room for Joel to clamber on.

"What took you guys so long?" She asked, her eyes bouncing between the two and the surrounding courtyard they'd found themselves in. Just above the buildings she could just about make out the top of the science building. They were getting closer. _Thank God._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Can't be too careful around here, had to make sure none of the nasties were around." Lee offered up a half answer to Ellie's question, exchanging a knowing glance towards Joel before heading over to where Whiskers was. The satisfying sound of the generator in the background filled the air, although it probably wasn't a smart idea to linger around here too long. After all, they didn't want to be mistaken as trespassers by the Fireflies, or… dinner for the infected.

"Make room, coming up." Lee warned Clem, giving her time to scooch over and make way, before plonking his boot through the stirrup as he lifted himself up. Once he was back in position, he shot a look towards Clem. "This guy didn't act up while I was gone?" He spoke whilst directing his attention to the horse, giving him a few pats.

**Art [Clementine]**

Whiskers neighed loudly in response to the extra weight on his back, robbing a smirk from Clementine, who answered Lee's question with a good-humored "nope." _I'd say he didn't act up enough, really. _"He gets a little moody when he's hungry, but I can handle it," she added, looking over Lee's shoulder to see the horse wriggle and twist around._Such a baby. _That smirk dissipated with time, making way for a drawn-out, disappointed sigh. "Still won't listen to me, though."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie smiled as Clementine and Lee talked, thinking back to how Callus had pretty much immediately came to her when she'd offered the apple. As they passed through a narrow passage leading into the next courtyard, she spoke up, a chuckle following her words. "Clem wanted to bet Whiskers would come and eat her apple first." She explained, smirking. Just knowing that she had managed to beat out Clem on _one _game was enough to put her in a good mood, after all. Despite the circumstances, anyway.

She turned her attention towards Clementine, her smirk falling into something more genuine. "I could help you train him, after we get to the Fireflies. I – If you want."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine blinked twice, like that jittery voice coming from Ellie had turned her into stone. Not that she said anything wrong, mind you. Honestly, Clem wasn't sure what it was about it that had her so shy to say something back. Seeing Ellie that prone to help her out, even with small stuff like that? All those questions in the back of her head, refusing to go away? It was one or the other. Maybe both at the same time, muffling whatever words her mind tried to conjure up like a pair of loud drums.

Still, Clementine recovered fast, even with the confusing parade of thoughts underneath that baseball cap of hers. The suggestion inciting a warm smile to set in between her lips. "What do you think, boy?" She asked Whiskers excitedly, caressing the animal. "You wanna see if we can get Ellie to make you behave?" The teasing went unnoticed by the poor horse, though he did lightly scrape at the ground with his hoof, flaring his nostrils.

"That's a yes."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie smiled warmly as Clementine, and Whiskers, responded to her offer. Part of her just wanted another reason to hang out with her friend after everything was said and done and they've saved the world, but she also just wanted… well, to do something nice for Clem. To help her out. After the last couple months, and the shit she pulled back in Jackson, she owed her that much.


	43. Gone, I

**Dot [Ellie]**

The passageway eventually opened up to another courtyard, a much larger one this time. The science building loomed over them, and the entrance was now within sight on the other side of the courtyard. Still no sign of the Fireflies, but that just meant that they were being careful of them… right? Tents also dotted the courtyard at regular intervals, filled with different kinds of stuff, like medical beds and mostly empty shelves.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Off they were again, exploring the confines of what seemed to be a ghost town. The cold breeze brushed up against his face, and Lee found himself falling a tad more silent than he was before. The conversation with Joel had obviously rocked him a bit, as much as he tried not to make it apparent to Clem. Whiskers's hooves clicked and clanked away on the cold cemented surface until they finally arrived at the structure. Lee tugged on the reigns and came to a halt just before they reached the decline that led down to the gates, so he wouldn't put any strain on the horse. He found himself having to tilt his head upwards until his neck hurt to examine the full height of this science building; it was just _that _big. However, the topic couldn't be avoided anymore, _this _was supposed to be where they were hunkered down.

"Strange. No guards, no nothing." Lee noticed two gates were blocking the entrance to the science building down the hill, a large chain was wrapped around the middle of them, essentially welding it shut and holding it together. He squinted his eyes at the empty makeshift guard posts that were stationed on the other side.

After a small pause, Lee spoke up to the rest. "We gotta find a way to bust through that gate down there, don't think we're gonna be able to do it by hand."

**Art [Clementine]**

_Another one? Really? _Clementine narrowed her eyes along with Lee, disbelief being the main instigator. It wasn't bad enough that no one was there, they just _had _to have another locked gate on the way to the science building. It was a big one, too. Just fitting for the massive place it guarded, she supposed. Again they needed a way through, and again she couldn't think of one. Lee was spot on, for starters. Her knife wasn't gonna bust through that one, no way.

Still, just 'cause they couldn't force their way through didn't mean _everything _about last time's idea was a bust.

"Can we jump over?" Clem suggested, leaning forward slightly so that Lee and the rest could hear her. "Like, if we used something..." It was a bit of a reach, sure, but it was a pretty big place. There had to be a ladder around somewhere, right? Or maybe they could push a car and use it as a platform?

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel reached the point where Lee and Clementine had stopped, Ellie right behind him, holding on tight. The science building sat before them, blocked off by a rusted gate, the rust combining into a twisted guard. If that had happened, that meant that no one had been here for a long time. Joel's hope for the Fireflies being here was all but there, but something gave him that push to keep going forward. "There's a dumpster, we could use that." He responded to Clementine's question, jumping down from his perch on the horse.

The dumpster was heavier than he had expected; relatively full of ancient trash and scraps of ceramic dumped for all eternity. He pushed and pulled it through the railing it waited in, before reaching the incline where the gate sat. He pushed forward, but the wheels of the dumpster quickened and he was jolted forward. Instinctively, he let go, to not be pulled along with the mass, and the dumpster careened into the gate, smashing it open. Joel patted himself off, looking at the crashed gate before returning to the horses. "Alright. Not what I had in mind, but it'll do."

**Dot [Ellie]**

The gate was opened, and the four survivors filtered through it. Ellie hopped off the horse, leading it around by the reins clutched in her left hand. The area was sparse, and the double doors acting as an entrance to the building were apparently locked. She shifted her gaze upward and towards a gaping hole in the side of the building, within reach of the roof above the dock they were in front of. Ellie pointed it out while Joel shifted the dumpster towards a white box truck positioned next to the dock.

While Joel and Lee began to climb up onto the truck, Ellie looked towards Clementine next to her, sighing. "You think we'll really find Fireflies in there?"

Given how dead this entire area seemed, her doubts had grown exponentially. Surely if the Fireflies were here, they'd be all over them right now for knocking in their gate. It's not like they would be afraid of four survivors, right? This place was going to be a dead end. Just like everywhere else they've gone on this journey.

It wasn't long before her mind returned to that place she tried to avoid, where her doubt flourished and repeated the same words over and over. They weren't going to make it to the Fireflies. Ever.

**Art [Clementine]**

Ellie had her pretty cornered with that one, honestly. The phrase 'yes, I'm sure of it' stuck around the tip of her tongue for a long while, but even Clementine couldn't say it with a straight face. No one was around, not even the slightest hint of a 'someone.' They were well into breaking into the place and there wasn't so little as a peep from the would-be people living there. She could shy away from that fact as much as she wanted to... Clem wasn't that dumb, and neither was Ellie.

The girl winded up thinking back to the night she scolded her friend for being scared of just that. In fact, it was pretty hard not to. Worry started setting in, a feeling cold and uncomfortable, and Clementine could only do so much to hide it. "Just keep a lookout," she told her, avoiding the question altogether, before climbing on top of the dumpster leaned against the truck. _They'll be there. I know it._

**Dot [Ellie]**

A frown etched its way across her face, and she followed Clementine up onto the box truck. Once they were through the broken window, following Joel and Lee down a hallway, her mind drifted.

Clem knew that they weren't going to find them here, just as much as she did. Seeing the state of the place, she had a feeling all they'd find here is mere remnants of their operation. Maybe something to tell them where they went, if they're lucky.

Yet the girl's words echoed in her mind. _Just keep a lookout._

While Lee and Joel talked in a room nearby, Ellie leaned against the wall, her eyes following Clementine. After what felt like an agonizing moment of silence, she cleared her throat. "Speaking of keeping a lookout. How about a game of I Spy?" A smile slowly crossed her lips, and she pushed away from the wall. She glanced around the hallway, eventually making her choice: a vending machine knocked over at the far end of the hallway. "I spy, with my little eye, something that was once filled with food." _Great start there, Ellie. She's __**totally**__not gonna figure it out._

**Art [Clementine]**

Hallways. Dark ones, at that. It was hardly the welcome wagon Clementine expected. Then again, she didn't expect to be getting in through a crack in the wall either. Life always found a way to keep you on your toes.

If there was one word for that place - besides 'dingy' - that'd be an uncontested 'creepy.' They had these huge spotlight-looking things lying around, shining a bright light on anyone who passed through the rows and rows of junk gathered in there. The worry that something might get the jump on them was there, like a siren blasting at full sound in the back of her head. Though at that point, running into _anyone _would be a welcome change of pace.

What did get the jump on her was Ellie's, er- pitch, so to speak. Clem was all for playing games and everything, but right then she was one eerie noise away from pulling a gun on someone. Given the circumstances, Clementine kept any protests to herself, letting them out through a sigh. Maybe it'd be good. Help scare away all that uneasiness threatening to surface. Lee and Joel were busy anyway, so it's not like they had anything better to do. They'd yell if anything happened, right?

Or so she told herself. Any excuse to dick around a little.

Clementine unstrapped the rifle from her backpack, letting it lean against the wall to keep her shoulders from getting too strained. She knew the game: I Spy. Very basic kid stuff. The girl's hands naturally drifted toward her jacket pockets, as numerous little thoughts for answers popped up one after the other. "Uh... " _Something that used to be filled with food…_

The answer that reigned over the rest almost made her blush, and most definitely made her eyes trail off anyplace where Ellie's couldn't meet them. _No, that's- That's dumb... _Pressed by the progressively increasing period of awkward silence, Clementine ended up saying the first thing that came to her head.

"My… belly?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

When Clementine finally responded, Ellie couldn't help but giggle at her answer. She stifled the laugh, holding her hand over her mouth to quiet it, yet couldn't quite get herself to stop. It wasn't the answer that she'd been expecting. After all, she'd chosen something fairly obvious to get them started, but she appreciated Clem's sense of humor all the same.

"No, silly," she finally managed to say once able to contain her laughter, still assuming that Clementine had been joking about her answer. She indicated the overturned vending machine down the hall with a hook of her thumb, smiling. "It's that thing."

As the faint sound of a recording filtered through the open door where Joel and Lee were, she leaned against the wall again, holding out a hand towards Clem in a manner to show that the metaphorical ball was now in her court. "Now, you, Baseball Cap."

**Art [Clementine]**

Ellie pointed towards this big box with a broken glass panel. Clementine squinted at the so-called 'thing', the one that looked like a fridge and a microwave had a baby. Did they really have food in there once? Moreover, how come Ellie knew what it was and not her? Clem grumbled under her breath, now especially embarrassed over her answer. Ellie seemed to think it was a joke, so she just rolled with it, pretending to know what the thing was to save a little bit of face.

It was her turn now, and she didn't plan to go easy on her friend. In one of the labs adjacent to them were a bunch of papers scattered on the floor, all thanks to one trash can that fell over. It was kinda hard to make out what they said, most of them nothing but residue at that point, though one in particular did happen to grab her attention.

"I spy with my little eye…"

Clementine smiled menacingly, taking her eyes off the object and directing her gaze to the redhead. "... someone's worst nightmare."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie followed Clem's gaze towards whatever object she was choosing, or at least _seemed _that she was choosing. She raised an eyebrow at the words her friend chose, squinting to make out anything that'd give away the answer, but found nothing.

There was a scrap of paper among those littered on the ground in the lab, but it wasn't the papers that caught her attention. An eight-legged bug with two pincers and a stinger on its tail. A scorpion. She'd rarely seen them, but they _were _pretty creepy. Maybe Clem hated them, too.

"Uhhhh… that paper there?" She pointed towards the sheet of paper in question, looking back towards her friend. "The one with the scorpion on it?"

**Art [Clementine]**

"A what, now?" Clementine's brows knitted and her head turned to the left in a hurry, the girl's eyes happening upon a small creature crawling out of the trash can. Her face contorted in mild disgust as the scorpion continued to shuffle around in its eight legs, swinging his tail. "N - No, not… Not _that, _" explained Clementine through a frown, the hands in her pockets now curled up into fists.

Clem slowly walked up to the trash can, where the scorpion was. That was the first time seeing one up close… Hopefully the last, too, if she had her way. Just as her frown began to curve into a grimace, Clementine kicked the scorpion away, sending him flying off to the other side of the room. _There. Can't sting anyone now. _Next, she got down on one knee, searching through all that mess in order to find the right thing. "Those are pretty scary, too," Clementine pointed out with a grin, right before taking hold of a mysterious torn piece of paper.

The girl brought it back to where Ellie was, clearing her throat before reluctantly reading its contents out loud. "Describe the... chemical composition of urine." She waited for Ellie's reaction with a faint smile, revealing what it was the moment after by flipping it the other way around. "It's an exam paper." On biochemistry, to be exact. At least that's what it said. "Spooky, right?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

When Clementine read the question off of the page, Ellie stared at her incredulously, for a moment unable to comprehend what the hell her friend was going on about. When she flipped the page over, revealing the contents, and explaining herself, the older girl let out what could only be described as a half-snort, half-chuckle.

Recomposing herself, she took the paper from Clem, looking it over with an amused smile. Finally, she let it fall to the floor. "I would've taken that over the orphanage any day." Her words were laced with amusement, though it fizzled out in the blink of an eye.

A metallic screech pierced the air, followed by a guttural roar that was all-too-familiar to her. Her blood ran cold.

Joel and Lee had already burst out of the room they'd been talking in, the latter looking down the hallway towards an open area with elevator doors lining the wall. One of them definitely wasn't closed anymore, or in one piece.

There was a fucking bloater down there, blocking their path.

**Art [Clementine]**

The eerie sound of something colliding against the elevator doors was a dead giveaway that something wasn't right. As the hallway began to physically shake, scattering chunks of dust throughout, Clementine found herself frozen solid, witnessing those large metal doors be torn apart like cardboard. The roar came next, and by then, her breathing had become erratic past any semblance of normality.

It was a monster… a real, gigantic monster, and it was charging their way. _W - What the fuck?! _At that moment, clear, concise thoughts were a commodity the girl couldn't afford. She reached for the lever action leaned against the wall, holding it with one hand whilst her other gravitated towards Ellie, urging her to back away, to let Joel and Lee handle that thing...

Whatever happened, Clem had to make sure she was safe.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Christ."

Joel had little time to react when he saw the bloater, hooping and hollering and drooling all over the floor. A wall of flesh that wanted little but to crack their heads open and pool their brains into its gaping mouth. He had seen people killed by bloaters before; the way they ripped their heads apart by their jaws, the way they crushed their heads into mush, the way they tore limbs and skin like barbeque ribs.

Joel stuffed his revolver into the back of his jeans, throwing the rifle on his back into his arms and aiming it up at the struggling bloater. "Go, run!" He responded to Lee and looked back at the girls, directing all of them out of this death trap of a hallway. They didn't stand a chance against the bloater, especially in the claustrophobic corridors of the science hall. He fired a shot at the bloater, but it missed and sunk into the deformed flesh of its shoulder. It showed no recognition of the wound, as Joel ejected the shell and put a new one in, backing up to try and get the others to run before he took off.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The bullet from the revolver barely grazed the sturdy infected, its thick fungal plates essentially acting as armour for the monstrosity. With one final shove, the door to the elevator gave way, flinging open as the bloater pushed its way through with a roar. It began to stomp forward to where it had detected the noise. Moaning out as it grabbed onto its shoulder with both of its hands, digging into its own flesh and flailing around as it ripped out a small yellow ball of mycotoxin from its body. The bulky fungus-infected creature then threw the substance in the direction of where it had heard the gunshot.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

This thing wasn't to be trifled with, and having that brawny infected staring him down merely metres away was enough to get his blood rushing. The man began to slowly back up with his rifle still raised, getting ready to follow Joel's lead as the giant clicker busted through the elevator doors.

What came next Lee, just couldn't comprehend, the creature stomped forward and came to a halt. It was… clawing at itself? The man widening his eyes in disgust, the shriek getting louder before the creature sent a large yellow ball flying their way.

"Watch out!" Lee yelled out, before just barely being able to dive out of the way. The substance exploded near him, forming into a large yellow toxic spore cloud. Gritting his teeth and scrambling back to his feet, Lee aimed the shotgun at the monster, spraying a shell directly into its gut. It made contact, sending the beast stumbling backwards a step or two, but it wasn't enough. Merely a moment later… it was getting ready to charge.

Lee turned to the girls, making a frantic _shoo _motion with his hand as he readied himself to flee. "Go find somewhere to hide!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

The bloater was out of its cage. Joel and Lee had already fired shots its way, to no avail, and Lee called out for them to find somewhere to hide. Cursing under her breath, she grabbed Clementine's arm, tugging her away from the fight and down the hallway they'd come from.

They weren't going to be able to escape that fucking monster easily, not in these claustrophobia-inducing hallways, so that meant they either had to kill the bloater, or get killed. Her brain was being turned into goo by the adrenaline, but one thought managed to push its way through the haze.

They had to find something flammable.

She remembered the last – and first – bloater they'd run into, back in Bill's town. Joel had used molotovs to burn the infected, weakening it enough to be killed with bullets. They didn't have anything like that on them now, but maybe… _maybe _they could find something here.

It was worth a shot anyway.

She hauled Clem into the nearest lab, the sound of the bloater roaring in its baritone screech almost drowning out her words. "Help me find something we can set on fire! Alcohol, anything!"

Without wasting a second to see if the girl had gotten the message, she went to work on searching through the lab, forcing drawers open in hasty movements. She let out a series of profanities as she continued to get empty drawer after empty drawer, only to find an old rag next to a beaker on one of the desks. It'd do the job of turning whatever they find into a Molotov, at least.

She looked towards Clementine, screaming over the noise surrounding them. "Tell me you got something!"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel took another shot, not even checking to see where it landed before kicking the door he and Lee has just left back in. "Come here you son of a bitch!" He cried out, reloading the rifle in a desperate haze. He had no time to see where the others had gone; he just hoped they were safe. His eyes were rolling about their sockets like a cartoon and he felt like he was trying to dash across this classroom on stilts. If he could only distract it towards him...

He dived his back into the open door, firing a second bullet at the bloater again, this one finding its mark... better. It slammed into the bloater's thick neck, piercing some of the fungus, but not exactly... dissuading it. It turned its attention to Joel, lumbering towards him as he backed away into the classroom, further and further.

**Art [Clementine]**

Ellie dragged her into one of the dreary research labs, tugging her by the arm, and for as challenging as it might've been, Clementine managed to keep her balance. There wasn't a thing in the world she would've liked more than to barrage Ellie with questions, a decent chunk of them involving whatever the fuck that thing prancing around out there was. In spite of that, the other girl beat her to it, asking her to look for something to make a fire before she herself ran off to do just that. On the other side of those old walls, gunshots were going off one after the other, almost muffling the spine-chilling sound of that monster's roar.

Clem couldn't keep her hands steady even if she tried.

Once the rifle was properly strapped over her right shoulder, Clementine forced her feet to move, heading towards one of the many cabinets surrounding them. It was about the best plan they had: chuck fire at it until it died. For all she fucking knew, that's the only thing that'd work against something that huge.

It was one empty drawer after the next. Most only had papers. Some had trinkets and rudimentary lab equipment. She couldn't waste a second on those. Anything that wasn't useful was violently tossed to the ground, whole drawers worth of stuff. There was nothing there, not even close. Files on top of files, cogs of web, cables—

_T - There!_

It wasn't really what she was looking for, but it could do the trick, right? On top of one of the desks was a beaker filled with strangely-colored liquid. Whoever was around before them must've been working on something pretty hairy. Clem wasn't much of a chemistry whiz, but even she knew those things went _ka-boom. _They were supposed to, anyway, according to those... rambly stories with the one mad scientist in them. "Here, I got _this _!" Clementine told her while snatching the flask from its given place, shooting Ellie a look of concern. "Can we do it?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's head perked up as Clementine held up a flask of liquid. Well, it wasn't exactly alcohol, so it wasn't a guarantee, but they had no other choice right now. She rushed towards her friend, taking the flask from her as she replied with a breathless "we're gonna have to."

She soaked a section of the rag in the liquid, pulling it back out to insert it the opposite way. Next to her, Clementine had fished out a box of matches, igniting one with a strike against the matchbox before handing it to her. A wicked smile grew on Ellie's face as she held it to the soaked rag, the flames immediately coming to life.

Now here was the fun part.

Before she could head back out into the hallway, Joel and Lee had backed into the room, the bloater outside letting out a deafening roar before charging through the tiny door frame, splintering the wood surrounding it.

This was it, now or never.

She took in a deep breath.

"Hey, dickhead!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, trying to get the bloater's attention away from Joel and Lee.

It worked. It _definitely _worked. It let out another roar, preparing to charge towards her.

She threw the Molotov with as much force as she could muster, silently willing it to hit its mark, right in its ugly fucking face.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

The Molotov careened past the bloater, hitting the wall behind it in an eruption of flames. Before the bloater could react, though, Joel fired off another shot, straight through the neck, and knocking it backward. Its back hit the wall, hardened skin being melted by the searing heat of the flames now engulfing its back and head.

Its massive hands smacked at its face, trying to put out the flames, and for the moment, it was left vulnerable to attack.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It was like a horrible game of tag, one where your life would be snuffed out if caught. _Nothing _was working, Joel was doing what he could… but he didn't have the ammo to take that thing out, and neither did Lee. That hulking form seemed to have some kind of armoured fungal plates that proved hard to pierce.

Then he heard a voice, which was undoubtedly Ellie screaming, they'd come to help. _Jesus! I thought I told them to- _Without a moment's notice, something soared over Lee's head, the flaming bottle whizzing past him and headed straight for the big guy. And with that, Joel fired off a shot through the thing's neck… knocking something off of it. Lee initially thought it was a piece of flesh… but it was too hard to tell in the heat of the moment. Nonetheless, it was a good shot, clearly hitting the weak point of the monster and sending it stumbling back into the blaze.

It let out a grotesque and pained screech, clawing at itself and writhing. Somehow… the thing still managed to keep stomping towards them, almost as if intent on taking someone down with it. **Now** was his chance. Lee aimed his shotgun right at the weakened infected, and fired again. This time blood spurted out of its belly and onto his jacket, the shot making a horrid slushy sound as it connected to the soft part of its skin… it dropped to one knee, severely weakened, before Lee fired another shell towards its head. The deformed thing let out a final screech, which was cut short as what was left of its head was shot clean off. It fell to the ground, lifeless… the room falling silent as all that could be heard was the soft crackling of flames in the background.

Silence ensued shortly after… and Lee was having trouble regaining his breath. He lowered his shotgun, looking down at his hands only to realise they were shaking slightly._What in God's name was that? A clicker on damn steroids?_

"Everyone okay?" The man finally spoke up, still panting as he looked back to the others.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

When Joel left the room, the final blow to the bloater having been dealt, he leaned up against the wall next to the corpse and took in a swift breath. "Yeah." He leaned the rifle up against the wall he took refuge up against, wiping at the sweat on his forehead. Little time for rest, he moved towards the corpse and stamped at the flames that circled it, leaving it's blackening body to melt in the heat.

He looked over everyone, clarifying to see if they were okay. When it seemed like they all were, at least in his eyes, he turned around and began walking towards the room he had just left, hoping to find more about these damned monkeys or... whatever it was that was scuttling around above them. "Let's go."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Every ounce of breath she'd been holding released from her lungs all at once, and she leaned against a blacktop lab table, taking a moment to catch her lost breath. Everything happened so fast. They were lucky they were able to find anything flammable at all. Even luckier that Joel had managed to shoot the fucking thing into the flames, after her shitty throw.

As Lee called out to them, she answered with a breathy "yeah, peachy."

She pushed away from the table, slowly stepping towards the bloater. Seeing one this close when it wasn't trying to kill you was… _something else _. Its mouth was left agape, brandishing fangs sharp enough to pierce bone. A part of her expected it to suddenly come back to life, and that put hesitance in her step.

However, an object near the corpse eventually caught her eye, and she quickened her pace. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was some sort of audio recorder that used tapes, and she held it out as Joel began to leave the room. "Wait, I found something."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He spun around, nearly losing his balance as he did so. "Hm?" Joel's pace quickened in the opposite direction and towards Ellie, moving swiftly past the seared corpse and to Ellie. He took it from her hand carefully as to not be rude, nodding; a show of approval. He held it up to his ear as he hit the play button.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The recorder was connected to some type of string, presumably because someone had chosen to wear it around their neck, and that someone seemed to be the one they had just dispatched. Although the string had been torn, or shot off earlier supposedly. Luckily enough, it hadn't sustained enough damage. The device sprang to life after the button was pushed, noticeably the voice on the other end was the same as the last recording. Although now he sounded a lot more morbid in tone.

"_If you're looking for the Fireflies, they've all left. I'm dead. Or I will be soon. Got me some time to reflect."_

Small parts of the conversation were picked up, but the Texan only wanted to skip to the part he needed.

"_...been years it felt like we were-"_

"_... fucking thing was a giant waste of ti-"_

"_...looking for the others, they've all returned to St Mary's Hospital in Salt Lake City. You'll find them there. Still trying to save the world. Yeah, good luck with that."_

That was where the recorder cut out.

**Art [Clementine]**

Joel impatiently sped through the tape, sending Clementine's head reeling in anticipation. It was hard to expect good news - especially when they came from a corpse - but it'd be the most obvious lie out there to say she didn't have her fingers crossed.

It only made accepting the fact that the Fireflies weren't there that much more painful. For the first time in… probably forever, she wished her parents weren't there, too. It didn't look like anybody made it.

They at least had another lead, for all that was worth: a hospital. They were already getting low on food for the horses… Traveling on foot during winter was plain crazy talk, so, what then? What if it took another month to get there? In the end, behind those gritted teeth, was a girl on the verge of panic, wrapping her arms around her chest in an attempt to subdue that suffocating feeling of hopelessness. "Can we make it there?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie found herself leaning against another table as Joel played through the recording, sighing as the voice on the other end spoke about the fact the Fireflies were gone. "Yeah, no shit," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

They finally had a destination, though. She wanted to believe they'd be there, despite the fact the evidence was starting to stack up against it being true.

Clementine asked a question, and she found herself wincing at Joel's expression. Clearly, this place wasn't _close _.

Out of the corner of her eye, a bright light distracted her from her friends, and she squinted to make out what it was. At the other end of a classroom connected to theirs was several men brandishing weapons, and while the word 'Fireflies' left her lips in the form of a question, any further comment about it died in her throat as they opened fire, forcing her to duck behind the cover of the table.

As gunshots made her ears ring, all hell broke loose.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_Salt Lake City?_

It wasn't ringing a bell with Lee. The name of this hospital was unfamiliar too, so he severely hoped Joel had some kind of idea on where this place was. The previous lead they'd gotten was very much outdated as they had just found out, so what was to stop _this _lead from ending up the same way? A bigger question begged, did they even have the supplies to last another long trip? This was supposed to be the endgame, everything Lee strived and fought for these past few months was meant to lead here. Now it just felt like this whole trek across the country was leading them on a wild goose chase. Joel's expression did little to ease Lee's mind, and right now they needed to think smart about this.

Sighing out in near defeat, Lee pressed his back up against the table top, crossing his arms. The Fireflies weren't gonna be any good if they couldn't get there in one piece.

"Looks like we're gonna need to start making some decisions here. Depending on how far this..."

Lee trailed off, his voice dwindling down to a halt as a bright light pierced the side of his eye. He turned his head, and time seemed to slow down. Multiple figures on the bottom floor emerged, he heard Ellie ask if they were Fireflies, right as Lee got a good glimpse of their clothing… _Oh, God._

They'd been spotted, and what followed after was a barrage of bullets that smashed through the window. The glass shattering and falling into tiny pieces on the ground as they were forced to duck down.

"No uniform, it can't be them!" He spoke, trying to talk over the sound of the bullets. Taking out that hulking infected made a lot of noise, which was now coming back to bite them. Lee's mind then went to their fastest method of escape. "We need to get to the horses, before they do."

**Art [Clementine]**

A flurry of bullets whizzed past Clementine's head, bursting through the glass, one of them grazing her hat and just narrowly missing what lied under it in one mean stroke of luck. Panic was on the edge of her mind, yet the girl stood firm, practically hugging her rifle as the chunks of glass were scattered around her feet, her back against the wall. It was impossible to tell how many they were, or even _who _they were, and absolutely nothing was scarier than that.

"Just gotta go back the same way we came through, right?!" She asked in a yell while another bullet tore its way through the wall, Clem pulling her feet closer to her chest in immediate response. They were gonna be dead meat if they stayed up there for another minute.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

As if by a stroke of bad luck, Clementine's words were followed by the sound of more footsteps coming from the direction they had come from, effectively cutting them off from the hole in the wall they used to enter the building. The gunfire was practically deafening, and the bandits were pushing in quick.

The group was going to have to escape the classroom before they got boxed in. Luckily, an open door at the far end of the room revealed an empty classroom joined to theirs. It might be the only way out before they were surrounded.

**Art [Clementine]**

With gunfire coming down on them like goddamned rain, it was a serious struggle to hear her own thoughts, much less try to pick up on anything else. Luckily for the girl and her posse, those assholes and their firing squad weren't exactly trying to keep it on the down-low. That mess of footsteps were all climbing the dumpster outside to hop on the truck. Not even someone stone deaf could miss it. Clementine held back the dozen and a half swear words competing to roll off her tongue in favor of coming up with a plan, if only a pretty shoddy one.

She shot Lee a worried glance, leaning towards the other girl and the smuggler and swallowing hard before throwing a proposal their way. "Ellie, you stay with Joel, alright?! We can keep you guys covered while you look for a way out!" More shots rang through the halls, words she couldn't make out, all attempts at trying to draw them out. _Don't be scared. Don't be scared... We can handle them. You've done it before. _Clementine crawled to a different cover, far away from the windows. There was no telling how long they had until the rest of those bandits got the jump on them.

"Just hurry! And don't wait for us!"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked at the other two, mind running wild as gunfire pierced the atmosphere. Heavy stomps, a creeping march aimed at their heads screamed down the building. He looked at the two of them, shaking his head at first but seeing a fire displaced in Clementine's eyes. It struck him then; it wasn't important what he wanted. It wasn't important what any of them wanted. What was important was _Ellie _and Joel was the best bet at getting her to the Fireflies; the best man for the occasion. He didn't like it, practically leaving two of his most well-known companions behind... but Ellie was bigger than any of them ever were.

"Ellie, come on. We'll be right back." He had killed plenty of bandits before. It wasn't like these few folks were going to be any different. He could help, there was hope; however limited that might be. Despite this, Joel led Ellie into the next room and out of the gunfire. He prepped his rifle, ready to use it as a makeshift bat and as, of course, a gun of assured destruction. Before he left, he turned to Lee and Clementine, wincing. "We meet up in front of the university with the horses, got it?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"What? No-!" Ellie tried to protest as Clem suggested that they make a break for it while they cover them. She didn't like that idea _at all _. Leaving her friends behind… _fuck _, she can't do that. Not this time.

Joel, however, had already decided for them, practically dragging her out of the room and into the next. She gave one last look in her friends' directions before cursing, following Joel through the next classroom. If they died… she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

Her face scrunched as a thought passed through her mind. _You're not allowed to die, Clem, so you better fucking get out of there._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Yeah, we'll try to catch up… Go on." He spoke, still sitting down with his back pressed up against the dilapidated wall, which was just below the window. Lee's hands were like a vice grip around the shotgun, finger near the trigger as he readied himself for what was to come.

And just like that, the man watched the other two survivors they'd come to know retreat out of sight. Lee's discontent with the decision was hidden well, the bullets flying through the window providing enough of a distraction for Joel not to notice. After they had left, Lee looked over to Clementine, who was still distracted with trying to buy time for them, shaking his head in frustration at her. _Why'd you do that, kid?_

Yes, he was ashamed for feeling this way… Joel, the man who he watched play guitar while they sat out on the porch and shared a laugh. Ellie, the girl he'd come to know well and even make _pizza _with back at Jackson. These were people they'd known for a while, and that made it all the more harder for Lee to accept he wasn't at all happy that himself and Clementine were the ones that had to stay behind. It wasn't Joel and Ellie's fault, but he was kicking himself for letting Clem suggest an idea that put them in the literal direct line of damn fire. Now they were forced to stay here, and it was too late not to somewhat commit.

The man got to his knees, ducking by the window. He waited for an opening, and then lifted the shotgun out of the window along with half of his face, attempting to get a bead on these lunatics. Before he could fire however, a flurry of bullets were sent his way, narrowly missing his head as he was forced to duck back down, cursing and muttering under his breath.

That was the last straw for Lee. They just had to hope Joel and Ellie were already well on their way out. He wasn't going to let them be target practice up here for another damned minute.

"Clem, Listen. _We've _gotta get out of here too, they're gonna swarm us up here if we stay any longer." His eyes trailed off towards the door that led out, his head nodding in that direction. "Let's go."

**Art [Clementine]**

There were a lot of them. At least four, by Clementine's count, all coming in from one of the labs. Every step had her weaker at the knees, and they kept getting louder and louder, each and every one practically ringing in her ears. Whether it was adrenaline or pure haphazardness that had her feet moving, she couldn't tell... Clem snuck behind one of the tables, waiting, holding her breath in apprehension.

Lee made his move first, but the bandits were faster. Not only did they keep him from shooting, they'd only missed him by an inch, and they were well on their way to make a second attempt. They wouldn't get one.

Clem let her rifle rest on top of the table she cowered behind, using it to steady her aim. Her breathing was slow and anxious, and her hands were still too shaky to land a decent shot. _Fuck...! _It wasn't the time to hesitate. The girl squeezed the trigger with force, holding out hope that she wouldn't miss.

It looked like it caught them by surprise, all thanks to Lee's diversion. It was just the opening they needed. The bullet pierced the stomach of one of the bandits, sending him staggering backward as a gush of blood spurted from his back. Clementine quickly dived back behind cover, as did the remaining men, now concentrating their fire on the little girl who'd flanked them.

"Let's go," Lee said, and she begrudgingly nodded. They couldn't hold their own against this fucking many of them. She'd just have to hope they bought enough time for Joel and Ellie to get out of there.

**Arthur [Arthur Saint]**

_Things have definitely gone south…_

While the men that were under his orders were in the front line, fighting for their lives and trying to strike down the survivors, Arthur was hiding behind the wall, putting his hands on his ears, avoiding looking at the gunfight. He knew he shouldn't be doing that, he knew that he should be there in the front line to help them, but he, at the same time, fiercely repeated to himself that he was too valuable for the salvation of mankind to go there and take that risk. He repeated that sentence so many times in his own head that he actually started believing in it.

"Aim for the arms and legs! We don't want them to die, do we?"

Arthur pretty much yelled to his teammates in a desperate tone, he actually feared they would aim to kill. He knows that his men were brute, starving, gun-carrying apes, who were futile without someone instructing them what to do. They couldn't tell that Arthur didn't want them dead so that he could convert them. He didn't want them dead so that he could eat them and use as much of their meat as possible without tainting it with the walker infection. They had spent hours in that university, finding close to nothing, maybe taking these strangers down and bringing them home to eat them was better than coming back empty-handed.

After seeing some of his mates getting shot and bleeding everywhere, Arthur knew it was time to step up and be the leader. If he actually managed to take down at least one of the strangers, that was more than enough to prove his power among his men, proving himself to be the miraculous messiah he promised to be. At the same time, he doesn't want to jump in the middle of the rain of bullets, so he decided to do what none of his men thought of: corner the strangers from behind. Following a path through classrooms, Arthur made his way to the other side, immediately meeting only two strangers, a man and a teenager. Pulling out a small revolver from his holster, he immediately put the barrel on the back of his head.

"Tell your friend to put her weapon down or I swear that I'll turn your head into an empty shell."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee's chest settled slightly, glad to hear that Clem wasn't going to fight him on this. If there was ever a time to get the hell out… it was now. After just barely making it out of the room, the duo crept along the hallway. Intent on making it back to the other two without being detected.

That was when Lee felt it, the cold barrel of a gun being pressed up on the back of his head. It sent a cold shiver filled with adrenaline down his spine, his mind spiralling in an attempt to figure a way out of this. The man let his shotgun fall to the floor, raising his arms up as he submitted. There'd be more coming soon, he was sure of it. The only option he seemed to have was to negotiate, maybe this guy was reasonable… maybe he'd be able to sway him. Regardless, Lee couldn't think of anything else that wouldn't get them potentially shot.

"Look, we can work this out. I'll tell her to put it down if you promise to let her leave. Whatever needs to be sorted out, you can do it with me. Okay?" He pleaded, hoping the other person behind the gun had a sliver of mercy.

**Arthur [Arthur Saint]**

Arthur was internally thanking God as the man put his guns on the ground. Had he decided to attack, he would have easily turned the tide in his favor. Arthur's hands were sweating, the guy was pretty much double his size. Despite that, he maintained a tight grip on the gun, sometimes pressing it harder on the man's head. For once in his life, someone was pleading for mercy to Arthur, a man who'd generally be on the other side. _And it felt great._

He took a look at the girl mentioned by the man, she wore a cap on her head and appeared to be a teenager. Arthur could only presume she was the man's daughter, without even looking at his face. However, Arthur knew that the light still existed in her, the younger the soul, the closer to Jesus. What can only be described as dark thoughts filled the head of the 'Messiah'.

After some seconds pretty much staring at the girl, he turned his eyes back on the man, blinking many times to wake up from daydreaming.

"I can't let any of you leave, my son. You must all learn the truth, you must all be saved. The new word of God must be spread to the world, and the younger the mind, the easier the truth can be accepted. Fear not, my son, you have done wisely by putting your weapons on the ground, now help her do the right decision. The Messiah of the New World commands it." Arthur said with the greatest amount of confidence he could build, despite his fear for the man's sheer size compared to his own.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He'd been around long enough to see the worst kinds of things. But it didn't even take ten seconds of listening to this guy for Lee to figure out that he was off his fucking chops, completely detached from reality. This couldn't be the Fireflies, no way. Unless they started referring to themselves as the 'Messiahs of the New World.'

This situation was quickly devolving into something they wouldn't be able to get out of. His adrenaline began to bubble to the surface, the harsh echo of boots hitting the floor apparent as more people started storming into the hallways. If this guy's backup arrived, it'd be over for them. They'd already stayed up here for too long… and Lee wasn't oblivious to the fact that the chances of both of them getting out of here now weren't looking too good. But… he didn't care about that, the only one that needed an opening to escape was Clementine, not him. That was the only thing that mattered right now.

His brief thoughts were interrupted at the sounds of the footsteps getting closer… they were going to be surrounded. The fear of being shot was nullified as Lee quickly turned his thoughts into action. Using his arm that was raised, Lee quickly swivelled around to grab the other man's wrist which held the small revolver, managing to get a firm grip on it.

"Clem, You gotta run!" He screamed out, still fighting with the other man as he tried to wrestle the gun from him. Right now, an opening was all she needed, and he'd just given it to her. He drove the other man backwards, pinning his back up against the wall as they continued to fight for the gun. He could feel that the stranger wasn't as strong, but his grip on the revolver was firm, Lee just couldn't manage to pry it from his hands. He gave one final glance to Clem, still seeing her in his peripherals.

"**NOW!**" He screamed out with a mix of anger and desperation. He needed her not to get caught, and this was her last chance… before the rest of these lunatics arrived.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine hadn't noticed it, not until any chance to prevent it had hopelessly slipped through her fingers. The girl's back remained glued to the table, gunshots still zooming by her, trying to draw her out. They were just white noise when paired with the sight of Lee with a gun against his head. Clem's heart came to a full stop, her mouth dropping open then shutting itself into a grimace. Her blood ran cold and simultaneously boiled in anger, the grip on her rifle nigh ripping the weapon apart.

With any semblance of discretion thrown out the window, Clementine stood up from behind the table, aiming her rifle at Lee's aggressor with fire in her eyes. "Get the fuck off him!" She violently shouted, finger itching to pull the trigger and end whoever it was threatening to shoot her friend. By then, everyone else in the room with a weapon in hand had it trained on her, expecting her to try it. Daring her to.

It was a lost cause from the start.

Clem heard the guy blabber on about _God _and a 'new world,' a bunch of nonsense strung together to get Lee to make her drop her weapon. She was waiting for it; A nod, a blink...? _Any _kind of sign to open fire. They'd been in that position dozens of times. Lee had to have a plan, he _**had to.**_And she was ready for whatever it was.

Or so she thought, anyway. When Lee jumped at the guy, demanding her to run away, the whole entirety of the girl's bravado evaporated into terror. Everyone's eyes were on him now, bandits rushing to pry him away from that man, giving her an opening to make it to the door, however short it was. Thoughts ran through her head, going a hundred miles a minute, her grimace dissipating and becoming a pair of trembling lips. _No, no...! No way!_

"_**NOW,**_" Lee screamed, and her whole body jolted backwards. Just leave him behind...? Clementine couldn't do it. Not now, not **ever.** _Please...! Y - You-_ One step after the next, the girl backed away, horrified. If she could get to Joel in time, then- then maybe...?!

Her quiet steps had soon turned into a sprint. By the time bullets were flying her way once more, the girl had already made it to the door, smashing it open with her shoulder. Clem had to find the others, and she had to do it before those bandits caught up to her.

**Art [Clementine]**

Everything around Clementine became a blurry mess beyond recognition. A grimy mixture of cold sweat and tears ran down her face, loud huffs of air exiting through her mouth as her feet pounded the floor. Every single fucking hallway looked the exact same... after a while, Clem just couldn't tell where she was running to anymore... where on earth she was heading towards.

They were going to kill Lee and she did nothing to stop it, running away in fear, stumbling like an idiot. Each step felt heavier than the last, trying to force her to stop and turn back. The words 'idiot' and 'coward' hovered in her brain, repeating nonstop like needles piercing her jumbled thoughts, torturing her.

How could she have just left him?

The endless hallways had led her to a balcony, silent and desolate. The girl's gasping for air soon turned into desperate cries, a scream for help no one could answer. **"JOEL!"** She shouted, straining her vocal chords, pushing them to their absolute limit. _**"ELLIE!"**_As her arms fell on top of the platform, Clem's weeping became frantic, uncontrollable. They had to be with the horses, that's where they were supposed to meet. If she could just find a way down-

"I see her!" A man howled from below, firing his rifle, and yet another shot pierced the air. Clementine ducked instinctively, wiping away her tears before making another run for it, as fast as her feet could manage. _"Fuck!_

It was either that or getting killed.


	44. Gone, II

**Dot [Ellie]**

They were able to make it out of the classroom, retreating deeper into the hallways surrounding the center of the building. Through their retreat, she'd gotten a glimpse of the interior of the school, which seemed to be some sort of common area with an open space above it, leading all the way up to the roof dozens of feet above them.

They ran into a couple of bandits along the way, and she'd scavenged some supplies from them. Another magazine's worth of bullets, and a bow and about fifteen arrows. Both would definitely be handy in getting out of this shithole.

They reached a balcony after fighting through another group, Ellie searching around for the exit down below, but she couldn't make it out from this angle. They'd have to-

The door opened behind them. Joel reacted first, turning around, and Ellie followed suit. Their gazes were met by a bandit who rushed towards Joel, shouting angrily as he tried to choke him out, pushing Joel against the glass railing separating them from the emptiness beyond.

Ellie's hand went for her gun, but it would be too late to do anything.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Gunfire, sparks, and blood. That was all Joel saw as he busted his knuckles upon heads, crushing ribs and destroying skulls, gunning men down as they continued away. Guilt gnawed at him; Lee and Clementine, gone. There was little room in his mind for optimism, optimism for them meeting up again. Why did this have to happen? Why did this keep having to _happen?! _Something tugged at him; something told him they could make it, they could _survive _, but that was naive, a naive voice that only served to further bring Joel down into a spiral that was ignorance to reality.

"C'mon." He spoke, walking out onto the balcony, speaking to Ellie. He had little time to move, little time to react as his head spun around at the sound of a door being kicked open. _"Got you asshole! _" The bandit cried, grabbing onto Joel's throat before he could stop him. He was shoved against the glass railing, Joel's hands pushing on the man's face, his strength outweighing the other's. He pushed the man off of him; tried to, at least. Breaking the man's jaw with one swift punch, he felt the bandit's grip loosen, then tighten once more around Joel's waist as the glass railing behind him shattered.

The fall was quick and followed by a series of yells from both men. The bandit hit head first into a crashed support beam, his neck cracking with a sickening sound. Joel felt pain swim through his stomach, blood of his own splashing onto his chin. _"Gaaaaaahhh! _" He groaned, his hands instinctively reaching towards the injury. His eyes saw it for a second; something metal sticking out of his gut like a snapped bone. He dropped his head back, blowing air through his teeth to escape the pain, closing his eyes and clawing at the air. " _Ah shit. _" He murmured, sucking in breaths of air.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The glass broke in a violent eruption, sending shards scattering in all directions. One instant, Joel and the bandit were right next to her, and the next, they were plummeting to the ground below. She clenched her eyes shut as the bandit's head collided with the support beam, effectively killing the man before his body even hit the floor.

She let out the breath she'd been holding, her heart wrenching as Joel grasped his hands around something near his stomach. It only took a second to register in her brain what it was.

"Oh man…!" She breathed as she desperately searched around her for a way down, finding a bunch of cables wrapped around each other hanging down towards the ground and sliding down them. Once her feet touched the floor, the sound of bandits throwing themselves into the double doors behind her only accentuated the panic rising in her chest.

Then there was the blood. _Fuck _, there was so much of it. She forced her gaze away from the rebar sticking through Joel and towards his face, taking a step towards him to try and help him up. "W - What do you want me to do?!"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

His vision blackened for a moment. Blurry and dark from the pain of metal through his side. Ellie was coming, he could see her as she ran towards him, and his hand reached out to her while the other clawed at his chest. His nerves were firing on all cylinders, pain shooting up into his chest as well as into his groin. As she questioned exactly what to do, he replied instantly with a near delirious mutter. "Move..." His voice was like gravel under a wheel, as his hand reached up to her shoulder. One of his hands reached into his jeans, pulling the revolver out. This time, his voice rose into a shout.

" _**Move!**_" He cried out, pushing her away and taking aim with his revolver, firing a shot and watching it implode into a bandit's chest as two burst through the doors. The one he shot clutched at his wound as Joel fired again, this one entering his eye and sending him to the ground. The other one escaped his sight, as he tried to turn to shoot him as well but found himself stuck. The damned rebar, pressing up against his bare flesh cause bile to rise in his throat as he threw himself back down, hearing another gunshot go off.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie struggled to stay on her feet as Joel pushed her away, firing off a shot towards one of the bandits bursting through the doors behind them. She pulled her pistol out as soon as she had righted herself, firing at the other bandit. The bullet ripped through his throat, and he fell to the ground, gurgling.

She pocketed the pistol, returning to Joel. "Oh man… Joel?" She looked to him for guidance, to tell her what to do, because at that moment, she was seconds away from freezing up.

The sight of the rebar didn't help.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel threw his head back as the hunters fell dead, readying himself to say those oh so hurtful words. He knew it was going to hurt; he knew it was going to hurt worse than anything he ever did. But if she didn't do this, he'd be surely dead and so would she. "I'm gonna need you to pull." He held out to her, ready to assist in the matter. He was sure she couldn't do it all by herself.

**Dot [Ellie]**

This was the part she wasn't looking forward to. She cringed, quickly nodding her head. "Okay…" She took in a deep breath as she grabbed Joel's hands, readying herself to pull him up.

A sickening sensation crawled down her spine, realizing just how badly this could end if _one _small mistake was made. He could bleed out as soon as he was pulled from from the rebar… his guts could come tumbling out, or- or- _fuck!_

She didn't have a choice. Either she got him off of there or she left him, and the latter _wasn't _an option.

She exhaled the breath she'd been holding. "Alright, you ready?" She tightened her grip on his hands, counting down from three before pulling with as much force as she could manage. Joel screamed, but eventually, they managed to get him off of the rebar and onto his feet, albeit barely. "Here," she let him go, waiting for him to stand up fully while her eyes turned towards the open door. If bandits were coming, she'd be ready for them.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

" _Gaaaaaaah! _" Joel cried, blood leaking from the hole in his side. He could hardly take this anymore, his mind was growing weak from pain and maiming. He could almost no longer feel his hands, looking over them quickly to make sure they were indeed still there. He fell to a knee, but was helped by Ellie. He clenched his teeth, starting to move forward. "Just get to the damn horse..." He rasped.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Joel's command was like a surge of adrenaline as she took a step back, breathing "okay" while she pulled out her pistol once more. As Joel stumbled after her, she approached the door, aiming her weapon down both sides of the hallway before calling out to Joel. "I don't see anyone. Let's go!"

She did the same for the classroom across the hallway. When no one jumped out, she entered the room, heading for an open window leading into the next classroom over.

Two wooden planks were leaned against the wall, blocking their path, and she pushed them over, shouting over her shoulder. "Joel? How we doing?!"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel chased after her as fast as he could, hand over the open wound to prevent any more of his life from leaking out. "I'm fine, I'm fine..." He muttered, limping towards the window that she tore towards. Her concern was welcome, if expected. But his mind was focused on the hole in his lower body now, little room for much else.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She didn't put much faith in Joel's words, her muscles tensing as she leaned against the closed side of the window, looking back towards him. "Can you handle the window?"

Joel nodded, a "yeah" reaching her ears, and once again, she found herself not believing him. Still, she hopped through the window, clearing the room with her pistol raised before turning back to him.

"Okay…" She watched as Joel tried to climb over the windowsill, only to fall face-first onto the ground.

"Jesus…" She bent down to try and pick him up, grunting. "Come on, move!"

Before she _could _get him back on his feet, though, the door at the far end of the room was kicked open, and a harsh voice pierced the air.

"I see you!"

" _Shit, _" she breathed, pushing Joel against the side of a desk to hide. The bandit fired off a shot from his shotgun, cursing.

" _Come on, man. _"

Another shot made her ears ring, and she leaned closer to Joel, avoiding the splintering wood that exploded from the desk. "Alright, just stay here," she breathed, her fingers clenching harder around her weapon. "I'm gonna flank this asshole."

She didn't wait to hear his response, crouching low as she circled around the classroom. She could hear the bandit talking angrily, approaching Joel's position.

"Those were my friends you killed, asshole."

She was almost in position, holding in her breath just in case the bandit would hear it.

"Come on out. You want to do this the hard way?"

Another gunshot exploded in the room, and Ellie stood up, aiming her pistol towards the man. She fired, and the bullet pierced his shoulder. The man grunted, spinning towards her.

"You little bitch!" He raised his shotgun, and she stared it down, readying herself for another shot.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Ellie..." He called out, reaching towards her as she disappeared around the corner of the table. He was alone now, the bandit approaching with a hearty fervor and a hefty shotgun. Joel tried to point his revolver out at him, but the blast of a shotgun sent chunks of wood spiraling into the distance. He threw his arm back to shield his face, eyes shut to save them from splinters. He heard a gunshot followed by the bandit yelling and his instincts kicked in. His gun flew over and fired, hitting the man _somewhere _. The grunt of pain was all telling. Joel fell back, left hand still bloodied from holding his wound.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rushed back towards Joel, letting out the breath she'd been holding. When she noticed Joel trying to stand, failing, she gasped. "Oh man… we gotta get you out of here."

She bent down to help pick him up, breathing heavily.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

As Ellie tried to help him, the man attempting to contribute to this poor attempt, he mumbled reassurances under his breath. "I'm okay." He said, before using the counter to pull himself up with her help.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"You're not okay, Joel!" She shouted at him as he tried to downplay his wounds. The fact he could barely stand told her everything that she needed to know. Right now, she wasn't even sure if they were going to make it to the horses, but they had to try. "Now c'mon!"

She pushed towards the open door the bandit had come through, pointing her pistol through it. Turning back to Joel, she called to him with a harsh "move it!" Another look through the door. "There's no one here, hurry!"

They made it into the hallway, and Ellie's gaze was drawn to the next doorway. Above the door was a label reading 'North Hall', and a large, open space expanded beyond the threshold.

She swiveled towards Joel, seeing that he was continuing to keep up. "You're doing good… just keep at it."

That was, until he fell to the floor, hand reaching for the fallen vending machine next to the door to keep him from collapsing completely.

"Oh man… here, lean on me." She rushed towards him, trying to pull him back onto his feet.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He continued his stumbled gait, following Ellie even as she poked and prodded at him harshly. The pain grew to its worst when he doubled over next to the vending machine, leaning onto it for help. Ellie offered her own form of assistance to him and he let her pull him up, but her second offer made him brush her away. "No." He said as loud as he could, still using the vending machine as his leg.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She stepped away from him, looking towards him incredulously. "Well, can you walk?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He continued forward to prove that he could. "Yes."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Then fucking walk!" She responded to his comment with vigor, mentally cursing as she pushed into the next room. She swiveled her gaze, clearing the room, before tossing a "come on" over her shoulder.

At the other end of the room, sunlight filtered through several glass doors. She let out a sigh of relief. "Okay. There's the exit. Just a little bit more, come on."

Another few steps took her between two barricades, and she glanced towards the stairs leading to the second floor. Still clear.

The squeak of shoes caught her attention, and she turned back just in time to see Joel collapsing to the floor once more. She called out to him, a scared "Hey, hey! Joel!"

Joel said something then, far too quiet for her to make out over the sound of her heartbeat. "What?" She called back to him incredulously. His gaze had locked onto the balcony above them, and she raised her pistol in that direction.

Two bandits were descending the steps, brandishing pipes. Joel had fallen over once more, and Ellie took a step back, shouting towards them before firing two shots. "Stay the fuck back!"

"The kid's got a gun. Watch out!" One of the bandits yelled, jumping down onto a table, only to end up with a bullet in his chest. She fired another two bullets, missing the second man completely. She pulled the trigger again, her efforts being met with a clicking sound.

"Oh shit, oh shit!" She popped out the magazine while the bandit drew closer.

"You little shit!"

She popped one in just in time to try and aim at the bandit, but it was already too late. The pipe collided with her arm, the sheer strength of the blow being enough to send her crashing to the ground. She grunted from the pain, channeling it into the adrenaline rush that overwhelmed her as she aimed at the bandit, putting three bullets in his chest before he finally collapsed to the ground.

Her heart was practically in her throat. She pushed herself to her feet, scrambling towards Joel. "Joel… here, stand up!" She grabbed him by his shoulders, trying desperately to get him back on his feet. Once he was up, she drew closer to him. "Put your arm around me." She wrapped his right arm over her shoulder, practically carrying him towards the exit. "Alright, let's go."

In the silence that followed, only their breathing could be heard.

"I swear to God, I get you out of this… you're _so _singing for me," she breathed, clutching his arm tighter around her neck.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He continued as best as he could, he tried _so _hard but it was ultimately fruitless. Joel swerved and swayed, unable to keep his footing and then... it was over for a moment. His vision went black as he hit the floor, eyes falling on two of the bandits running down the stairs. He reached his hand out, trying to tell Ellie to run, trying to tell her to get out of there, but she wouldn't make it without him, would she? "...behind you," was all he could manage to mumble. One of the bandits was killed swiftly, but the other one survived long enough to run at Ellie with a pipe and even hit her. He could do nothing, barely even move forward to stop the weapon from clanging into her arm and dropping her.

He was down after three gunshots, dropping lifelessly while Ellie helped him up. Her voice was soaked in concern and a childlike helplessness, something that nearly drove him to keep going. He wanted to give up, he wanted so desperately to just lay down and let it all _end _, but he had to keep moving. He laughed thinly, smiling as best as he could behind the pain. "You wish."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Joel's response would've made her smile under normal circumstances, but not today. Instead, she kept carrying him forward, straight to a metal cabinet lying on its side near the door, and letting him lean against it.

"Wait here, I'll get the door."

Three quick steps to the door, then pushing it open. She couldn't see anyone outside, at least from this angle. She turned back towards Joel, waving him over. "Come on."

He stumbled through the door, and she found herself holding out her hand to catch him if he fell again. "There you go…" He made it to the door, pushing through it, his momentum far too great as he was thrown over, rolling down the steps and onto the ground.

Ellie quickly followed him, though a noise from her right caught her attention. She looked up to see another bandit trying to wrestle control of Callus, the man eliciting a "What the fuck? Ah, shit!" as he noticed their presence.

He went for his gun, but Ellie wouldn't give him a chance to use it. She fired two bullets into his chest, reloading in quick succession. She descended the steps to Joel, grabbing his arm to help him up. "Come on."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked up just as the man fell to the ground, dead. He was in a world of pain, groaning as Ellie ran down to grab him. At her command, he bit his tongue and aimed his hand at Callus. "Just... get the horse." His raspy voice came, eyes falling on the blood trail he had left on the steps.

**Art [Clementine]**

Other than amassing a few bruises, the girl had made it through the gunfight unscathed. The assholes _with _the guns were still lurking around searching for them, and Clementine did whatever she could to escape their line of sight. The lower floors of the science building were unfamiliar and perhaps even more inhospitable, the stench of blood now prevalent and just as repulsive as it'd always been.

Given enough time, it was just a matter of following the bodies.

She saw them - Joel and Ellie - through her narrowed, beaten eyes. They'd made it to the horses... and so had she. For an instant, her voice struggled to come out, choked up behind a sea of remorse. Whatever hesitance the girl still had, however, couldn't possibly last long. "Holy shit... Joel!?" It was hard to tell, as she first laid her eyes on it. Was he shot? He looked awful. F - Fuck, he- He looked like he was _dying. _Through a wince and clenched fists, Clementine held herself back from asking any questions. Anything that didn't pertain to the most important thing.

"Ellie, we gotta go back! He's-" Clem suddenly gave in to a fit of coughing, a leftover present from all the running minutes ago. Her legs were shaking, and yet she stood, dread in her eyes. "Lee's still there...! We've gotta help him!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Alright…" She backed away from Joel, heading for the horse, but stopped dead in her tracks as Clem's voice echoed in her ear. She swiveled around to see the girl stumbling down the steps towards them.

Without Lee.

Guilt washed over her as she realized what Clem was asking. She found herself clenching her fingers into fists, closing her eyes for a brief moment. She continued to bring the horse over, letting Joel climb on before turning towards Clem.

"He's going to bleed out if I don't get him out of here." The guilt was drowning her now, but what choice did she have? She wasn't going to trade Joel's life for the _chance _of rescuing Lee. If he was still alive, he'd just have to get himself out of there. "I'm sorry, Clem, but - there's nothing we can do."

She climbed onto the horse, sitting behind Joel. She wasn't even sure if he'd be able to stay on the horse, let alone wait for them to mount an ill-advised rescue. Clementine just had to accept that.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked at Clementine for a few brief seconds. He couldn't go back in there; he wanted to help Lee, but there was nothing he could do. He was too tired, and now Lee... Lee was _dead. _That was the fatal truth, something that Joel could only barely handle. He had played guitar with this man, Lee had looked for Ellie with him, Lee had saved him from drowning, Lee had come back for him ultimately. Yet Joel couldn't do the same... faced with the same situation, it was either all of them dead or it was just Lee. There was nothing they could do. _At least the girl'll never have to deal with the truth, at least. _It was a horrible thought and he knew it but it didn't stop him from thinking it.

There was nothing he could say though, as his vision continued going. He was dying, wasn't he? This was what it felt like. _This _was what Tess went through, Sarah, and now Lee. This was what all of them experienced he was _sure _of it. Now he was going to face the same fate. _Dying. _He had heard it would feel peaceful. Whoever had told him that had lied, they had lied horribly because the pain in Joel's torso had gone to his head and now he was dizzy and nauseous and paranoid and oh God he just wanted it to _stop_already why wouldn't it just _stop-_

He slumped over, closing his eyes and spilling off the horse. His breaths were barely there as he hit the ground, not so much as a cough to warn of his tumble. He was still except for the arrhythmic up and down of his chest. His mind drifted slowly into that distant void of unconsciousness.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem could only let out one more heave of breath before she stopped breathing altogether, the girl's teeth chattering, as fear took complete hold of her, pressing around her neck like a rope. Her shoulders were as stiff as a statue's, and even the attempt to raise her voice, to beg Ellie for help, proved to be a pointless endeavor. Clementine didn't have the strength to do anything... one delicate push away from falling to her knees.

Lee was dead, and it was her fault.

Tears garnered around her eyes in small drops, her left hand rushing to wipe them off her face. This couldn't be happening, she thought, and yet it did. He was gone. Clementine's chest ached as though her heart had been ripped out from it, turning her into a weak, sobbing mess.

It wouldn't be the first time she hadn't been given the time to mourn.

A loud _**thud**_reached her ears not a second after, Ellie rushing after it in a fit of panic. A silent, yet resonant _"oh god" _escaped Clem's lips, her eyes shooting open. There was little thought put into what followed, like her body moved on its own. In many ways, she supposed it did. As the girl's shadow covered Joel well-nigh completely, it dawned on her that this hadn't been the first time. The whole thing felt so familiar, that... desperation. Not one bit different from how it felt back on that beach. She couldn't stand to watch him die, too. Clementine couldn't take any more of it. "Ellie, grab the other arm!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie averted her gaze as the hurt on Clementine's face became too much to bear. Ellie knew what she was saying, what she was insinuating by choosing Joel over Lee, and Clementine did too. But… what other choice did she have? Joel was dying. Joel was-

_Oh my god…!_

"Joel? Joel…?!" The man she was so desperately trying to save slumped off the horse, falling to the ground with a sickening thump. Ellie immediately got off the horse, heaving in breaths that were beginning to come out in pale wisps. "Ah, shit…" She fell to her knees, turning him over to face upwards. His eyes were closed, and she fumbled to feel for a pulse. There was something, but it was weak. "C'mon… get up, get up, get up… you gotta tell me what to do…!"

Clementine's voice was almost distant, yet she felt the girl's presence right next to her. She watched as the baseball-capped girl grabbed onto Joel's left arm, trying to pull him. She gulped, hands shaking. He was going to die… wasn't he? They were going to lose them both. They were going to be alone.

Alone…

She couldn't let that happen.

She pushed herself to her feet, grabbing onto Joel's other arm, helping her friend drag Joel away from Callus's hooves. She grunted from the exertion, realizing then that there'd be no way they could put him back on the horse.

She twisted her neck to look towards the building behind them. There was still no sign of the bandits coming after them, which was… unnerving.

She whistled towards Callus and Whiskers, hoping that they would follow them as the two girls dragged Joel away from the scene.

With one final look towards the school, they disappeared into the university.

_I'm sorry, Lee._

* * *

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He watched as the look of horror overtook Clementine, threatening to have her freeze entirely... but she listened. Just like he asked her to do… she used the distraction to her advantage. Clem had made it out… she was strong… and she was _going _to get out of here, he'd made sure of it. If this was going to be the end, then that was what he wanted his last thought to be. As several other men rushed him, he didn't fight back… only staring at the empty door that Clementine had disappeared through.

Lee mumbled out something barely audible to himself, before feeling a sharp pain in the back of his head. His vision went blurry, then before long… everything went black.

**Shadowman [Will]**

"Slimy prick." Will spat out, staring at the man on the floor that he'd just knocked out with the butt of his gun, before sending a kick into the stomach of his limp body. It made him feel a bit better, at least. His attention then turned to Saint Arthur, the one who was in charge of this expedition. "You okay, sir?"

After the men had effectively cleared the room and seized the shotgun, Will then turned his attention towards the door that the girl had run out of.

"It was _her _, that little weasel shot Nathan in the stomach. I just know it." When they were exchanging fire, Will had seen where the bullet came from… the one that had ended his friend's life. He'd gotten a glimpse of a hat peeping out from cover, and it was the same one the girl up here was wearing before she escaped. Nonetheless, he was seething.

"He didn't make it. Had to put him down." He spoke, gaze lowered at the floor and teeth gritted, before he again looked back towards his superior. "We saw two more heading the other way, we've got people searching for them."

"So, what's the plan with these guys?" His gaze then levelled to the unconscious man slumped down on the floor, wondering what they were going to do with him, and if they were going to continue the pursuit on the others. Regardless, he didn't voice his opinion as he awaited an order.

**Arthur [Arthur Saint]**

And so Arthur's biggest fear came true as he and the man began wrestling for the gun in a quick movie by the latter. There wasn't much to do but to keep the firm grip on the gun, if he lost it, Arthur knew he'd be nothing but a dead man. His sweaty hands weren't helping, but he fought as best as he could, even when he was pinned to a wall and it seemed like all was lost.

Will then came as a saving angel, knocking the man out before he could take the gun away from Arthur. Sweat coming down the forehead, breathing like he had just ran a hundred miles in one minute, Arthur found himself relieved that the man was on the ground, but was disappointed that girl escaped.

"I'm fine, William, thank you for helping me. Now, my son, first off, do not let Nathan's death be in vain. His soul is yet transitioning to the afterlife, we can still feed ourselves off his light. His meat will strengthen us on the journey back home, after this poor quest for food. Save a piece for our friend here." Arthur said, looking down at the knocked body of Lee, using his right foot to check if he was truly knocked out. "We'll take him with us, tie his arms and legs, the conditions didn't allow me to properly show him the new gospel, but he will become one of us, you will see.."

Arthur proceeded to tap Will on the shoulder and walk closer to his men, telling them to pack their stuff and head back to the trucks. He wasn't going to waste time and strength following the girl, they already had a reason for her to come to them anyway.


	45. Alone, I

_2:36 PM - October 30, 2025 - Store inside abandoned mall_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's arms felt like jelly. Her nose frozen solid, and her breathing was in rampant, irregular rhythms. Snow was already piling around them as she and Clementine dragged Joel through the streets away from the University of Eastern Colorado. By the time the mall had come into view, the snow was deep enough to force them to take breaks, using their horses to drag him the rest of the way.

Once inside, Ellie tore the first store they came across apart, drawer by drawer, cursing after each one. Clementine was nearby, watching over Joel, the tension in the air thicker than blood as Joel's fate hung in the balance. When the final drawer gifted her a roll of duct tape, she let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, here we go…!"

She rushed back towards Joel, dropping to her knees as she exchanged a passing glance towards Clementine. "Okay, I'm gonna put you on your side…!" She directed the statement towards Joel, waving over Clementine. "C'mon!"

Together, they managed to get him onto his side, and Ellie pulled up his shirt, cringing at the sight of the wound left behind by the rebar. "Jesus…" she breathed, cursing underneath her breath as she reached into her backpack, pulling the old red shirt she used to wear, covering the wound with it. Her fingers were stained just as red, the blood from Joel's wound continuing to ooze out slowly. Hopefully, this would stop that. For now.

"Alright, hold it in place," she told Clem, the sound of tape peeling echoing in the store as she pulled it, ripping it off with her teeth. The taste was rancid, but it hardly mattered right now. After she'd laid down three rows of the tape, she finally tried to calm her breathing, a soft "okay…" escaping her lips as she lowered Joel's jacket and helped Clementine roll him back onto his back. Joel grunted. She looked towards Clementine then, a mixture of relief and gratitude etched across her face. "That should buy us some time. We'll need to find something to stitch him up."

He wasn't going to die. He wasn't.

**Art [Clementine]**

While Ellie searched, tore her way through each store, Clementine could only look over the shop windows in a state of contemplation, watching as her sunken eyes were reflected right back at her. Dirt covered every inch of her face, complementing the empty, hollow stare she gave off.

This. Trying to keep Joel from turning into another one in that endless list. Clem figured it was the only reason she was still functioning.

They eventually settled on an empty store enclosed by this large shutter. It was warmer inside, at least, if only by just a little. Dark and crummy. It was the best they could find, so it'd have to do.

When it came to things like this, there was always a worse part. Seeing the wound oozing with blood, patching it up, doing the stitches... having to watch the person scream out in pain. There wasn't one, that time. Just one chunk of bad all blended together, nothing but more suffering waiting on the other side. Clementine did nothing but follow whatever Ellie asked her to, unresponsive to her very core. Not even the sight of Joel's insides threatening to come out could make the girl flinch. It was hard to really... react to anything, at that point, negatively or otherwise. Even Joel looked like less of a corpse.

He wasn't going to make it through the night. They probably had a few hours tops, actually. Ellie must've known. It was all over her face that she did. "Ellie, I..." There was nothing to say. Nothing she could've said to make it better. Nothing Clementine wanted to say, despite the circumstances. Anything that didn't get straight to the point was just wasting the brief window of time they had.

"We could look for a drugstore? There's gotta be one, somewhere..." Of course, with Lee casting his shadow over every corner of her mind, it was bound to be a thought she'd run into face-first.

Hard not to, when he died because of her.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She locked her gaze on Clementine as the girl spoke, suggesting that they find a pharmacy. Ellie breathed in and out, nodding her head in a quick jerk due to the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She pushed herself to her feet, looking towards their two horses standing in the far corner of the empty store.

"Callus, Whiskers, keep an eye on him."

Another look towards Clementine, though this one lingered. Through all the panic she was wading through, she knew that Clementine must've been going through something… a hundred times worse. Because of her. A small part of her wanted to believe that Lee was still out there, alive, but she found herself unable to.

What was she supposed to do? Let Joel die? How could she make a choice like that? Choosing between two evils?

She hated herself for it.

Sighing, she stepped past the girl, heading for the metal gate they'd closed when they arrived, lifting it slowly before holding it high enough for her and Clementine to fit through.

Once the baseball-capped girl ducked under, she directed her eyes towards Joel. Her words were quick, and she lowered the gate soon after. "We'll be back in a flash…!"

The atrium that surrounded them was bitter cold, snow piling underneath a broken window dozens of feet above them. Ellie adjusted the bow that was wrapped over her shoulder merely to have something to do with her hands that wasn't just wringing them together nervously.

They began to explore the mall together, heading upstairs and into a narrower corridor of clothes shops and toy stores. Besides the howl of the wind, silence filled the air.

She wanted to break the silence, to say something, but what could she say that would make up for the fact that Lee was most likely dead? Not a single fucking thing. Nothing that could possibly come to mind would be good enough. Clementine deserved better, and Ellie simply couldn't… give her that.

So the silence stayed, at least for now. She hated every second of it, but tried to focus herself on the task at hand. They still had to save Joel.

**Art [Clementine]**

The snow made every corner look identical, every old store look like the same abandoned wreck. Had it not been for Ellie leading the way, Clem could've easily seen herself getting lost between all those loud advertisements and rows of white tiles brimming with overgrowth. Signs written in large letters, price tags... nothing but fancy stuff trying to sell them on more fancy stuff that didn't exist anymore.

And not a single fucking pharmacy in sight.

She didn't know, couldn't even tell what and _how _to feel anymore. Angry? At Ellie, for leaving _him _behind? At Joel, for not being around to help? It was all bullshit. The only person she hated after what happened was herself.

Now there she was, stumbling around more aimlessly than a clicker in the dark, trying so desperately to hold onto something that'd keep her from giving up completely. A moving husk. Clementine couldn't lift something like her rifle even if she tried, having left it behind with Joel and the horses. She was as good as deadweight, looking for someone else to sink with her. Ellie would've been better off if she just rolled over and died already. At least that way she wouldn't be there to get her killed, too.

Those soft snowflakes fell upon the tip of her baseball cap, melting into drops of water, joining the puddles forming on the ground, running down her arms and making her hands shiver. It wasn't supposed to be _that _cold inside a place like that, was it? God, she was freezing. Every single gust of wind would sneak through the holes in her jacket, snow piling up inside every tatter.

_Focus...!_

A lot of places did catch her eye, even with all of'em looking so strange and samey. Hell, the fact that they did played a big part in it, actually. There was one called..._Something, something's 'Garage.' _Hard as hell to make out the words with all that muck on top of them. Clem couldn't be bothered. It looked like a clothing store, though that's about all she could tell. They ended up crossing through it, using it as a shortcut, keeping a close eye out for any maps, or anything of the sort. The idea came to mind pretty fast, all things considered. Between all the things that could kill them before the sun went down, at least the cold didn't have to be one of them. Reaching for the piles on top of piles of leftover duds, Clementine snagged two pieces of clothing rather haphazardly, only concerning herself with whether or not they could fit in them. A green-tinted coat and a light-blue biker jacket, one for Ellie and one for her. It might've been bearable right now, but they were gonna need something heavy to make it through winter. If they did. "Here," she said as a heads up, tossing one to her friend before silently moving on, not another word spoken.

She watched as Ellie grabbed herself a pair of boots, stashing her sneakers away in her backpack. She guessed that it was better than slipping around everywhere.

Once past the store, on the other side of the mall, things started looking up, if only marginally. 'Weston's Pharmacy,' it read. Their only possible shot at saving Joel, at that point. "See it? Looks doable."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Weston's Pharmacy. A sense of relief began to wash over Ellie as Clementine pointed out the store down the hallway. "Sounds promising," she muttered, rushing towards the store.

The metal gate was lifted just high enough for them to be able to crawl through, kept in place by overturned shelves positioned underneath it. Ellie ducked through, squinting her eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness before flicking on her flashlight.

They searched through the store for a while, finding nothing of note. Empty pill bottles, useless junk; nothing they could use. That, however, came to an end as Ellie's flashlight crossed over a sign next to a blue door behind the register counter.

_PHARMACY EMPLOYEES ONLY_

She tried the door, the handle clicking useless. "Ah, come on," she hissed, cursing under her breath as she stood on her toes to look through the glass window in the door. A white and red box caught her sight, left on the ground in the cluttered room. "First aid kit…" She turned back towards Clementine, her brows knitted into a look of impatience and frustration. _How the fuck do we get inside? _"Any ideas?" _There's gotta be a key around here somewhere, right?_

**Art [Clementine]**

Nothing was ever easy. They searched that place from top to bottom, and even despite the dark having made looking for medicine way more challenging that it should've for Clem, it didn't take a flashlight to tell that they were boned. _Figures. _The girl's mind immediately tried to come up with what they were going to do next, crossing ideas off from an imaginary bullet list. Worst case scenario... they could try searching outside the mall? Clementine could feel the urge to smash her fist against the counter boiling up like water mounted over a stove. "Fuck!"

Ellie, though, she did find something. Just what they were looking for locked behind a door, because _of course _it was. The girl kept her cool, at least for now, spelling out the one idea she had by knocking on the glass. Sturdy, sure. Breakable sturdy?

_Worth a shot._

Clem went down on one knee, extending her arms to boost Ellie up. "Make it quick, okay?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's gaze bounced between Clementine and the the window, a frown etching its way across her face. It was narrow, probably _too _narrow, but what other choice did they have? Sighing, she quickly searched around her for something to break the window with, finding a pile of bricks in a corner near the other side of the store. She grabbed one, jogging back to where Clementine awaited her.

"Okay… cover your eyes," she told her friend, pulling back her hand to throw the brick as hard as she could at the window. The glass shattered instantly upon contact, the brick sailing through the gap before hitting the wall on the other side of the locked room. The sound echoed in the cramped space, and she inwardly winced. Hopefully this place was as clear as it first appeared to be.

She grabbed her knife to scrape the rest of the glass shards off of the frame, placing her foot in Clem's cupped hands to be lifted into the hole. Her hands and head squeezed through first, and she placed her hands against the other side of the door to leverage herself the rest of the way through.

That was… until she'd reached halfway through the window, her progress halted around the lower half of her stomach. She tried to push herself forward again, to no avail. The jacket she was wearing had only made things worse, it seemed, making her too large to fit through.

_Fuck. Fuck, god, fucking…_

"I'm - I'm stuck!" She called out to the girl on the other side, who seemed to still have a grip on her legs. There were a dozen things running through her mind, chief among them being panic and embarrassment.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem closed her eyes just as Ellie asked, only getting to hear the outcome of what followed, as the window cracked into pieces above her. A good sign, for once. Making sure she had a solid grip on Ellie's shoe, the next part was meant to be simple. Lift her up, get her to the other side, grab the kit. Easy, right?

"You're stuck?!" Clementine asked, scared stiff, like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard. _What do I do...? _Clem reached her hands around Ellie's ankles in a rush, frowning, before that glower turned into a sneer. "S - Should I push or pull? Ellie?"

The other girl didn't get to answer.

Violent screeches engulfed the mall in loud echoes, reaching the pharmacy and reverberating through it as though they were powerful shockwaves, sending Clementine's head into haywire. No one alive could mistake those for anything else. They were fucked. "We gotta go. Ellie, fucking- Come on!" The girl bashed her shoulder against her, trying her hardest to get her through.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She could hear the croaking through the walls, a shiver running up her spine at the speed of light. She felt her legs fall as Clementine let her go, only for a sudden jolt of pain to force her to wince as Clem tried to force her through the window. She dropped her flashlight to the ground, watching as it rolled away before another forceful push against her finally managed to dislodge her.

"No, no no no no-!" Before she could react, her body fell forward, and she blocked her face with her arms before impact. Her body was met with the cold concrete, groaning as pain shot through her. "Uuugh…"

She slowly pushed herself to her knees, crawling to her flashlight before reaching over for the medkit. She clicked it open, her heart dropping as she took in the contents of the box.

Nothing.

"No…" She stood up, clenching her fists, resisting the urge to punch the nearest shelf out of frustration. Of course it would be empty. Of fucking course-! She kicked the box across the room, her attention then diverting to the only source of natural light in there. A broken window overlooking the balcony surrounding a courtyard below. More importantly, there was a helicopter crashed into the building, frozen in place where it landed on the second floor, almost teetering off the edge. Another red and white cross was marked on it.

They had to get there before the infected showed up.

She twisted around, heading towards the door she'd just came through, unlocking it before pulling it open. "Come on!" She hissed the command, grabbing Clem's hand before pulling her inside, locking the door behind her. At least that'd keep the infected from getting to them, if they made it into the pharmacy. She pointed towards the broken window, directing Clem's attention towards their next destination. "Military helicopter. It's _gotta _have something."

**Art [Clementine]**

Ellie sure took her sweet time in there, and the clickers just around the corner absolutely did not. Those things ran into the walls, flailing their arms while letting out ear-splitting roars, until they eventually came across the pharmacy they were bunking in, eager to gnaw on the flesh of any bystanders. Clementine's first instinct was to hide behind the counter, though that quickly proved to be insufficient. The girl's sporadic breathing combined with the sound of the broken glass underneath the sole of her boots... It was just a matter of time, really.

The first one leaned its head forward in beast-like fashion, letting its saliva dribble out of its fleshy, bleeding teeth, right above Clementine. She acted fast, against her better judgment. Stretching her arms around the cash register fallen on her side of the counter, Clem quickly got up to her feet and smashed the clicker's head with it, the _cha-ching _ sound it sprung forth sounding a lot more bittersweet this time around. The infected recovered quickly, now charging at her with full-speed. It was a good thing Ellie was there when she did, pulling her out of harm's way and locking the door behind them.

"Shit, that was..." Close. Quite a bit more than she was comfortable with. The infected did their thing, smashing themselves against the door, but thankfully it wouldn't lead them anywhere. Not for the time being, anyway. When it came to her and Ellie, there wasn't a lot left for them besides unmitigated disappointment and another baseless chase they could risk their lives on.

Steady on they went to their next gamble: a crashed helicopter verging on plunging down into the chain stores below. Honestly, Clem wasn't liking this at all. Ellie was... She was way too important to keep dragging herself into close calls like that. With Joel out of commission, it was just her. Just a little girl to keep _the freaking cure _in check. The responsibility would've crushed her shoulders, had it not been symbolic. Still, they had to help the old guy. That wasn't even up for debate.

Not like she could stop her anyway. Best Clementine could do was make sure she didn't hurt herself trying.

They got there, eventually. The helicopter creaked, the snow having long since accumulated on top of it. There was only one way up there. One far from steady platform. Only a few glass panes away from a deadly fall. Clem could feel vertigo getting to her _bad, _and it had the girl staring at her friend apprehensively, crossing one of her arms. "You sure you wanna do this?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

The bone-chilling clicking continued to echo through the atrium, even at this distance. Ellie examined the glass 'platform' to the helicopter carefully, lips twisting in thought. It_might _hold their weight. Maybe _one _of them. There's no real way to know for sure, and she wasn't willing to risk both of their lives trying to get inside the helicopter only for one of them to fall through the glass.

But they still had to make it there. No matter what.

Eyes faltered, towards Clementine, and she took a step back, away from the platform. She scrunched her nose, mentally chewing on her decision. "Don't think it's gonna hold us both. I'm going across. Just… stay here. I might need help getting back."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine could feel her brows inching closer to one another as the suggestion was made, her expression spelling out concern, not one syllable she found herself agreeing with. Given the set of affairs, frankly, she couldn't give less of a shit about the Fireflies and their stupid fucking cure. If Ellie went there and... that scrap of metal couldn't take it, fell apart like a house of playing cards? The thought made her heart stop. Completely. No way was she losing someone else that day, especially _her._

"Ellie, listen..." Clem chose to be cautious about it, even as inflexible as she felt regarding that whole thing. It'd be just... the dumbest thing ever to pretend her best fucking friend didn't feel the same way. They were gonna have to find some sort of middle ground. "At least let _me _go first, yeah?" The girl counter-proposed, nothing but sorrow in her voice, one tiny bit of pressure away from straight out begging Ellie not to go. "That way, I mean- If it goes to shit..." It hit her, of course, how scared out of her mind she was. How high up that _helicopter _was. It did so hard enough, that she had to swallow the rest of her words. "You get it."

For Ellie, though, she'd go anywhere in the freaking world.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She should've seen that coming.

Of course Clementine wanted to put _herself _in harm's way for her. Under normal circumstances, Ellie might've been moved by that, but… the fact she was the cure didn't matter right now. All that mattered was making sure Joel lived. Fuck everything else.

"No." Her voice was more stern than she'd intended it to be, her head shaking from side to side of its own accord. "If that thing falls, I'm not - I'm not losing you, too." She took a step back, towards the glass platform.

A part of her knew that she wasn't thinking logically about this. That, out of everyone in their group, she was the least expendable, but she didn't care. Either she got a medkit from that helicopter, or their chances at getting to the Fireflies would be fucked anyway.

**Art [Clementine]**

Why was she always like this? It was one thing to want to help Joel, but this was plain crazy. They didn't even _know _if there was anything in there! The girl tried to think of something to say, something that'd get Ellie to change her mind, but there really wasn't a _something, _no magical set of words that'd get her to give up. In fact, part of her - the loudest one - was pretty convinced she wasn't talking the redhead out of it. It made her frustrated to no end, the girl's eyes trailing to the floor.

They were both too scared to let each other go through with it, weren't they...?

Clementine sighed through her nose, something resembling a pout forming on her lips, her hands rested on her hips. For once in her life... Clem wasn't going to fight Ellie on it. It sure wasn't an easy thing to consent to, and she felt pretty dumb for doing it. Then again, knowing Ellie... she should be counting her blessings over the fact that her friend hadn't already jumped just to prove a point, or to keep her from doing it first.

She looked her in the eye, 'cause that's all she could do at that point. Clem forced a smile through all that worry, asking Ellie the bare-minimum before she went ahead with the stupidest plan they've ever had.

"Promise me you won't die?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie closed her eyes as Clem's question settled in her mind, clenching her right hand into a fist before relaxing it. They both knew that she couldn't _promise _that. In _**any**_situation. Nevertheless, she opened her eyes once more, letting her lips stretch into a genuine smile.

"I promise."

And she intended to keep it.

She turned towards the platform, taking each step towards it slowly before grabbing onto the ledge, pulling herself up and onto it. The glass crinkled underneath her feet, as if about to break at any moment. She let out a breath, a quiet "oh fuck" following suit. "Okay… be cool…" She took another step, then another, each one getting faster than the last as the glass made more and more noises.

She reached the other side after only a few seconds, eyes falling to the ground beneath her, _way _beneath her. She gulped down the fear, turning her body to walk along the metal rebar that extended towards the downed helicopter.

This was the hard part.

She gave herself a running start, leaping into the air. Her stomach dropped, and for an instant, the world around her became a blur, the ground quickly getting closer, before her feet found a solid surface. She fell to her hands and knees on the metal floor of the helicopter, breathing rampantly as adrenaline flooded her system. It was only exacerbated when the helicopter lurched to the side, colliding with an ornate pole that held up the roof over the second floor.

The crash echoed in her ears, leaving a ringing noise in its wake. She held onto a metal bar inside the helicopter, her feet dangling out of the opposite end of the aircraft.

_Holy shit…!_

She pulled herself deeper into the helicopter, taking a moment to wait and see if the aircraft would continue its plunge towards the ground. It remained in place, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Her eyes found the medkit in an instant, lying on the ground next to the skeletal remains of the co-pilot, and she scrambled towards it. She planted herself on the ground, desperately clicking the kit open to peer inside.

"Please be in here, please be in here…!"

Alcohol, a syringe, bandages, a suture, and a half dozen other things.

She closed the kit, holding it close to her chest, closing her eyes. This was going to save him. She wasn't going to-

"I'm not letting you go." She breathed. "I'm not letting you go…!"

It was harder getting out of the helicopter, but ultimately, she made it back to the ground level, clutching onto the medkit for dear life. When Clementine joined her, she rushed towards the baseball-capped girl, wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace.

"Holy shit…" the words escaped her, how totally fucked that situation almost turned out to be finally weighing down on her. She'd been seconds away from dying, seconds away from losing her last chance at saving Joel…

Seconds away from leaving her best friend alone.

"... Never let me do that again, okay…?"

**Art [Clementine]**

That glass floor was a death-trap waiting to happen and they both knew it. Seeing it start to give in under Ellie's feet had her heart racing, every new fissure making it harder to keep watching. "Take it slow, you hear?" Clementine urged the girl from afar, dreading every second of Ellie's balancing act. Soon enough it came the time to make the jump, and by then, Clementine was already long past the point of saying stuff to cheer Ellie on. All she could do was cross her fingers and hope she didn't plunge to her death.

And even that wasn't enough.

The helicopter gave in to the weight in the matter of an instant. Clem's face went frozen pale, and she could only imagine that so had Ellie's. As awesome as it would've been to actually _check _on her first, by the time she heard the sound of screeching metal dragging across the snow, Clementine had already dashed to the other side of the mall, where after that nasty dive the helicopter now so precariously hung onto. Who knew for how long. She wasn't gonna wait to find out.

Everything seemed to work out in the end. Fucking _barely. _Ellie was crawling out of the helicopter when she got there, scared shitless. Both of them were... and that only made the hug easier to welcome. "You're too much of an asshole to listen anyway..." The girl uttered through a faint smile, hugging her back. That was the dumbest thing they'd ever done and she couldn't be happier about it being over and done with.

Clem let go pretty quick, the urgency of their situation not escaping her for even a moment. "Ready to go check on Joel?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie took a step back as they broke apart, responding to Clementine's question with a quick nod. Hopefully the way back wouldn't be as treacherous as the way here.

They continued through the mall in relative silence, though it wouldn't last long. Inside an old sports shop, they found at least a dozen dead bodies littering the place, their supplies left behind. Bites were evident on their necks and bodies, and Ellie quickly went to work on stabbing each one through the head before they'd search them. Last thing she wanted was for these things to turn into walkers before they got a chance to go through their stuff.

She couldn't tell if they were from the same group as before, but if they _were _, that meant they might've been trailing them. The very thought of those assholes being so close… it was unnerving. They had to get to Joel, and quickly.

These guys were carrying _much _more than Ellie had been expecting. She managed to scrounge together another four bullets for her pistol, while Clem found herself a couple bullets for her revolver. The biggest find, though, was a couple bags filled to the brim with food.

"Holy shit…" she breathed as she looked through one of the bags. There was just _so much _. How long were these guys planning to be out here that they were carrying around this much? Did they have a home somewhere? As long as they weren't close to it…

She grabbed the bag, stuffing the medkit inside before clutching its handle tightly. Clementine grabbed the other, and together they kept moving through the mall. Ellie let out a heavy breath as the store they'd left Joel in finally came back into view, dropping the bag next to the gate before lifting it for Clem to duck under. The girl held onto the gate next, allowing Ellie under before pulling the bag inside. When the gate closed, she turned her attention towards Joel's sleeping form, her breath shaky.

"Alright… let's get him back on his side." She grabbed the medkit from the bag before jogging towards him. When she kneeled, she glanced towards Clementine, worry lining her features. "...I don't… I haven't done this a lot… think you can stitch him up?"

She remembered how Clementine had to stitch up the dog bite on her arm, and found herself trusting her to do it better than Ellie ever could. She probably would've just made things worse...

**Art [Clementine]**

Corpses, like a whole jumble of dead bandits. It looked like those Clickers from before found something to keep them occupied. _Good riddance. _Cathartic was probably putting it lightly, considering, though it did feel pretty good to steal all of their shit. Looking over those assholes, she just wanted to obliterate every single one of them. Had Ellie not been there with her... Suffice to say, maybe it was a good thing that she was.

Back at Joel's, things weren't exactly looking up. All that blood he lost, it was gonna be a struggle and a half to keep him kicking. It wasn't something worth bringing up to Ellie, obviously. The least crap she had to deal with, the better. Sadly, that sort of thinking couldn't really go both ways.

_Me? _Clementine froze at the suggestion, despite it being more than its fair share of reasonable. That fleeting hope that she wouldn't have to look at... _it _again, that went down the drain pretty fast. She nodded quickly, shifting her focus towards her future patient. "Okay." No use wasting any time. The faster they stopped the bleeding, the better.

"We got any water?" She nudged her head in Ellie's direction, who made sure to fetch her some. "Thanks." She used it to rinse Joel's... injury? God, she didn't even know what to call it, and honestly? She was scared of looking at it too hard, worried of getting a peek at the guy's insides. _Don't freak. It's just a hole. Just patching up a hole. _It was hard not to get a little concerned over pouring that stuff over it. Water wasn't exactly clean. The wince in the girl's expression was somewhat hard to contain thanks to that. _Sorry, Joel._

That was only part of the cleaning, though, and whatever challenge it kindled didn't hold a candle to what was about to follow. "Fuck, this is gonna..."

"Hang in there, Joel."

Clementine took from her backpack the cleanest rag she carried with her, which wasn't saying much. It didn't have any dirt in it, that was about it. Pouring a small bit of the antibiotic on its surface, she held up the wet rag, her hands starting to shake in foreboding. _This isn't even the bad part... What is wrong with you? Get it together!_

She applied it against Joel's wound, putting enough pressure behind it so that the injury could soak up every drop. She couldn't even imagine how bad it hurt. Like hell, probably. "You're doing good. You're... You're doing good." Clem repeated aloud, unsure if she was talking to Joel or to herself, really. After a minute or so, she threw the bloody rag away, shooting a brief look at Ellie before focusing her gaze back to Joel.

Fun was over. This was gonna be fucking awful.

Clementine started by pulling the needle and its thread out of the package inside the medkit. It looked brand new, or about as much as you could get to that nowadays. At least they wouldn't risk any sort of infection; the non-monster type, anyway.

"Elle, can you... hold him? I need someone to keep him steady." Her heart was pounding the ever-loving shit out of her chest, trying to dig its way out of her ribcage. Was this really okay? She was used to patching up cuts, not- "Okay, okay, okay, okay..." Clem whispered, this time undoubtedly to herself. One mess up and she'd seriously get him killed. Fucking up was out of the question. "Joel, if you're- If you're there, just..."

"...I need you not to make too much noise, alright? I'll be as quick as I can, I swear."

Clem took a bite out of the needle thread. Next, lowering it and puncturing the side of Joel's wound. Blood leaked out like crazy, but Clem kept her shit together. She fucking owed it to Joel. The needle went through the skin and punctured the other side, before being wrapped around the bloody hole for a follow-up. Her hands were soaked by the third time through, though sadly, that was a flimsy excuse to stop. One puncture after the next, she went on, the girl's teeth practically glued together.

_You better not fucking die after this..._

It was done, finally. Not her best work, not by a mile. It looked pretty horrible, but at least the stitches would hold up fine. That was probably the thing to go for, even if it wasn't a looker. _Scar's gonna be awful, though. _The girl wrapped the bandages from the kit around the wound, ensuring nothing could poke or sneak into that gaping hole of his. "I - I'm done," Clem announced in what was hardly more than a whimper, letting out the longest breath in her whole life. "I think he'll be fine. No idea when he'll wake up, but..."

"God, I hope he makes it."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie could only watch uselessly as Clementine worked to save Joel's life, only helping when the baseball-capped girl requested her to do something. The pain written across Joel's face made it difficult to watch, but she forced herself to. She wanted to make sure he'd be okay, to see that he would be with her own eyes.

The process seemed to take forever. She nearly fell to the ground when it was finished, every ounce of adrenaline that she'd been holding on to being released all at once. For now, he was going to live.

_**He was going to live.**_

She kept herself on her knees, looking towards Clem with a mixture of relief and gratitude. Despite everything that… everything that _Ellie _ended up causing to happen, the girl had put that aside to save Joel. She admired her for it. To keep going when her entire world was left in disarray. She still wasn't sure what to say about it… or if she _should_say anything.

How do you apologize for leaving your best friend's 'dad' for dead?

She closed her eyes, ridding herself of the thought. Right now wasn't the time. Right now, she owed Clementine something much greater.

"Thank you, Clem," she spoke in a quiet, almost somber voice. "You don't know how much... everything you've done means to me."

With those words uttered, she lifted herself off of the ground, checking on Callus and Whiskers. The whole ordeal seemed to have spooked them, but Callus responded to her with a gentle nudge as she tried to run a hand over his muzzle.

In a way, they had both been spooked. Terrified of a situation outside of their control. There was something strange about being able to relate to a _horse _.

With Joel taken care of, they eventually came to the conclusion of staying the night inside the store. Come morning, they'd find somewhere warmer to set up camp. She only hoped that Joel would be awake by then.


	46. Alone, II

_9:09 PM - October 31, 2025 - Abandoned Rangers Station_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Time was moving at a snail's pace. Snow covered almost every inch of the forest, and Ellie's boots were practically soaked through. Uncomfortable barely did justice for how she felt, yet it hardly mattered in that moment.

Her grip on Callus's reins tightened as she walked alongside him, looking back towards where Joel was being dragged on top of a makeshift 'bed' tied to the saddle, behind Callus. It probably wasn't comfortable, but there wasn't much they could do with the resources they had on hand.

Something in the distance ended up catching her eye, causing her to squint to make it out in the haze of snow falling in the inky black night. A small building, probably only two rooms on the first floor, left at the end of a small, two-lane road. Whatever it was, it would make for decent shelter for the night.

Anything would be better than staying in that store again, after the lack of any sort of warmth to be found in the mall. Maybe this place would be protected from the harsh winds; or better yet, they could build a fire.

Sighing, she turned towards her companion, pointing the place out with a finger. Hopefully the girl wasn't as… out of it as she had been for the past twenty-four hours. Not that she blamed her…

"Looks like shelter. Should clear the place out."

That was probably the most she'd said to the girl in the past four hours. Her voice felt almost croaky from disuse.

**Art [Clementine]**

Their horses' hooves clashed against the snow one after the other, repeating a seemingly endless pattern as they led the girls into the empty blur of white ahead, Joel's unconscious body being dragged by a pair of ropes tied to Callus.

Clementine couldn't hear any of it. The fourteen-year-old had since blocked out the sounds. Had to, to keep herself from losing her mind, giving into the stress crawling up her skin. Noises drowned out by her continual stream of thoughts.

She hadn't had the time to be... introspective, really. There was always something keeping those fears glued to the back of her mind, keeping her from letting them out, letting them develop into sorrow, and eventually, self-loathing. That privilege had died hours ago.

That really would be it, wouldn't it? The last time she got to hear his voice, see the warm look in his eyes as he told her he'd never leave her. Crying was something left for the rare moments when Ellie wasn't around, like it was something she felt too guilty, or embarrassed of sharing with someone else, someone like _her. _Clem didn't want a pity party, and Ellie sure as hell didn't deserve more shit to get upset about. It felt easier, dealing with it alone. It's the only way she ever learned how, and it wasn't about to change.

She supposed, in one way or another, she'd seen it coming, even prepared herself for it. Clem hoped it'd make it easier, somehow, but it hadn't. Not even the most miserable amount of it. She entertained herself with the idea of going back. Get any sort of closure on it. Any moment she imagined him... not being _dead, _was spent wondering how long it'd take until she accepted it. You could only afford to have so much hope left in you before reality wore you down.

" _Looks like shelter _," Ellie croaked out after hours of dead silence, and Clem found herself too tired to care, her cold eyes staring off into the nothing ahead.

"Mm-hmm."

It was a good thing. Doing something. Letting it out on a few of the deadheads…

Anything to escape from her own head. Just for a little while.

Whiskers stayed behind for this one, waiting outside with his head down, dragging his feet through the snow. Even he could feel that something was amiss. His cargo had just gotten a whole lot lighter.

When facing the building's doors, two soft knocks was all it took, and infected groans filled the stormy air. Walkers. Could've been two or more. She signaled Ellie as much, urging her to open the door, though not without pulling her knife out first.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The interior was dark, but that gurgly, guttural noise that walkers made was beyond unmistakable. As Clem signalled for her to open the door, Ellie simply nodded back, pulling out her switchblade and holding it tightly in her right hand. With her left, she twisted the doorknob, pulling the door open just wide enough to let a single walker through.

She wasn't expecting them to be huddled together, or for them to push against the door with enough strength to send her stumbling backwards. The first two were out, heading for Clementine, and Ellie tried to shut the door on the third, only for it to knock the door back again, sending her falling to the snow below. She landed on her butt, groaning as _all three _walkers approached Clem with staggering steps.

She was on her feet before her brain had registered her pulling herself up. Running through snow wasn't exactly _easy _, but she didn't care. As Clem backed away, Ellie caught up to the last walker, tripping him and burying her blade into the back of his head.

The other two remained focused on Clem, and Ellie did the only thing she could think of to divide their attention.

She threw a rock at the second walker, who turned towards her with a fierce growl. She held her knife tightly, hands shaking from the biting cold.

Her voice was barely above a whisper as she waited for it to reach her. "Bring it on, asshole."

**Art [Clementine]**

Things escalated fast enough to keep Clementine from doing much of anything, watching Ellie fall on her ass from the corner of her eye, as two walkers started to gain on her, the two corpses slowly stumbling in Clem's direction. A sigh was all she could afford to give, clenching her jaw shut.

The girl backed away in careful steps, staying just over arms-length of the two infected. It wasn't smart; trying to take on two at the same time, this close together. Admiringly, Ellie made sure she wouldn't have to.

Now it was just her and _it, _and the odds were in her favor.

With the other one infected out of the way, Clementine put one foot forward, swinging her knife at the walker's jaw. The blade tore through its rotten flesh, getting stuck between the remnants of its noxious teeth. It tried to grab her with its right hand, but Clem was faster. She put enough force in hers to tear the monster's jaw off, thus using the knife to stab the walker's hand before it could reach her. She dragged it left, toward the building, his back against the wall. The decaying marrow of its bones meant only one thing: his hand was gone for good.

His left hand moved, and Clem put a stop to it once again, grabbing it mid-movement with one hand and slicing it off with the other. Defenseless and with nowhere to go, the walker wouldn't last another instant in the girl's line of sight.

Clementine stabbed it through the eye, the knife going through its brain and colliding with the wall behind it, effectively killing it again. The blood had gotten all over her new jacket, but she didn't give a damn. Clem was way past the point of caring, rage spelled in her eyes.

Now she just had to check up on Ellie.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The walker was closing in now, forcing Ellie to take several steps back to keep him at a distance, until she knew that Clementine was safe. Her eyes darted between its rotting face and beyond it, sighing with relief as Clementine finished off her walker. She took another step back.

She didn't expect the ice.

Her foot slipped from underneath her, sending her crashing to the ground with a startled yelp. She clutched onto her knife tightly, holding it up to prevent the walker from falling on top of her. It worked, if barely. The blade buried itself into the walker's chest, its growls only growing stronger. It clawed at her face, and she jerked her head back, nearly colliding with the snow-covered ground beneath her.

"Get… the fuck… OFF!" She growled, trying to push the thing off of her.

And failing.

**Art [Clementine]**

Before Ellie knew it, the infected one had moved its clacking teeth away, having been pulled in the opposite direction. Clementine grabbed the walker by the collar of its tattered shirt, forcing her hunting knife through its throat. It struggled, trying to reach for the little girl behind it, but it couldn't do a damned thing to stop her. She pulled out the knife - the opening in the monster's neck bursting with blood like a hose - before ingraining the blade in its skull, shifting it left and right in order to force it deeper in, straight through its brain.

The walker fell limp on the ground, oozing with crimson, the knife still lodged in its head. Clementine, on the other hand, heaved air like crazy, all that exertion starting to take its toll. She found the strength to flash her friend a smile, nonetheless, extending her hand to help Ellie up. "Didn't hit your head, did you?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie clenched her eyes shut as blood splattered all over her, the sickening sensation only overwhelmed by the relief she felt when the undead thing was pulled off of her. She wiped her face, trying to rid herself of the blood, but only ended up smearing it on her forehead and cheek.

Whatever, she had other things to worry about.

She took Clem's hand, grunting as the other girl helped her up. She glared at the patch of ice behind her, wiping off the snow that covered her jacket.

"No," she finally stated to Clem's question, looking between her and Joel's lying form on his 'bed' behind Callus. "Just my ass," she grumbled, stepping past Clementine to head over to Callus. She stopped halfway, looking towards her friend out of the corner of her eye. "Come on. Let's get him inside."

**Art [Clementine]**

With Ellie up and running and the undead back to being just _dead, _Clem let out a brief sigh of relief, locking her eyes with the blacked out Joel. The best they could do for him right now was find him someplace warm. Anything else... it was an uphill battle only he had the power to fight. She helped drag the old timer inside the building, prompting Whiskers to follow with a quiet whistle. Cozy, it was not. For once the smell of blood wasn't the most noticeable one, and that _wasn't _a good thing.

Clementine scanned the crummy floor for a place to sit, settling for one of the corners, leaning against the wall with her arms wrapped around her knees. The girl could still see her own breath with every puff of air, her hands refusing to settle, shivering in the cold. _Should've grabbed some gloves... _Finally, Clem's gaze settled on Ellie and the dozing smuggler, a rub of her nose followed by a soft inquiry. "How's he?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie sweeped the building with her flashlight, checking every room - although there weren't many - for any more walkers, and came up with nothing. She returned to the lobby to check on Joel, untying his makeshift mattress from Callus and leading the horses into the garage connected to the station via a door in the back. At least there they'd have some room to move around until morning.

When Clementine spoke up, Ellie kneeled next to Joel, concern etching across her face. He was shivering. This place wasn't warm enough, and they couldn't just… make a fire in here.

She cursed under her breath. "We need to find somewhere warmer. Maybe they have, like… a fireplace, or something."

She sighed, standing up. "Come on, let's check the place out."

The ranger station consisted of two floors.

On the first, the main lobby dominated the majority of the floor, while a small kitchen and dining area took up the back. Ellie searched through the kitchen for anything useful, but only came up with a bottle of… something called Southern Comfort. Some kind of whiskey, as far as she could tell. Wouldn't be the _best _antiseptic, but it was better than nothing, when they'd run out of whatever was left in the first aid kit.

A staircase led up to the second floor, where about three or four offices lined the hallway. They almost appeared untouched, desks and computers left as they were, only covered in an atrocious amount of spider webs.

At the far end of the floor, a glass door revealed a balcony that overlooked the winding river cutting its way through the forest, dropping deeper into a valley that was shrouded in the heavy snowfall. Under normal circumstances, the view would be enough to leave her in awe. Right now, though, there were far more pressing matters to attend to.

A small fire pit was positioned to the right side of the balcony, surrounded by chairs that have long since been overturned from the wind. A roof hung over the balcony, blocking out most of the snowfall that was coming down, and the wind was pushing it towards the river beyond. At least it'd be semi-comfortable here.

Inside, she found a bunch of logs left behind in a neat pile. She grabbed a few and dropped them into the pit, heading downstairs to find Clementine.

"They've got a fire pit on a balcony up there." She began to lift Joel from the 'bed', hauling him towards the stairs. "Please tell me you found more matches?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem stuck to the lower area while Ellie searched upstairs, keeping a close eye on Joel, and mostly scrounging up whatever was left of that place. Spoiled food and rusty tools were in great supply, as was the amount of useless junk, like old papers and broken souvenirs. Ruffling through the trash can, however, the girl did find something not totally worthless, and Ellie had shown her face just in time to see it. Clementine rose the discarded box of matches above her head, showing it to her with a faint smile. They'd had worse days.

The good news was that upstairs smelled a whole lot better, if not only because of the balcony Ellie mentioned. The absolute numbing cold more than made up for whatever good _that _did, though thankfully that wouldn't last long enough to be a problem. Kneeling down next to the pit, Clem lit one of the seven matches inside the box, cupping her hand around it so as to keep the wind from blowing it out, then placing it under the logs Ellie had dropped there previously. It took a few frustrating attempts, but it all felt stupid worth it as soon as the flames rose in front of her eyes, warmth setting in on her skin like the girl hadn't felt in weeks.

Sitting down came naturally after that, as though her knees couldn't take another second, every one of her limbs shutting down one after the other until she was resting comfortably near the fire, eyes dropping from sheer exhaustion. "C'mere. The fire's nice," Clem said, using up the last bit of excitement still left in her voice to holler Ellie over, eyes fixated to the light emanating from the fire pit.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie cleared a spot next to the fire for Joel, pushing away any snow around the area with her foot before knocking it off the edge of the balcony. With the fire slowly gaining in strength, she found herself leaning on the railing overlooking the world below.

...

What were they going to do? Joel still hadn't shown signs of waking up. Fighting off an infection that just might end up killing him. They've already changed the bandages at least twice since the mall. Now… the reality of the situation was beginning to set in. The possibility that Joel might not make it after all.

_I should've shot that asshole. I should've done __**something**__…_

That feeling of regret had settled into the pit of her stomach, and had remained there for the past thirty something hours. Joel was dying. Lee was… gone. Clementine wasn't herself because of it, and Ellie just… _ugh._

It wasn't fair. Any of it. Like the world had decided to shove a middle finger right in their faces. She was ready to shove it right back.

Clementine's voice broke her from that train of thought, causing her to look towards her out of the corner of her eye. Her stomach twisted, clutching the railing tighter. This… wasn't the time to be brooding. She had to be strong, for Joel, and for Clem. They wouldn't make it otherwise.

She pushed herself away from the railing, taking the next few steps to sit in between Clementine and where Joel was lying down. The fire crackled in the momentary silence, only to be quieted by the howl of the wind blowing over the station. She reached her hands out, letting the small flames warm her frozen hands.

She opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in the back of her throat, forcing her to clamp her mouth shut again. She didn't know why this was so hard. Why she couldn't tell her that she was sorry about what happened with Lee, or even bring him up at all. That had become the crux of it, the thing that kept them in an uncomfortable silence for extended periods of time. She hated it.

Still, the words she wanted to say wouldn't come.

**Art [Clementine]**

The girl's lips felt unfathomably heavy, dragged and pressed moments at a time to form crooked smiles. As the one sitting right under her nose slowly came to evaporate into a heartrending frown, Clem quickly realized that she couldn't find the strength to do it anymore, even long after the numbness settled in her fingers had come to pass. Her chest went back to hurting like a bleeding wound, the stillness in her mind only serving to bring back those grim thoughts she could only find herself being able to contain for so long.

Even with Ellie there, next to her, Clementine would've been pressed to recall a time in her life where she'd felt more alone.

Her body trembled without a hint of stopping, and she could tell rather plainly that it wasn't because of the cold. The harder Clem tried to wrap her head around their situation, find a solution, the worse she felt. The more she thought back to the last few days, the more her heart pounded, the paler her skin became. The fire could only bring so much comfort to a shaken little kid.

The silence, then, was bittersweet and largely unwanted. She knew why her friend was so reluctant to talk, why the air felt thicker than the ice piling up on top of the roof they were under. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't anybody's fault. No one's but the people who took him from her. The ones who did _that _to Joel. Her glances toward Ellie were few and far between, though the last one did linger for longer than the rest, a question forming from under her breath.

"You scared, too?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Scared was an understatement. Their future was uncertain; their lives were constantly in peril, even now. The feeling of dread had already settled on her skin, like a thin layer of cold sweat. She was the one having to step up and make sure things don't go to shit, but even _she's _a step away from jumping off the edge. That was just… too much to ask for, out of Clementine. To deal with her bullshit on top of their current predicament and the girl's own issues. Joel might die, but Lee already was.

She let out a slow breath, closing her eyes. She opened them after a long pause, glancing towards her friend with what could've only been interpreted as remorse.

Her answer was quiet, and short.

"Always."

**Art [Clementine]**

The sky was painted black with no stars to be looked upon, the light cast by the flames, and the moonlight shining down on them being the sole reason the two girls weren't left in utter darkness. Clem answered Ellie's cut-and-dried response with a curt nod, lowering her head the moment after, her eyes obscured by the nightfall.

The quiet returned as unforgiving as ever, strung along by the odd sounds of crackling fire and heavy snowfall. Clem drew her two feet together, curling into a ball to shield herself from the bitter cold, yet another hint of the girl's tender voice exiting through a sigh.

"I'm glad you're here."

The words escaped her on their own, like a sudden twitch. Thinking of Lee for hours on end, and of all the times she had the chance to tell him that and didn't... it came as naturally as the tears now glistening in her eyes. "I know I don't say it enough. I just thought..."

Realization came with the impulse to quickly dry them away, which she hastily did with the palm of her left hand, the girl whimpering, turning her head to face the other way._"Fuck." _She just couldn't look her friend in the eyes anymore, wrapping her arms around herself, struggling to keep all that pain from coming adrift.

" _I'm so fucking scared, Ellie. _"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Her gut twisted as Clementine's words washed over her, realizing then just how much her instinctual urge to not bring up Lee or anything _bad _about their situation had only made things worse. Of course she was worrying about it. Why wouldn't she be? This was shit. Actually, this was beyond shit. It was something out of a fucking nightmare. The only things keeping her together was the fact that Joel wasn't dead yet, and Clementine was still there with her. She wasn't alone.

And that only made her feel worse when Clementine told her that she was glad that she was there with her.

She mentally cursed, wringing her hands together to gather warmth in them. How could she possibly get Clem to feel better? Consoling people wasn't something she was really… experienced with. She had always been the one being consoled. With Riley…

She took in a deep breath suddenly, allowing herself to scooch closer to Clem in order to wrap an arm around her, a sort of sideways hug that she hoped would bring the girl some kind of comfort. It probably wouldn't work, but what else could she do? Just sit there and let her best friend fall deeper into this pit of shit they've found themselves in? No fucking way.

"We're gonna be okay," she started strongly, emphasizing each word. She didn't believe that for a second, but she wanted it to be true. For Clem's sake. "Joel's going to pull through, but until then, we… we gotta do what we can, okay? We've been through some serious shit. All of us. We've made it this far. We… nothing's gonna stop us." She paused, taking in a deep breath. "It's okay to be scared, but…" She struggled to find something to say, something meaningful that'd help Clementine out. She tightened her grip around Clementine, hoping that'd give some sort of reassurance as her next words punctuated the air. "We don't give in to fear. We just… tell it to 'fuck off'. Right?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's red nose sniffed the frigid air in short order, her eyes still melting into droplets of water. When Ellie put her arm around her, the rest of her body melted too, closing down and ceasing to function. Days and days of playing tough, crumbling into weeping while she smeared her tears on her friend's shoulder.

It wasn't how she wanted to deal with it, but Clementine couldn't do much to help it anymore.

Taking into account the fact that incoherent mumbles were all that left her clattering teeth, Ellie would just need to have faith in how much she soothed the ballcap-wearing girl. Clementine promised herself she'd toughen up come morning, show Ellie the same strength and disposition she always did when her best friend was the one needing comfort.

Tonight, she just wanted to let herself feel sad and afraid for once.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Clementine quickly devolved into a weeping mess, laying her head against Ellie's shoulder while the older girl rubbed at her arm reassuringly, it occurred to Ellie just how infrequently she'd seen her like this. In fact, she couldn't recall a time it'd _ever _happened. She didn't want to see it again. She'd be there for her every time it happened, but… she was going to try and find a way to keep the girl from ever having to feel that way again. A promise that she knew she could never keep yet meant in equal measure.

To see someone as strong as her falling apart at the seams. To see how truly devastated she was, how lonely she felt in the wake of Lee's absence. It was almost too much to bear. If they could fall asleep there, Clementine safe in her arms, then she'd fall asleep knowing that, at least, she'd done something good for her. It was hardly enough to repay the debt she owed to Clementine, but it was a start.

Her eyes trailed down to her best friend, lips twisting sympathetically as she lifted her free hand to remove the girl's baseball cap, laying the soaked thing in her lap. She ran her fingers along the edge of the hat, looking towards the fire for a while, and giving Joel occasional, worried glances as he moved in his sleep. He was going to make it. She was sure of it. No matter what, he had to.

She couldn't take care of _all three _of them.


	47. Alone, III

_11:35 PM_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The balcony was deathly quiet beyond the occasional howl of the wind and the muffled whinny of their horses inside. The majority of their night was spent in this, leaving Ellie to find _something _to do to occupy herself. There wasn't much, besides taking stock of all the food they nabbed from the dead bandits the previous day, so when she was finished with that… boredom had already set in.

The world beyond the balcony was pitch black, and the occasional, distant croak of an infected reminded her that the world still existed beyond the veil of snow surrounding them. It wasn't much earlier that Clementine had fallen asleep, her head lying in Ellie's lap, her face facing the flames burning in front of them, leaving Ellie to watch over Joel nearby until it was her turn.

With little else to do, she found herself reading through the book she'd intended to give to Clem back in Jackson, for her birthday, using the firelight to see the words printed on the pages. Her old pink and white jacket was underneath her, serving as a _particularly _uncomfortable seat on the ground, while the book hovered an inch over the top of Clementine's head.

The book was… interesting. The main character, some kid named Max, found his room turned into a jungle after he tore up his parents' home in a wolf costume, causing him to be sent to bed without dinner. For some reason, he ended up sailing to an island inhabited by some creatures known as the 'wild things', and he ended up being crowned their king. When he got lonely, he returned to his room to find his supper waiting for him.

It was… certainly something.

There was a child-like innocence to it that Ellie could barely comprehend. The idea of romping around in a wolf costume brought her back to that costume store in Boston, when Riley told her to put a wolf mask on and 'roar'. Letting out that roar had been almost liberating, and she had a feeling that Max felt the same in the story. To be something other than himself for a change. To live a life that he couldn't ever live.

In a way, she related to him. To wanting to be something other than what you are. To embrace your imagination. To not be the cure for mankind…

She decided then that she _did _like the book, slipping it back into her backpack in a quiet manner. Maybe there was a reason why Clementine held onto that book, besides being her last remaining memento of her mother. Did Clementine ever had any 'adventures' like the one in the book with her parents, playing on a farm? Not having to worry about the walkers, or the infected. Being a child for once. She didn't get to have that, growing up in the orphanages.

The only thing that came even close was her time with the Walkman. She had vague memories of when she got it, almost too obscure to remember. Being five years old, the mysterious device being handed to her by the headmaster, who only toyed with her until finally giving it to her. She still didn't know _who _it was from, in the end, but _someone_brought it in for her, and it wasn't that asshole of a headmaster. Music got her through the roughest patches, though nowadays probably trumped _those _days.

She let out a sigh, which came out in a wispy cloud. In the silence filling the balcony, a sudden noise emanated from Clementine, causing Ellie to look down at her with pursed lips, concern etching across her face.

She was mumbling. In the process of clutching Ellie's leg with one hand, as if doing so would rid herself of whatever bad dream she was having. As the seconds ticked by, they became louder, clearer, desperate.

Ellie's mouth fell into a frown. She was having a nightmare. Clenching her eyes shut, Ellie pinched the bridge of her nose. A part of her _hated _seeing Clem going through that… but what could she do? You can't fight nightmares. You can't protect people from their own demons… or the ones you forced on them...

All she could do was rub the girl's arm softly, in hopes that it'd do _something _to calm the girl down.

**Art [Clementine]**

Where had Dad gone to?

Clementine searched through every corner of the house, from the porch to the narrow stables. Animals, from large to small, made dreadful noises as she passed. They looked to her for help, begging for it through pained cries, but she was so little. Aside from the hay dragged by her toes, the farm didn't make a sound, slowing her breath to a halt. The birds and crickets had left, too. Even the wind. It was only her.

The sun had set what felt like hours ago, and her bedroom was pitch dark, like the inside of a cave. It dripped with water, walls covered with ice, causing the small girl to shiver from both the cold, as well as the fear. She was terrified. Her arms were wrapped around her chest, knees huddled together. Clem's wide eyes, the only color in an otherwise dim, colorless space.

There wasn't anyone to tuck her in that night. Not Mom. Not Dad. Not L-

Before any thoughts could form in her tiny head, Clementine had left the house behind her, backpack in hand. Where were they? How could Mom and Dad have left her? Her sandals dug into the grass as if the large patches of it were made out of quicksand, but she trudged on. On, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and-

By the river, her dad sat lackadaisically with a fishing rod in hand, whistling to himself a song that had no sense of rhythm. Daylight painted the background like a coloring book, so hot it made the pier do cartoonishly loud crackling sounds. "Hey, Clementine!" Dad called out to her. There was so much warmth in his voice, the sun almost paled in comparison. But she felt funny. Her joints were sore. Nose running. Its tip seeming more iceberg than skin.

"I feel weird. I'm cold, Dad," said the little girl, her yellow dress now, too, against the pier as she sat next to her father.

He didn't say anything to that. Wouldn't, so as to not break character. His daughter was awfully smart. If Ed couldn't keep his act together, she'd figure out he wasn't really there in no time. "Did you do your chores yet?" He asked in response, smiling his stupid smile, patting her hair like he used to every day.

Like he used to.

"Where'd you go?" She insisted on the questions, leaning closer to Dad, brows furrowed. Clem didn't much care about her chores. If the horses were well fed, or goats strong and healthy. Clem was a lot more interested in knowing where he'd been yesterday.

Ed seemed baffled by the question, looking at the girl almost amused. "What do you mean? I'm right here."

She sighed. How could she care about _chores _? If the fucking horses got fed that morning or if Snow White had been mauled alive, her guts laying on the ground in front of her. She just missed her parents so much, desperate to know where they'd been for the last six years.

"Oh."

It was a dream.

What a silly dream.

"You look worried," said her fake dad, faking a fake smile in his fake farm. Clementine shook her head, left and right, nonstop, like trying to shake away a naughty thought. He looked so real, even with features so blurry, his voice just a fragment of fractured memories. Water in her eyes, Clem outstretched her small, seven-year-old hands, letting them rest atop her father's shoulder, sliding down to his bicep. Her grasp was herculean, but she only felt his moist jacket, freezing her palms and shattering her heart.

"You're one sad girl, you know that?"

She sobbed like the baby she was. Her pretend-dad looked so puzzled, but that only made her want to hold tighter, as though he'd fly away otherwise, like a balloon. "Dad?" She called out, eyes closed, to see if he was still there. But he only answered with silence. Eventually, that flawed reflection of Ed reached his hands around his daughter, rubbing her arm softly while mulling over words he pretended to be his.

"You gonna leave her too?" Shock blocked her tears, giving way for eyes round with surprise. Dad sounded hurt. Disappointed in her. So many things a fake person had no right to express. Dad had never met 'her'. He wasn't real. He wasn't.

But Clem wanted him to be. She wanted it so badly.

"N - No! I didn't -"

"You didn't mean to, I know. I mean, your mother's the one who told you to run. No one's blaming you."

Clementine lost herself to the tears, rubbing them against Dad's shirt. She couldn't stop, because she loved him so much. Because she wanted him to be the one with her, instead of all that hurt.

Ed scratched his chin, utterly detached. Air slowly escaped his lips, making way for more distant words. "I'm gonna miss Lee. Won't you? He sure made it easier. To forget about me." Dad's expression twisted, brows forming spirals as his lips contorted into a frown, tears welling up in his eyes. "Did you?"

_No... No...!_

"Well," he pinched his nose, letting the water fade away from his eyes. "I... I forgive you. I know you did all you could. You're so strong, ain't you? My little girl."

Ed pulled her closer, Clem's cheeks against his own.

She hugged him. Clementine couldn't help it. Even if he wasn't Dad.

Even if it wasn't really him.

Dad frowned, again.

"Or were you hoping he'd die, Clementine?"

Clem burst into tears - violent ones. The girl covered her ears, but Dad's whispers still found their way through. _"Why didn't you come back?"_

She grimaced and fought back, but it wouldn't stop. It wouldn't. "You're not real. You're not real. You're not real. Not real. Not real. Notreal. NotrealNotreal.

Notrealnotrealnotreal_ notrealnotrealnotrealnotrealnotreal _."

"You're right, hon. I'm dead, too."

**Dot [Ellie]**

" _Dad… _"

That word tumbling out of her friend's mouth had been enough to freeze every muscle in Ellie's body. More than the cold biting at the edge of her consciousness could ever hope to accomplish. Whatever nightmare Clementine was enduring right now, it wasn't… it wasn't something that would just _go away _. No matter how hard Ellie tried to comfort her.

" _You're not real… _"

Ellie dug her left hand underneath her friend's head, letting it rest against her arm while she wrapped her other hand over the girl's stomach to hold her close in a semi-hug.

She was shivering. So was Ellie.

She brought her lips close to the girl's ear. "I'm here, Clem. If you need me." What was she even saying? It wasn't like she could pretend to be her dad… It wasn't like she could pretend that she'd ever mean more to her than her own parents or Lee could; she didn't even want to. Yet… the anguish written across Clem's face… _God _, she couldn't take it. Clementine was the strong one. Since the beginning. She was the one picking her up when she faltered. But seeing this…? Maybe they _were_ just a couple scared little girls.

"I'm- _I'm _real."

**Art [Clementine]**

Waking up in a sweat seemed so hard with that mountain of snow collected on the balcony roof, and yet Clementine's shirt was soaked with it. Her eyes flickered open. Tired, so tired, and yet wider than they'd ever been. She woke up to the heat of the flames flickering in front of her, face rested on... _something _.

Clem's heart went berserk, losing any and all sense of a proper flow. The girl's eyes hovered upward, vision still blurry, clearing bit by bit. And she saw Ellie's worried expression, what felt like inches away from her nose, still chilly from the winter. She'd fallen asleep on... Ellie's lap? Her face wasn't so cold anymore. It was boiling hot, giving off bright red hues. Clem's legs visibly shrunk, her knees closing in, boots wrapping themselves atop one another. The embarrassment had her choking on words that never ever seemed to come out, only making her hold the other girl tighter, and her chest hotter and more filled with air.

Slowly - all too methodically - Clementine pushed herself into a sitting position, avoiding Ellie's gaze like the plague. It was so much...

Did she... D - Did she hear her in her sleep?

Clementine swallowed while the ticker in her chest did the talking, _thump thump thumping _so loudly she could swear even her friend could hear it. Clem's legs and nose bundled up more and more until the girl could fit nicely into a tiny box, mumbling the quietest apology of her entire life.

"S - Sorry."

**Dot [Ellie]**

The urge to reach out and comfort her friend was too much to bear, but she managed to wring her hands together in her lap, eyes falling to the fire in front of her as Clementine's meek voice reached her ears. She brushed a slew of rogue hairs from out of her face and behind her ear, trying her best to put on a smile that'd make Clem feel better. Anything to not dwell on what had just happened a second ago.

"Bad dreams happen to everyone," she stated in an even tone, shrugging her shoulders. "You don't have to… _y'know _, apologize." Her gaze fell to the floor for a fraction of a second, indecision twinkling in her eyes. She mulled over her next words, chewing her lip. "Do you… wanna talk about it? You don't have to if you don't wanna…"

**Art [Clementine]**

She let her gaze escape, linger elsewhere. Anywhere else. Clem shut herself away behind an exterior long since threatening to give away. The thought of going back to that dream scared her more than she thought Ellie could understand. Clem trembled, more and more. Arms, hands, and toes. Knowing then to blame the snow, pretending it was nothing else.

Clementine was on her feet quicker than she'd realized, longing for distance. For something to keep her busy. Something to quell all the bad thoughts - Run away from them if she could. "I'm doing watch tonight." She spoke at her softest, panicked steps leading her away before Ellie could convince her not to.

It was easier that way.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie opened her mouth to try and stop her, but Clementine was gone in an instant, disappearing indoors. She pushed herself to her feet in a heartbeat, feet skidding in the thin layer of snow as she followed behind.

"Clem…?" Her voice was answered with silence, the girl she was chasing nearing the stairs leading down to the bottom floor. Ellie picked up the pace, calling out for her again, sterner than before. "Clem!"

By the time she reached Clementine, they were already downstairs, and Ellie gently wrapped her fingers around the girl's arm, the light-blue of her jacket barely visible in the darkness. "Clem, I can't- What kind of best friend would I be if I just left you alone? We stick together, okay? No matter what."

"So if you're gonna sit down here in the cold, then I'm doing it too. Even if I have to sleep in it."

**Art [Clementine]**

A pull of her arm had Clementine stopping, even when her legs wanted to go on without her. Her hand twitched, demanding to pull away, but she kept it at bay, turning her eyes away from her pleading friend. She held back phrases as blunt as _'Just leave me alone' _through a bite of her lip, letting Ellie be the one to talk, even when unequipped to listen. Clem, like no other time she could recall, was just waiting for a chance to tell her off.

Instead, her crushed little heart sunk even further.

Talking felt impossible. Mutters and mumbles, but never real words. The girl's lips quivered until she gave in, letting her arm loosen while in Ellie's heavy grasp. "_ Okay. _"

"Sure. Okay..."

Clementine's old cargo pants scratched against the porch while the girl searched for a comfortable position to sit, rifle nestled between forearm and knee. She didn't really find one, and wouldn't have. Not with Ellie so close to her. Clem fell to a soft sneeze when the wind picked up, the girl occasionally sighing puffs of smoke that disappeared into thin air. The snow pierced her skin as if from the night sky descended literal butter knives, each painfully landing on her skin before stiffening and turning into ice. The freezing girl struggled to put thoughts into words, for she well-near refused to.

"It was... about my dad."

Every single syllable weighed a thousand pounds, filled with all sorts of emotional baggage she never wanted to unpack aloud. Why even bother...? _Because you owe it to Ellie, _that loud voice in Clementine's head so valiantly tried to justify. _'No more secrets.' _Yeah. Whatever that promise was still worth. Clem drew air so cold it made her have to wipe her nose with her sleeve, letting that arm rest on top of her knees while she put off having to say any more. "Sometimes I dream about being back on the farm. I'm seven again, and he's there." Her voice, then, sounded cooler than the air. Though quiet anger would seep through odd phrases when the girl couldn't help herself. "Dad says he doesn't blame me for leaving him and Mom. Then it ends."

Clementine kept her eyes forward, letting them dip downward before she picked her gaze back up, setting it back on the empty blackness ahead. "Other times he says it's my fault they died. It changes."

"I never get to see Mom."

"This time, he..." A loud sniff keeps her from talking. The cold - she blames it again, wiping her nose with the dexterity of a drunken tailor. Even while silent, she doesn't look at her friend. Not one passing glance. Clem was too scared to. "I sit next to him and he says I left Lee too."

A harrowing silence began to set in, one which Clementine interrupted with an equally frightening glare. A glare directed at Ellie. That icy tone of hers returning, more evident than ever. "That's it. You happy?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

With those words uttered, Ellie let go of Clementine's arm, watching as she headed outside, onto the porch. Ellie followed her cautiously, planting herself against the rotted wood flooring on the other side of the steps from her friend.

She was more than comfortable just sitting there in silence. As long as they were together, they could deal with any threats, but she wasn't going to insist on talking out Clem's nightmare. She'd already made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it.

Which made hearing her next words so awful to hear, like a knife being twisted into her gut. She stiffened, looking towards the snow drifts surrounding the ranger station as the girl kept going on about the dream, eventually forcing herself to look towards her when she'd finished. The look she got back twisted the knife even further.

What was she supposed to say to that? She wasn't trying to torture Clem, just… _help _her. Somehow. The resentment in the girl's eyes, though, only showed that her efforts had the opposite effect.

It felt as though her heart stopped at that moment, and she was struggling to reboot it. Her gaze fell to the snow drifts once more, clenching her eyes shut. This sucked.

"It's… not your fault," Ellie spoke softly, meekly, struggling to look anywhere but at her friend on the other side of the porch. "Whatever happened with your parents. With Lee. None of that is _your _fault." Her words had a sort of irony to them, the more she spoke, knowing that she didn't believe them herself, for the things _she's _done in the past. Would she ever stop blaming herself for Riley? Or Tess? Her mother? Probably not. "Your parents… Lee… they love you. We all do. So, um… yeah."

She wanted to say more, but her mouth stopped cooperating then. She had a feeling Clem didn't want to hear what she had to say anyway.

**Art [Clementine]**

Her amber eyes, again, ran for their lives to a corner far away. One hand grasping at her rifle while the other clutched at her knee, digging into gathers of snow. "What would you know?" Clementine scoffed, words oozing with both anguish and contempt.

"Yours left you too."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's head fell towards the ground in an instant, pulling her legs close to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. The words that had reached her ears stung with vile ferocity, the knife from before being more like a sword impaling her. Had she any strength left, sharp words of her own would've left her, but instead silence was the only thing she could give.

Suddenly, leaving Clementine alone didn't seem that bad of an idea anymore. The thought left a boulder in her stomach, weighing her down infinitely.

She still managed to push herself to her feet, though, not daring to look in the other girl's direction as she headed inside, where she'd finally get a chance to breathe. To calm down.

"I'm gonna check on Joel."

The door closed behind her with a resounding click, leaving the girl to hold back tears as she stomped through the ranger station.


	48. Prey, I

_2:24 PM - November 6, 2025_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The steady stream of wind blew through the valley, sending snow floating through the air in miniscule clouds of icy particles. Said snow crunched beneath Ellie's feet as she lifted her bow, eyes narrowing and zeroing in on the first live animal she'd seen in what felt like hours.

All that food they got from the bandits near the university had seemed like _so much _, but it was starting to dwindle. Her supply had all but run dry, while Clementine's had barely enough to sustain them for the next half week or so. They had to find something to extend their supply, to keep their non-perishables lasting long enough for Joel to recover.

And right now, that something was a small, white rabbit digging its way out of the snow.

She let the arrow loose, mouthing '_ yes! _' as it pierced the tiny animal, sticking out the other side. The rabbit died in an instant, to her relief. She didn't want to see the poor thing squirming.

She flashed Clementine a weary smile as she trudged through the snow, grabbing their prize by the back of its neck, the smile fading as she realized _just _how small it was.

She groaned. "This won't last very long." Nevertheless, she approached Callus quickly, wrapping spare leather ties around its neck and tying it to the side of the horse. With Joel, and poor Whiskers, left at the house in the nearby town, their situation wasn't looking… great, but at least they had mobility. It was going to be necessary while they searched for more food.

She let out a frustrated sigh as she paced through the snow, looking back towards her baseball-capped friend in a mixed look of frustration and desperation. As much as she'd been trying to hide it from the girl since that night at the rangers' station, her fortitude was wearing thin. "We should head back to that river… right? I – I mean, something's_gotta _hang around there. _Fuck _, I don't know."

This entire situation was shit. _So nothing's fucking changed._

**Art [Clementine]**

The glimpses of sunlight in the early afternoon were a consistently welcome change of pace from the unbearable Colorado wintertime. For Clementine, mornings usually consisted of keeping watch while Ellie fired and recovered arrows, and skinning whatever sparse meat they did manage to lay their hands on in the middle of nowhere. Retroactively, and until further notice, they were waiting on Joel. Whether it was him waking up or else, moving before he fully recovered was a waste of energy. With Whiskers sick and unfit to do as little as lifting a foot, the decision had made itself, almost like an unspoken agreement.

Whatever the case, time was running out, and the plight they found themselves in continued to worsen by the hour.

Stuffed in Clem's backpack - for months, by that point - had been a pair of lavender earmuffs, perfect to keep warm what her hair couldn't cover, and even better for making her look like a five-year-old lost in a blizzard. It was a little too late to start growing a fashion sense, she supposed, not that the timing of it all did the item in question any favors.

Lifting her increasingly _de _creasing spirits was the prospect of getting to eat that night, which, up until then, was progressively looking more and more ill-advised. They had to make a few cans and a rabbit last for... who knows _how long, _depending on Joel. How the hell were they gonna do that? Sadly, neither of the girls had the answers, despite sharing in the panic brewing from the current state of affairs.

" _Nice job, _" Clem spoke in what almost sounded like a whisper, commending her friend for nailing the shot while sitting with her legs stretched open, using her knees as support for the arm that held her rifle. Their next stop was gonna be the river, or, at least that's what she gathered from the frenzy in Ellie's voice.

The sun was still shining and they'd already met their _bare minimum _quota for the day. Couldn't hurt to check.

"Sure," she said. "We'll go around a few times, see if we can find anything." Clementine boosted herself up from the snow, brushing away what remained of it spread all over her cargo pants. With her hands rested on Callus's back, Clem readied herself to climb on top of him, stopping a second early to check up on a wide-eyed Ellie.

"What."

**Dot [Ellie]**

It had been just a tiny movement in the corner of her eye, but it was more than enough to divert her attention to it, swiveling her head in its direction like a deer caught in headlights. And speaking of deer… a decently sized buck stood across the frozen meadow, trying desperately to get at some grass beneath the snow. It hadn't seen them yet.

Clementine's voice was enough to bring her back, and she turned towards her with a genuine smile this time. That thing would be enough food to last them… _god _, ages? Enough to keep them going until a more permanent solution could be found, anyway. And with how fucking cold it's gotten, maybe they had a chance of keeping it from spoiling.

Nevertheless, she brought a finger to her lips, silencing any further inquiries from her friend before pointing the deer out. She took a cautious step back towards Callus, taking the reins from Clementine and tying it around a small tree growing next to its much larger brother. "He'll just scare it," she whispered, unslinging her bow from over her shoulder and holding it tightly.

The deer seemed to have enough, sauntering away from the speck of green in the white blanket of snow, heading back towards the river.

"Come on," she breathed, stepping as quietly as she could. "We can still get it before it gets away."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine crouched down, following Ellie's lead, and underneath her watchful eyes, a hint of a smile that risked turning into a grin. This was it: their jackpot. With that much meat, they could keep everyone fed and _then _some. Not have to worry about food for maybe whole weeks!

Her eyebrows knitted slightly, the girl trying not to let the promise of deer for supper distract her from pulling off the absolute backbreaker of a task they'd set out to do. Her rifle might've had the range and the power, but every tempting high reward came with its own set of high risks. One bad miss and they'd spook it, waste a bullet, and attract something nasty their way. It wasn't even a question.

Clementine trusted Ellie with this from A to Z.

Still, having faith in her archery was one thing, making sure her friend had a solid plan in mind was another. "How're we doing this?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie tried her best to keep the deer in her sight, watching as it trotted through the trees in the distance. She'd have to wait until it stopped again to fire, too afraid that she'd miss it if she tried now. If they were lucky, it'd only take one shot.

She glanced towards Clementine as the younger girl followed her, quietly asking about her plan. She didn't have one, really, besides trying to wait until the best opportunity presented itself, and that wasn't right now.

"It's bound to stop eventually, so we just gotta follow it until then," she breathed, crouching low to hide behind a large rock as the deer began to pass through a narrow break in the steep hills surrounding them. It was heading back towards the river. She turned back towards Clem. "When it does, it's dead meat."

They followed through the gap, a smile appearing on Ellie's face as the deer finally came to a stop next to the river. It bent down for a drink, unaware of the fact Ellie was pulling back the string on her bow, arrow notched and ready. She let it loose, watching as it soared through the air before piercing the deer near the neck. The sound it made was surprised, strangled, panicked, and it galloped off, leaving a trail of blood behind.

"Shit," Ellie breathed, waving Clementine over. "Come on, we gotta track it down."

**Art [Clementine]**

"Try not to slip on the way down," Clementine teased the other girl with a snicker, alluding to Ellie's blunder from last week. They'd have to make some distance to catch up to the damn thing, clearly. Looking at it optimistically - as challenging as _that _was - their best bet was tiring it out and finishing it off once it couldn't move anymore. The poor thing was gonna have to bleed out eventually.

They trekked down the heaps of snow, using their prey's blood as means of direction. Going as far as they were away from Joel and the refuge, well, it felt pretty unnerving. Not because they didn't know the way back. Hell, with all the worried glances over her shoulder, Clem'd have a hard time forgetting. It was always the lack of knowing. The danger of uncertainty.

The thought that, if anything happened, Lee and Joel wouldn't be there.

What calmed her down, or rather, kept her enough on edge to rob her attention from her own self, was the agglomerate of abandoned cabins only a few yards away, emphasized in their eeriness by a large barn, decayed to its core. That's where the blood led, for sure, and Clementine was no happier for it. "Stay close," she softly spoke, hoping Ellie would listen. The quicker they left that place behind, the better.

They just had to find the deer first.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She answered Clem's tease with an eye roll, sticking her tongue out at the girl in an act of childish defiance. She wasn't going to let her live that down, apparently.

The trail of blood eventually led them to the husk of a barn, its walls barely standing, and its roof caved in in several areas. As they entered, Ellie's gaze followed the trail, her voice barely audible as she spoke to herself. "Everything's cool… this place is not creepy at all…"

The unsettling feeling electrified her skin until they finally made it to the other side. In the clearing beyond the barn, the deer had finally collapsed to the ground, ceasing to move altogether. _Damn, that was a pretty fucking good shot._

They approached quickly, silently working out just how they were going to get that thing back to the house. That thought process, however, didn't have time to play out in Ellie's mind, a twig snapping in the distance forcing her to swivel towards it, aiming her bow in one quick motion.

"Who's there?! Come out!"

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

It'd been another shitty day of hunting. The game had either moved on from the area or hunted to the last one. Either way, it meant that Simmons was having a shitty fucking time.

It was just him and another one of the hunters out there. Hunt in twos, always. It was like an unspoken rule. His compatriot walked through the snow nearby, keeping his eyes sharp for any sign of wild game to catch.

It turned out that Simmons would be the one to spot it. They were approaching this old factory in the middle of the woods, surrounded by broken down homes and a barn, when the sight of a dead deer on the ground caught his attention. An arrow was sticking out of its neck.

He gestured for his buddy to slow down and assess the situation. If there was another hunter out here, they needed to make sure if it was one of them. Though no one else was scheduled to be. _Probably fuckin' Arthur and his fucking cult._

He pulled the other Hunter back behind cover as two figures emerged from the barn, heading for the downed deer. Girls. Kids, actually. Probably no older than fifteen. Simmons's eyes narrowed, watching them carefully before taking a step back, right onto a twig.

The taller one heard it, swiveling around to face towards where they were hiding.

Well, what was the worst they could do? They were a couple of fucking kids.

He took a step out, revealing himself to the teenagers, taking in their appearances. For a moment, he wondered if they had any affiliation with that cunt in his basement. He'd been traveling with kids and another dickhead, so…

… if that was the case, this might prove entertaining.

"Hey there," he opened with, giving them a short wave, keeping his hands away from his pockets. "Sorry to come up on you like that. Didn't expect to see anyone else out in these woods. That your deer?" He pointed towards it. The question was mere formality. The deer would be his, soon enough.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem was on her knees, looking over the deer with a mixture of relief and pity. Ellie's arrow had pierced cleanly through the animal's neck, bringing about a fountain of blood from the tear in its hide, the liquid blended in with bits of flesh and bone. It might've been really dumb, but she couldn't but feel for it, compelled to look away, straight into the snow, in consequence of giving the deer an agonizing, slow death.

Her eyes shifted again, more so, and largely before she had the chance to process why that was. The sounds of wood being crushed to pieces had drawn her gaze toward the surrounding trees, instinctually, like the one expected of a feral beast. Ellie had done the same, readying her bow in the direction of the sound.

People.

Clementine had dealt with encounters like this dozens of times, and yet they never failed to make her jumpy. Her rifle lay in the snow, next to the deer's carcass. She wouldn't dare to reach for it unless the girl knew she'd absolutely have to. The thought process was simple: They were either hungry or they were bandits. Usually, they were both. Maybe they wanted a portion, to make a deal, or to just kill them and steal everything they had. Clem intended to make them walk either way, be it by force or otherwise. Sharing their food was completely out of the question.

The younger girl's brows took a downward dive, as did the edges of her lips, forming a harsh scowl. "Yeah," she answered apathetically, eyes narrowing and boring into the man asking the question, her right hand itching to grab the rifle next to her. "We got it first. Arrow's right here to prove it." Straightforward and tactful, that was her goal... despite coming off more than a little abrasive.

"... So back off."

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

The shorter one was the one to look out for, despite the fact she wasn't even the one aiming a weapon at him. Simmons kept his hands raised, taking a step forward, while trying to diffuse the situation. From behind him, his other compatriot began to come out too, mimicking Simmons.

"We just want to talk," Henry stated evenly. When was the last time he said that and meant it? Probably never. Nevertheless, these kids were the ones with weapons trained on them, so some tact was required.

"Any sudden moves and I put one right between your eyes," the older one replied harshly, pulling her bowstring back a bit farther. She gestured towards Henry's friend with a tilt of her bow. "Ditto for buddy boy over there. What do you want?"

At least it seemed that the girl was willing to hear them out. The other, not so much… he began to wonder what she'd taste like, if they managed to bring them back home. Children weren't exactly the best source of food, but they were something. Something that they _needed _right now.

He gestured to himself with a hook of his thumb, keeping his voice from getting too abrasive. "Name's Henry Simmons. This here's James. We're from a larger group. Women, children… we're all starving."

"So are we," the older one stated, though quieter than before. "Women and children, all starving too."

"Well, you've got a truckload of meat there. Reckon you're up for a little bit of a trade? What do you need? Weapons? Ammo? Clothes…?"

"Medicine!" The girl suddenly shouted, her eyes darting between Simmons and the other girl. "Do you have… any antibiotics?"

Simmons took a second to think it over. Medicine wasn't exactly their most surplus supply right now, but he had no intention of actually giving any over anyway. But still, he had to look like he was willing to make a deal.

"We do. Back at our camp. You're welcome to come with us-"

**Art [Clementine]**

That whole thing was a mess, getting progressively worse the more Ellie opened her mouth. _I get it, _thought Clementine, albeit, with a grimace, nothing if not aware of how fucked up their Joel situation was... and how much Ellie cared for him. If those guys were legit, then... _fuck, _it could actually be worth it. They were playing with fire, trusting a group of strangers not to take advantage of two kids. She'd make sure they wouldn't get the chance, for Ellie's sake and her own.

"Not happening," Clementine cut the guy off, her tongue as sharp as a rapier. "You stay, he goes," she said assertively, nodding at the quiet one, the one Ellie called _'buddy boy'. _The girl clutched the straps of her backpack, swiftly setting it down in front of her so that she could easily ruffle through it. She'd left all the important stuff back with Joel, whatever would slow her down while they were out hunting. It was just food in there: canned tomatoes and beans, two of each. All they had. Clem stood up the moment she was done looking through it, tossing it at the man's feet, her other hand now gripping at the rifle. "The deer. We'll share it fifty-fifty. You can take the cans up front, so your group knows we're not lying. There's enough there for at least a few days."

"You bring us medicine, you get your half of the deer. That's the deal."

Clementine's jaw tightened, raw anger seeping through her clenched teeth. "You pull anything behind our back, we'll kill you and whoever else shows up. Got that?"

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

_I like you, kid. You've got some serious lady balls._

Simmons regarded the two teenagers for a moment, thinking over the deal. As it stood, it wasn't a bad deal. If he was intending to go through with it. Finally, he turned towards James.

"Two bottles of the penicillin and a syringe. Chop-chop." James's surprised face looked towards him and the two girls in quick movements, and Henry jerked his head towards the distance behind them. "Go on, get movin'."

With that, James finally left. Now was the fun part.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie peered towards Clementine as she negotiated the terms for the deal, silently thankful that she decided to go along with it. They still had half a deer, and they'll get something to keep Joel alive. It was better than them ending up alone.

As Buddy Boy darted off, Ellie kept her bow raised, focusing her gaze on Henry. Her voice was low, demanding. "I'll take that rifle." She indicated the rifle he had slung over his shoulder with a jerk of her head. The man hesitated for a fraction of a second, long enough for Ellie to narrow her eyes, before he finally nodded.

"You got it, kid."

He took a couple steps forward, holding onto the strap of the rifle before slowly lowering it to the ground at Ellie's feet. She answered this with a simple "back up," before quickly grabbing it, slinging her bow over her shoulder before aiming the rifle towards him, checking the chamber to see if it was loaded.

An uncomfortable silence fell on them. Even the wind had seemed to have died off. Henry looked between them and where his friend had run off, letting out a half-chuckle.

"That asshole's slow, so he's… probably gonna be a while. You girls mind if we head inside, and out of this cold?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine shot Ellie a worried, yet knowing glance, trying to get a feel for her assessment on this. A lure for a trap? Couldn't be. They were both holding him at gunpoint. Of all people, she thought of Joel and what _he _would've done in a situation like that. Knock the guy out cold was the girl's foremost thought, and she couldn't help but smile inwardly as it came to mind. Never in a million years did Clem think she'd actually miss having the old guy around.

When Ellie returned her a nod, Clementine exhaled a visible puff of air, now settled on some semblance of a plan. He was unarmed and alone. They could afford to wait for his friend somewhere a little warmer.

"Fine," said Clementine, setting her rifle next to Ellie for the other girl to pick up, before grabbing the deer by its horns. "Help me pull." Given that her best friend had a gun pointed at the stranger, it was less a request and more of a command. Frankly, he was lucky they didn't make him carry it alone.

A long couple of minutes had passed. The temporary group of three settled for one of the close-by cabins. The closest one, in fact, to spare them from having to carry the animal too long a distance. Clem had a small fire going with little effort, all thanks to all those matches they found. Now, they all sat opposite to each other, sharing incredulous looks, the deer safely guarded behind Ellie and a gun with plenty of kickback.

This was going to be a long wait.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

They settled into one of the decrepit cabins in the area, the girl with the ballcap being the one to start a fire in the fireplace. He bent his knees, holding his hands out towards the fire to feel its warmth soak into his skin. Being out in the cold all day, being left here with a couple of kids didn't seem so bad. Being warm far outweighed anything else.

The older one was putting herself between him and the deer, as if Simmons would just start cutting bits off of it at any second. Clearly, they didn't trust him as far as they could throw him, which was smart on their part. The few that have trusted him in the past got what they deserved.

Time would tell if this would end the same way, and time marched on like the fickle bitch it was, the seconds turning into minutes, and his thoughts dwelled on how he'd gut James the next time he saw him for being too fucking slow.

Instead, he broke the ice. At least he could confirm some shit while he waited.

"So," he started, glancing towards the shorter girl with a raised eyebrow. "What's a couple kids doin' out here? Got a group nearby?" _Neither of 'em look sick, so they gotta have __**someone**__._

**Art [Clementine]**

It was bound to happen sooner or later. The man started asking questions. Dangerous ones. The kind that made her brows nestle closely and her nostrils flare in enmity. Clementine laid near the fire, rifle strapped to her shoulder, eyes locked, static, on the caring stranger. "We're just trying to make by," she answered quietly and callously, hostility still exuding from her voice. "Same as everyone else."

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

_Dodging the question, huh? _The answer had been as predictable as the coming of winter. They weren't alone, but whoever they were with was likely too sick to move around. In his experience, people tended to lie in favor of the opposite in these situations. Alone? You make yourself look strong by stating you've got a large group. With a group? You make yourself seem alone. It's often easy to tell if they were telling the truth, and this definitely had 'lie' written all over it.

"Seem awful young to be traveling by yourselves," he stated evenly, giving the more aggressive girl a sympathetic look. As sympathetic as he could fake, anyway. "I respect that. Takes a lot of guts."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie clutched the rifle tighter as the conversation between Henry and Clementine continued to escalate, questions that burrowed troubling thoughts into her mind being thrown around by the stranger. She answered the man's comment with an unyielding glare. "We make do."

"I bet," came the response, the older man letting out a small sigh as he returned his gaze to the fire. Ellie watched him intently, waiting for him to make a move. Waiting for an excuse to get them out of this mess. After they got that medicine, they'll do what they need to, and hopefully go their separate ways.

"You know, I…" Henry spoke again, taking a metal stoke from nearby and poking at the fire. "This winter's been an absolute bitch so far. I'm sure you've noticed. Food's been runnin' low, our people are on the verge of dying." He stopped poking the fire, glancing towards Ellie with an unreadable expression. "A couple weeks back, I sent out a scouting party to find some food in a nearby town. A few didn't make it. The survivors said that the others had been, ah… slaughtered, by a crazy man. And get this…" He seemed to smile after that, an uncomfortable feeling forming in the pit of Ellie's gut. "He's a crazy man, travelin' with _another _asshole, and a couple kids."

Ellie lifted the rifle, aiming it towards Henry as his smile only grew. "Now don't get your panties in a twist, kid. What happened wasn't your fault. Neither of you. You're just kids."

"You people killed him…" Ellie suddenly whispered, anger evident in her tone. This asshole was part of that same group, the ones that took Lee away. The ones that nearly got Joel killed. She wanted to pull the trigger, desperately, but stopped short, finger centimeters away from pressing down.

"Did we now?" Henry chided, shaking his head. She wanted to knock that arrogant smile off of his face, her arms shaking as she clutched the rifle tighter. "I've been nothing but hospitable with you, and you wanna blame me for your friend's fucking mistakes?"

**Art [Clementine]**

It hit her slowly. As long as it took to produce fire out of a flicker, for those flames to enfold forgathered chunks of wood. Clem couldn't believe it at first. Refused to, maybe, but once the message got through, quelling the disquietness in her clenched fists turned into something verging on the impossible. He went on to talk more, hateful remarks venting through a wicked smile, making the girl's own teeth clench and grind together as though they were about to shatter into pieces. The words leaving that man's mouth, every single syllable, went on to become the flicker that generated the melting fire in Clementine's eyes.

Until she lost all control of it.

The girl charged forward, using her feet to propel herself in the man's direction, boots slamming into the bonfire as she closed the gap between them. Clem grabbed him by his shirt collar, smashing his back against the cabin's frail walls, and pulling a knife to his throat, pressing it hard enough against his neck to draw a faint amount of blood. The frenzy-eyed teen couldn't speak, or even _think _to say anything to the one in front of her. She couldn't think of anything at all.

She wouldn't waste her breath sharing words with a dead man.

**Shadowman [James]**

Now was his chance, it hadn't even been a minute of waiting outside and watching through the window. Those two little shits already gave him a reason… and all he needed was _one. _Henry knew he was hiding there, since he'd nonchalantly glanced over a few times during his conversation with the girls. James waited for a signal as the three of them sat around the fire, a nod of the head… something to tell him to get involved, but it never came. _What the hell does he think he's doing here?_

This couldn't have been right, wasting precious resources on the very same people that killed their friends out on the field. There was no way he could be considering helping them, after everything _they'd _done. That's when things started to get nasty, the girl with the ballcap barreling towards Henry with the knife.

While they were distracted with his superior, James stormed inside the building. With the pistol in his hand, the man rushed the redheaded girl from behind, pressing the barrel of his gun up against the back of her head.

"You think you can turn around fast enough before I put one in your skull? Because I'm willing to bet you can't. Feel free to try, though." The man spoke through gritted teeth into her ear. He'd be able to shoot her faster then she could try to lug that big rifle towards him, he wasn't worried in the slightest about that. Instead, he turned his attention towards the immediate threat, now using his newfound leverage on her.

"Listen you crazy bitch! You'll drop that knife unless you want me to end this right now." He called out while pressing the gun further into the redhead's neck.

When it came to cutting up the meat, James was the man to get it done. It wasn't really a job anyone wanted. There were no limits on who it would be, that was just the job. Men, woman… even children, and sometimes he'd have to do it on short notice. The kids could be especially hard to get through on an emotional level. But these ones… he knew he wouldn't regret a thing once he had em' on his chopping block.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie stiffened as she felt the barrel of a pistol pressed against her head, the color in her face draining away in an instant. All she could do was watch as the man behind her shouted at Clementine to back away from Henry, who smiled deviously towards the girl holding a knife to his throat. Despite the faint dribble of blood down his neck, he seemed frustratingly calm.

"Better listen to him, kid," Henry stated, glancing between Clementine and the man behind Ellie in quick looks.

She still wanted to shoot him, but she was helpless to do anything, lest she receive a bullet in the back of her head. She cursed.

"Clem…" Ellie breathed, hoping that she'd do _something _to get them out of this mess.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's wide open eyes were as vicious as they were empty, her pupils quavering in place as though they were about to burst through the girl's irises. She sunk the knife deep enough to make him hurt, for taking Lee away from her, for making her think they could trust him for even a miserable fucking second.

Sadly, that's as far she would go before his friend came back.

The rest came as a no-brainer, though she still found herself cursing the very worst words from under her breath, loosening the grip on the both the man's collar and of the knife pressed against his throat. Clementine backed away, slowly, so as to keep the other schmuck from shooting her and her friend. Things had gone from bad to worse in the span of a microsecond, and the outlook wasn't in their favor. She threw the knife away, painfully aware of how useless fighting back was. They had the two of them on a silver plate.

Still, Clementine's gaze didn't waver, and neither did her posture. Raising her hands, begging for mercy... it was about as futile as trying to reach her rifle in time. The girl mentally braced herself, helplessly mulling over all the mistakes that led her to that point. If they wanted to kill them, they were gonna do it now.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

The knife was released from his throat, and Simmons instinctively covered his neck with his hand, wiping the blood away before smearing it on the arm of Clementine's jacket. Better hers than his. He took a step away from the kid, glancing towards the other as she kept her weapon trained on the floor beneath her, but not dropping it.

Under normal circumstances, this would be the part where he'd haul them back to town, and let the butchers go to town on them, but… he had a better idea.

The other asshole was out there, the one that joined forces with the asshat in his basement. The one that he tried to rob back in Pittsburgh. The one that killed the majority of his men on that supply run.

He wanted to find him more than anything.

He picked up the girl's dropped knife, admiring just how well-maintained it was. Sharp, and covered in his blood. He turned back towards James, clutching the knife tightly in his hand. The man was carrying a paper bag in his other hand, with the antibiotics he'd sent him to retrieve.

Time to let these little cunts go and lead them right to asshole number two.

"Give 'em the medicine," he stated in a rough voice, turning towards Clementine, flipping the knife around in his hand and extending the hilt out towards her.

**Shadowman [James]**

James shot his head towards Simmons, who looked surprisingly calm for someone that was bleeding from the neck. He followed his orders, always did. But this one he just couldn't fathom, giving them medicine...? After all the crap these little rats had caused for their people? He didn't give a damn if they were just kids, they were still dangerous to keep alive.

"What do you mean...?" His breathing became erratic as he refused to lower the gun from the girl's head, not necessarily wanting to go against the man, but he was damn sure going to question this. "We- we can't give em' this. No way!"

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

"Just do as I fucking say," Simmons snapped, sending the man a harsh look, one that both conveyed his disapproval of his questioning of his orders, and how Simmons had something bigger planned here. He only hoped that the dumbass was smart enough to figure it out. It seemed to be enough, though, and James lowered his gun. The girl instantly moved away from him, pointing her rifle at James while she grabbed Clem's dropped rifle from the floor, taking the bag of medicine from him when she prompted for it.

He returned his gaze to the girl, Clem, according to the other chick, a serious look on his face. "I'm giving you what you wanted. Go save your friend, or whatever. You clearly need the medicine for someone. Call it an apology for what happened at the university." He paused, continuing in a softer tone. "For the record, we didn't kill your other friend. After you three abandoned him, we took him in. He's fine."

**Art [Clementine]**

Her eyes widened again, as far as they could stretch. He was really letting them go...? A speechless Clementine extended her right hand to grab the knife, afraid and methodic, waiting for Henry to pull a rug from under her feet. It didn't make any sense. They wouldn't get anything from handing out their supplies to a couple of kids. Was it pity? She was as wary as she was shocked, gripping the handle of her knife almost as if it was about to come to life and bite her hand.

What followed, though, is what really made the girl stagger on her feet.

'_We took him in', _he said, and Clementine almost let out a scoff, averting her gaze, letting her knife back in its sheath. He must've thought she was just some dense little girl. It wouldn't be the first time. "You're lying," Clem stated with zero hesitation, with a sharpness that could cut through steel. She didn't buy it for a second.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie had no idea what the fuck was going on anymore. One moment, these two assholes had them trapped in a corner, the next…

What the hell was this fucker's angle?

Then he let out the biggest shocker of them all, one that was almost too good to be true. Nearly impossible to believe even if Lee himself was here to tell her it. Was he really alive…?

She didn't get to really dwell on the answer, the fire in Clementine's eyes being more than enough to pull her back into the present. They had to get out of here, before their chance to escape was taken away.

So, she grabbed Clem's arm, pulling her towards the front door as she aimed her rifle at James, albeit pathetically given the weight of the weapon. They made it to the door before Henry called out for them, clearing his throat.

"Let this be an offer for all three of you. You're more than welcome to join us. I'm sure Lee would be happy to see you all again."

The use of Lee's name had her stopping in her tracks, sending the man a harsh glare from the doorway. There was no way he was telling the truth. No fucking way. No fucking-

"No thanks," she breathed, lowering her rifle as she hauled Clementine off, sprinting as fast as her boots and her grip on Clementine would let her.

They needed to get away. They needed to get as far away as possible from here.

Above all else… they needed Joel.


	49. Prey, II

_4:02 PM_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Callus took them back to where they left Joel as fast as she could make him go. Once inside the garage, she jumped to reach the latch of the door, pulling the whole thing down. She let out a breath as soon as the outside world was hidden, finally beginning to feel safe. Those two assholes were probably still out there, probably looking for them.

She just had to hope they couldn't find them.

"Okay…" she breathed, taking off her backpack and rushing past Clementine, and deeper into the house. She had to get this medicine to Joel. She went down the stairs leading into the basement two at a time, stopping only once she reached the bottom, her eyes trailing towards Joel's form on the ground.

"…Joel?" He let out a pained breath then, sending a wave of relief coursing through her. He wasn't dead, thank God. She dropped her backpack to the ground, kneeling next to him. "We only managed to get a little bit of food." _Well, a rabbit. _"But… we did get this."

She pulled out the bottle of penicillin and the syringe, pulling down Joel's blanket while telling him to move his arm. She pulled up his shirt, examining the patch job Clementine had done to him the week before. It was looking bad, but not nearly _as _bad as before. She filled the syringe with the liquid, holding it tightly for a moment.

"Here we go…" She took two seconds to prepare herself, cursing before finally sticking the needle into him. Joel grunted, his breathing quickening as Ellie let out a hushed "sorry!" She pulled the needle out then, sighing. "All done. That's it." She lowered his shirt, pulling the blankets back up to his neck. She held a hand over his forehead, feeling the sickening warmth of his skin. "You're gonna make it," she promised, turning to look towards Clementine on the other side of the room.

" _We're _gonna make it."

**Art [Clementine]**

Their food was gone, pretty much all of it save for the rabbit Ellie had caught prior. They had those dubious guys on their trail, and worst of all, only a sparse amount of medicine to make up for it, with almost no other supplies to speak of, and one horse short.

And, still, Lee... and all that stuff Henry said, managed to be the only thing going through the girl's head.

Clementine had since crossed her arms, a frown etched across her face, regret piling up like trash being dumped by a truck on a particularly noxious junkyard. Terrified, is what she felt, scared of what was to come, and of not having the means to stop it. Most of all, and certainly most painful, was the thought of Lee still being out there, held captive by those animals. The source of all that nervousness was either it, or the recognition of just how far-fetched that idea was, the troublesome knowing that she'd really take that flimsy hope for granted, if not only for a small chance of seeing him again.

Maybe she was dense after all.

While Ellie made a check up on Joel, Clem did the same with her horse. The poor thing was putting up a fight, tussling on the floor in pain, his old whining reduced to quiet whimpers. She couldn't tell if Whiskers had caught a disease from the cold or if all that was simply lack of food. "Those don't work on horses, do they...?" She found herself asking, eyeing the supplies they'd brought along, only to be met with silence and a lingering feeling of despair. Clementine didn't know what to do. She didn't want to have to_think _about what to do, knowing there was probably only one way out for the anguished animal.

Clem walked up to Ellie, eventually, staring her down with a degree of severity she rarely shared with her friend. "We can't stay here," she urged, marching back and forth, footsteps echoing in the garage.

"I say we fight them off."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Was she hearing her right? The very thought of fighting these guys off was… frightening. They didn't know how many assholes worked with this guy, so what were they going to do? They had to run, get out of here. Making a stand just wasn't an option.

"You heard what he said," she countered as she stood up, looking towards her friend. "He's got a whole group. We can't just… _fight them off _." She shook her head, sighing. "It's suicide."

"We need to just get the hell out of here."

**Art [Clementine]**

"And go where...?" Clementine rebutted, her nervousness not just apparent, but also telling in her voice. "Ellie, we're out of everything, Joel's still recovering, and..."

She stopped abruptly, as if something had robbed the girl of her ability to speak before she had the chance to turn her thoughts into words. Clem's eyes were glued to the floor, while her brows huddled together in some mixture of fear and foreboding. She knew what she was about to say, how foolhardy it sounded. What would Ellie think...? That was the one thing keeping the back of her throat in a clump, blocking out the sounds trying to come out through it. In a low voice, finally, the girl finished. "If Lee's really with them, I-"

"I can't just go."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie responded to Clementine's rebuttal with silence, mouth half open in a look of both shock and dismay. Ellie wanted to believe that Lee was alive, even if it was in the hands of these _assholes _, but the evidence just wasn't there. She couldn't risk their lives for it.

"Clem," Ellie's voice was tense, stern, but equally troubled. Her eyebrows fell into a look of concern, and she glanced between her friend and Joel before sighing. "Listen, Joel's barely awake long enough to eat or shit, and Lee's… we've got no idea if they're even telling the truth." She cursed under her breath, shaking her head. "You're all I got, Clem," she finished, as if that statement was enough to justify abandoning the search for Lee, again.

But she meant it. She couldn't lose her, too. She couldn't lose Joel. Their food situation was shit, but fighting back wasn't going to fix that.

Any further comment was halted by the sound of multiple footsteps outside, filtering through the broken window of the garage.

_Fuck. They tracked us. God fucking-!_

She jumped onto a table sitting underneath the window, peering through the curtains hiding the interior of the garage. About a dozen men, their faint voices slowly coming into focus.

"_Y'sure this is the way they went?"_

"_Tracks led this way, so I'm pretty fucking sure."_

She jumped back down from the table, pacing the room frantically as she whispered to Clem in a breathy voice. "Fuck… Clem, get Joel ready to move. I'm going to take Callus and try and draw them away. Once the coast's clear, get him out of here. We'll meet up after, by the lake. Okay?"

**Art [Clementine]**

The noises outside were a dead-giveaway, confirming Clementine's latent suspicion that they weren't about to just be left alone. Knowing it was coming didn't ease her uneasiness one bit, though it did keep her from freezing up on the spot, the girl backing away from the garage door, and saving anything else she had to say for later.

They couldn't afford to get caught. Not now.

Ellie had a plan; a really stupid one. By the time her friend spoke up, Clementine had already occupied herself with gathering everything they had, the little that was left. It wouldn't be long until those fuckers burst through the doors and found them... until they found Joel. She figured Ellie and her would be on the same page for once, but in what was looking to become a trend, Clementine was dead-wrong.

"No! No, it's not! We're not doing that!" She shouted in a whisper from the other side of the room, kneeling down while she stuffed their spare backpack with their things: Pretty much all they'd left laying around, minus her rifle and pistol. Clem had a hunch she'd be needing both. "Ellie, we fucking stick together!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Of course she would fight it. At this point, Ellie wasn't at all surprised. She wanted to fight back, to tell Clem that she was staying _here _and that was that, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. For once, she was going to have to give in to what Clementine wanted to do.

So, wordlessly, the two quietly open the garage, letting Callus out before closing it behind them. Thus far, the bandits haven't heard them, but that could change at any minute. Ellie was the first to climb on top of Callus, reaching out a hand to help Clementine.

This was it. Time to see if her 'plan' would work out.

She pulled on the reins, sending Callus into a quick gallop. Shouts echoed through the street they were approaching, followed by gunshots as the bandits got a bead on them. Ellie ducked, cursing under her breath as she led the bandits, hopefully, away from Joel.

The world was a blur, and more and more bandits were appearing as if out of thin air, and she had trouble weaving through them. It was a miracle that they haven't been shot already.

She knew it was coming, though.

**Art [Clementine]**

With Ellie on the reigns and she as a passenger, Clementine and her friend zigzagged half-a-dozen guys itching to fire their guns at them, both girls lowering their heads to avoid the incoming bullets. She couldn't tell where they were going, or even how far they'd gone to, but it only took a minute for both Joel and Whiskers to be left far behind, where hopefully no one would dare to look again. They'd just have to hope they were making the right call.

It was no time to start cheering. As they moved farther and farther away, one of the men managed to grab their horse by its saddle, trying to impede them from escaping. It was insane. That whole situation was fucking crazy.

"Get off!" Clementine stomped her foot against the man's nose, the sound of fracturing bones being muted only by that of Callus' hooves digging into the snow. The man held on, still, aiming his bleeding features at the girl standing between the two of them, the one keeping the horse moving in a straight line. Clem acted fast, perhaps only a second before he had the chance to.

The fourteen-year-old quickly shoved a knife into his throat, with about every bit of strength she could muster. Red liquid sprayed anywhere it feasibly could, though only momentarily. His soon-to-be corpse had no means of latching onto the horse anymore, plummeting down toward the snow and taking Clementine's knife with him. She tried not to let it phase her, forcibly shutting her eyes while the man's blood ran down her cheeks, but there was no helping it. Doing that - especially that fast - made her feel indescribably sick.

" _Shoot the horse. Shoot the fucking horse! _"

For as much as Clementine wished she had the time to, hammering away at stabbing that guy in the neck could only last a few seconds before the warmth of bile rising in her stomach froze cold. They'd both heard it, she was sure, but Clem tried to warn Ellie nevertheless. They were so close to losing those bandits. If they could just make it another mile, _maybe…_

The gunshot was much faster than her.

It hadn't landed on either her or her friend, which was close to the only good thing the following seconds entailed. Callus fell first, an explosion of blood around his torso area forcing his legs to stop, and sending both girls flying in opposite directions. Clementine didn't get very far, tumbling down to the snow below, rolling twice before landing on her face and stomach. She'd grazed her knees and elbows on the ground, covered her hands in cuts from having them scraped against the pavement. A cut in the bridge of her nose was as bad as it got, even if everything else still hurt like crap. Clem tried to crawl away despite not getting very far, shouting for her friend who'd fallen down nearby, along with the horse. She only hoped Ellie would land far enough away to outrun those guys. There was no getting out of there for Clementine.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Her face was numb, buried in the snow she slid through after Callus collapsed underneath them. She struggled to push herself up, groaning as her face was met with the even-more-freezing air. Shouts echoed all around her, like vultures circling their prey. Any moment, they'd be here.

Then her arms gave out, her face colliding with the snow once more. Footsteps crunched nearby, and she lifted her head to be met with a familiar face.

Henry.

A wicked smile played on his lips, and he kneeled next to where Clementine struggled to crawl away from him. Ellie watched helplessly as he stood back up, taking Clem's rifle from where it'd fallen.

Her voice was strained, angry, as she shouted towards him. "_**Don't!**_"

Instead of looking towards her, he smashed the rifle against the back of the baseball-capped girl's head. She fell to the ground, Ellie's heart beating against her chest as Henry directed another man to grab her.

She wanted to rush him, to stab that fucking prick right in his throat and watch him bleed out, but her body had other plans. The adrenaline pumping through her system was finally enough to allow her to get back onto her feet, and before Henry could do anything, she made a break for a drainage pipe nearby, crawling into it.

She could hear shouts from behind her, but they were unintelligible. Her hands were covered in a slimy substance, likely years of water that'd sat here for the past decade and a half. Behind her, she could hear someone entering the pipe, following her.

_Fuck fuck fuck…_

Light… she emerged from the pipe just outside some sort of hotel near the lake. The area was empty, thankfully, but wouldn't be for long. That asshole behind her would be here any minute.

She sprinted towards the building, eyes desperately scanning her surroundings for any potential escape routes but came up with nothing. The only way out was through the resort.

She could hear footsteps now, only hastening her decision to cross through the building. The interior was dark and just as freezing as the outside world, and the eerie quiet sent a shiver down her spine.

She let out a breath once she reached the other side, opening the exit before-

A hand grabbed her by the throat as she crossed the threshold. She went for her knife, slicing at the man's arm. He let out a harsh howl, knocking her back into the dining hall she'd just emerged from before stepping inside, shutting the door behind her.

"You're quick," Henry breathed, anger and pain floating beneath his tone. "I'll give you that."

She reached for her pistol, only for Henry to charge at her with an enraged shout. He crushed her arm beneath his boot, keeping her pinned before grabbing her other arm, yanking the knife out of it.

She let out a slew of curses, spitting in his face, but her attempts at resistance were only met with a hearty, maniacal laugh. She was helpless as he let go of her arm, squeezing her throat with enough strength to send all the breath out of her lungs.

As blackness began to envelop her, she could hear his voice at the edge of her consciousness, rough yet quiet.

"_Sleep now, child. Go to fucking sleep._"


	50. Captive, I

**Author's Notes: **And so we've reached the darkest, most gruesome couple chapters thus far. Gonna preface this one by saying this thing is gonna be triggering as fuck, so yeah. I'll list 'em down below.

Mutilation, amputation, intentions of rape, cannibalism. Pretty much what you'd expect.

Goes without saying that the next four chapters are Rated M.

Strap yourself in, this is gonna be a ride.

* * *

_4:44 PM_

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

_Schkschkschkschk thwack!_

His beard was unkempt, with long, curly black strands going out in every direction. It was usually kept short, formed into a thin goatee, though time had slipped through his fingers in recent months. His hair matched the theme, the part in the middle of his forehead nearly gone as longer strands of hair threatened to enter his vision.

_Schkschkschkschk thwack!_

The bridge of his nose was crooked, a souvenir of a fight long ago, though Henry had always thought it gave him _character_. It wasn't like he had to worry about his _good looks _anymore. His brown eyes trailed along it, remembering just how satisfying it was to end that fucker's life, to get revenge-

_Schkschkschkschk thwack!_

His eyes drifted from the mirror hanging on a string attached to the handles of a cabinet in the room, turning to look behind him, towards the body James had been cutting into smaller pieces nearby. He eventually gathered the severed limbs and tossed them into a bucket, taking it into the next room. When he came back, he hauled out the body.

Simmons's attention then diverted to the cell at the far end of the room, sitting in a rusted chair as the two girls slept on the tiled floor behind the metal fence, his fingers rubbing the back of his other hand. These two had put up a fight, one that he respected them for. Most children were… easy to subdue. Easier still to get what you wanted from them. They were... they were experienced, though. Young, weak, but more than capable of survival if they were quick enough. Fortunate for Simmons, though, they weren't.

He still didn't have the asshole with the beard, but he'd send men out to find him soon. They needed those antibiotics for someone, so he must've been incapacitated somewhere. It was only a matter of time before he was found.

His attention focused on the formerly baseball-capped girl, watching as she stirred from her forced slumber. She was the one to look out for. He pushed himself to his feet as James entered with another body, placing it on the butchering table next to him. They exchanged a look before Simmons circled the table, standing in front of the cage with his arms crossed across his chest.

His mind drifted towards questions he had for these girls, questions he'd been unable to rip out of Lee after repeated attempts. At least he now had leverage, if he couldn't get anything out of the them. Fathers couldn't bear to see their children hurt. It was their biggest weakness. He'd start with them first, try to pry any information out, and when that failed… a little torture on the pair would get Lee talking. He'd find out why they were so interested in the Fireflies soon enough.

The girl lifted her head a moment later, looking towards where Simmons was staring back at her just in time for James to slice into the body's right arm, effortlessly cutting it off before knocking it into a bucket nearby.

Simmons smiled, taking a step closer to the cage. His voice was like gravel, low and croaky. "You're finally awake."

**Art [Clementine]**

Feeling her face pressed against the murky, cold floor, Clementine's eyes suddenly shot open, blood then amassed on the edge of her lips and the tip of her nose, sending a frigid shiver down her arms. While the girl's eyes adjusted to the dark, the back of her head flared in pain, aching seconds at a time in what was one hell of an unbearable feeling. Clem rose into a sitting position, her back against the wall, eyes landing on the bars in front of her. It came back to her quickly after that, what got her into that spacious cell.

She remembered being held by her arm, struck by the butt of a rifle, her face sinking into the snow before the world turned black.

They hadn't just _gotten _them, those assholes had their heads on a platter. Clem sniffed loudly, trying to quell her frustration, her sadness, her anger... everything that was piling up along with the pain surging where her hat used to be.

Ellie was there. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, at the time, she couldn't tell. Her first instinct was to shake her, wake her up, slap her across the face if she had to. They were in dire fucking straits and she desperately needed her help.

Nothing could've prepared Clementine for what would ultimately drag her attention away from her friend. The sounds of chopping flesh, oozing liquid and faint laughing, mixed in with the putrid smell of death. She could almost feel her eyeballs pop out like a cartoon at the sight of someone cutting up a human arm, worried to death that they'd be next on the chopping block. While her hands laid on top of Ellie, the girl tried not to whimper in fear as her eyes met Henry's, her voice coming out in a faint whisper.

"You gonna kill us...?" That was all she could think to say, at the time, fists clenched to keep her from vainly crying for help. There had to be a reason they hadn't done so yet, but to be frank, her head hurt too much for the girl to think straight. If those monsters were planning to murder her and her friend, she wanted them to at least cut the crap and tell her.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

Simmons let out a slight chuckle, shaking his head. He still wasn't sure _what _he wanted from these folks, beyond whatever interest they had in the Fireflies, but in a way… he didn't want to kill these two. The men, sure, but these kids? They were useful, influenceable. He'd just need time to get them there.

"No, I'm not-" He let out a sigh, shaking his head again. "I'm not gonna kill you. Unless you make me." He glanced towards James as the other man rolled his eyes, heading out of the room. This was where they didn't see eye-to-eye. He glanced back towards the girls as the other one stirred, and Simmons picked up a pair of plates sitting on the counter nearby, slipping them underneath the metal gate separating them.

"Here. Eat."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's throat felt as if someone had crushed it and kept her alive to feel every ounce of pain before she could die. It sapped at her energy, leaving her groggy as she finally managed to open her eyes. Voices were at the edge of her consciousness, barely audible, but she tried to focus herself on them.

She rolled over, her blurry vision being met with that asshole, Henry, and something far, far worse… on the table beyond, a body laid prostrate, its arm cut off and placed into a bucket sitting by the table. Bile rose in her throat, nearly sending her back to the floor again, and she struggled to force it away.

Henry's attention was on Clementine, pushing a couple of plates underneath the gate. She groaned, pushing herself up into a sitting position, then glanced towards the two plates with contempt. Some kind of meat was laid out on it, wisps of steam rising from it.

She narrowed her eyes, crawling next to Clementine as if to protect her. "What is it?"

Henry turned his attention to her, his answer immediate. "It's deer."

"With some human helping on the side?"

That elicited a chuckle from him, eventually letting out a sigh. "No, it's just the deer meat. I promise."

She stared him down, eyes narrowing further, before she finally grabbed one of the plates, digging into the meat. "You're a fucking animal."

"Maybe I am," Henry replied, his voice lowering slightly as he squatted in front of the gate, watching them. "This world forces you to do some _shitty _things you can't really be proud of." He paused, gesturing towards them as if his next words were obvious. "'You do what you have to do to survive.' Tell me you wouldn't do the same if you were starving." He paused, tapping his fingers against his knees. "Everyone has a boundary, and a tipping point when it becomes necessary to cross it. So, I think it's best to reserve your judgement."

**Art [Clementine]**

The plate of deer meat, warm and appetizing, swiftly slid through the bars, landing near her feet. Clem's mouth instinctively salivated, the girl's stomach growling and begging to devour it whole, but she could only narrow her eyes at the guy, while Ellie perfectly echoed her thoughts. Unlike her friend, though, Clementine refused to eat, letting the plate grow cold in the afternoon breeze. Whatever it is that asshole wanted, she wasn't giving him the satisfaction.

... and even more so, unlike Ellie, she knew what it was like to actually starve.

Henry talked big game, twisted enough to keep looking for vindication where there was none; just a bunch of excuses. She could spot types like him from a mile away. He and monsters like Carver were all a cut from the same cloth, ruining people's lives while trying to make themselves feel good about it. Clementine couldn't fucking stand it. Her mouth opened halfway through, hesitant to speak, letting out mere puffs of air, though that reluctance wouldn't last, even through gritted teeth.

"You think being hungry makes it okay to eat other people?" She stared Henry down impetuously, wiping the leftover blood from her face. "You're not special. You're just a coward."

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

"You're not exactly an angel yourself, darlin'," Simmons deadpanned. "How many of our men did you four kill?" The question was rhetorical, but it got his point across. "In fact, you've had quite the streak, haven't you?" His gaze was focused on Clem, narrowing his eyes. "You killed a Savior back in Pittsburgh. Shot him in cold blood. 'Cause you_knew _that it was the right thing to do. Then you slipped right through our fingers." He paused, gesturing with his hands to indicate sand pouring between his fingers, smiling. "There aren't any saints anymore, kiddo. Just a bunch of monsters trying to outlive other monsters."

The other girl's gaze narrowed in response. She was close to trying to put herself between him and the baseball-capped girl. It was obvious in the way that her gaze bounced between them, and she was practically already bracing herself to stand up.

Though, instead, she butted her way into the conversation, her tone harsh. "So now what? You gonna chop us up into tiny pieces?"

Simmons shook his head, sighing. This was all they were going to think about. It was all anyone ever thought about when they were in that room. "I'd rather not," he replied honestly. He looked between the two, his fingers twitching. "So, I've gotten her name, but what about you, hm?"

The girl's eyes narrowed, and she pushed the trays of food back out, which splattered all over the floor.

"You're so full of shit."

"I'd like to think I've been quite honest with you two," Simmons muttered, looking towards the mess next to him before standing up. "But since you're clearly not going to cooperate, let's move on, hm? Have a nice little chat about what you're doin' here." He turned back towards the door, where James stood just beyond.

He gestured for him to enter, and assist him in getting them out of there and to escort them to the basement where Lee remained. As James fumbled with the keys, Simmons crossed his arms against his chest. "Don't think about tryin' anything. If you do… well… what'd you say about tiny pieces?"

At the horror that flashed across her face, his smile grew into a grin.

The gate was opened then, and the two quickly entered to grab their prisoners.

* * *

_4:36 PM_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"_Alright, hold it in place."_

"_But it's still today."_

"_We could look for a drugstore? There's gotta be one…"_

"_You shot him…"_

"_Looks like shelter."_

"_Daddy, we can't leave him."_

"_We only managed to get a little bit of food."_

"_You kept complaining about your broken watch."_

With a jolt, Joel awoke. Hot breaths tempered past his lips, eyes glazed to the ceiling. They rolled in their sockets, a dark pain still festering in his side. He had hardly been awake before, only temporary moments where he had glanced at Ellie and Clementine to shit, piss, eat, drink. It wasn't enough. He felt like he needed to be there for them; especially since Lee was… dead.

He wanted to think that Lee was alive, but it was like Ellie said back in Pittsburgh.

"_But you don't believe that?"_

No, he didn't. It was surreal. The man he had been journeying with for so long, gone. Not even any closure in the death sentence; he was just gone. He couldn't focus on Lee anymore. Ellie and Clementine were still there and they needed to know that he was okay, that he was there for them. He threw his blanket off and tried to sit up, hand clenching near his wound as he yelped in pain. He doubled over, eyes squeezing shut as he rolled onto his side. He had to fight the pain; he had to get through it. "Ellie…" He mumbled, putting a foot off of his mattress and attempting to stand.

His other leg followed suit, but it wasn't enough. He fell to his knees, hitting the floor of the garage with a startle. _"Gah!" _He rasped, palms spread out on the cold, concrete ground. _Okay, baby steps. Baby steps. _He managed to position himself to one knee now and his eyes fell on the sole source of warmth in the room. A dying horse, sputtering out chortled whinnies as it grew weaker. _Skinnier. _A twang of pain hit Joel's heart for a moment. It looked like Clementine's horse; whatever she had named it. Whiskers, or something. Ellie's horse was gone. _Callus. _Maybe they were out there, hunting. Trying to get by. The thought of them returning to find him able to walk around again pushed him further, so finally, he began to stand.

His legs pushed against him. He hadn't stood quite right in a while, rather taking to his knees to push on in the past week. But, hands firmly placed at his side, the legs stood. Pain seared, sharp and harsh against his nerves. Joel wanted to crawl back under his blanket, but that wasn't an option.

"Ellie!" He called out again, although he knew she wasn't there. "Clementine?!" Nor was she. He knew it, but he _had _to try, at the very least.

He paced the garage, eyeing his backpack and scooping it up. It fell over his shoulders easily enough; he was still wearing the same clothes. He didn't advance further into the house, instead turning to the horse. It would be better to end its suffering now. He didn't suppose the girls would even entertain the idea of having to eat him, but fact of the matter was the horse was dead already. Joel looked around, finding an arrow sitting atop a shelf, gleaming at him from its heightened position.

He grabbed the arrow by the shaft, bending down with a grunt of injury to the horse. He rubbed the creature's head and it murmured something resembling thanks. "I'm sorry." He whispered, taking the arrow and aiming it at the horse's eye. He knew where the thing's brain was; it wouldn't feel a thing.

Joel shoved the arrow into Whiskers's eye, wincing as it went limp. No longer did its hooves kick with sickness. It lay still, silent and finally dead for good. Joel ripped the arrow from its head, then tossed it to the side. It troubled him, an innocent creature being put down like that, but it happened every day; Joel figured he'd done the right thing.

He watched his breath leave his mouth, wispy and dissipating in the air. He moved away from the dead horse, entering the rest of the house and stumbling into the kitchen. He used the sink counter as his leverage, pushing further and further into their new home as best as he could. It was snowing outside; unexpected but… he liked it. It soothed him, in a way.

Just as he was about to continue, he heard the door to the living room open with a crash. _That wasn't the girls. _Joel grabbed at his revolver, still left in his pocket after his spill from the horse. "I swear man, they put him in here." _Two men at least, then._

"Just shut up."

_Two. _Joel checked his gun's cylinder. Four bullets still left, four bullets still there. He doubted he could fight them head on, especially after having just woken up. He couldn't risk tearing the stitches that Clementine had so cautiously grafted into his skin. He saw one of the men enter the kitchen in a frenzy, one hand clutching onto a revolver similar to Joel's. The man turned, eyes locking with his and startling back. Joel pulled the trigger before the man could pull his, a bullet tearing into the man's eye and dropping him like a rock.

" _Patrick! _" Another screamed as Joel pushed forward to chase him down as well. Another man stood in the living room, this one wielding a wooden plank. He rushed at Joel as the Texan fired another shot into the man's torso; but the plank connected. It hit him in the side, surging pain through his body as Joel's hand flew up, the revolver smacking the man in the nose. Blood poured from the now screaming man as Joel took chase, pushing him to the ground and hitting him again, and again, and again…

The man was dead after four more hits to the back of his head, Joel could tell that. The way his hand continued twitching uncontrollably, not trying to resist. He looked at the corpse, standing up with the usual motley assortment of hurt. The man limped toward the other one, emptying the dead's revolver and receiving three bullets for his trouble. The girls were not hunting; and he needed to find them, very, very bad. He pushed his way out the front door, nothing left for him back in that home as he pushed onwards through the growing snowfall. He kept looking around for tracks, for more men, for _anything _that could help. But his efforts seemed fruitless.

As he passed by a fence, he couldn't help but think that the pain was already beginning to subside.

**Shadow Dot [Narrator]**

Jason and Wyatt lied in wait just beyond the alleyway the dickhead that killed their friends was coming down. When he passed by them, Jason leapt out towards him, holding him back. "Gotcha, asshole!"

He twisted the man towards his friend, who brandished a knife and approached in quick steps. "Finish him off!" Jason yelled, hoping to end this quickly so they could go back home.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel hardly expected the next turn of events, grunting in surprise as two heavy arms pulled him back. He tried to throw his arms at the man to knock him away, but it was of little use. Another approached dauntingly, wielding a combat knife and prepping to gut Joel. He continued struggling, before throwing a kick into the knife wielder's crotch, sending him keeling over in pain.

"Aw, shit!" The one behind him cried, Joel knocking the back of his head into the man's nose. His head concussed with pain as blood spewed onto the back of him, his arms freed.

Joel spun around, grabbing the man and shoving his head into a nearby wall. "Son of a bitch!" The man cried before he was knocked to the ground, grabbing at his bloodied face and scalp. Joel turned again, intensity swathing his mind as his focus became clear on the man with the knife. As he tried to stand, Joel's boot caught his face, sparking more blood through the snow. Joel was quick in his movements; effortlessly, he jumped to the man's level and grabbed him by the collar. He scooped up the man's arms while his friend still lay in a daze, dragging him off towards a nearby house. "Let me go... I'll _fuck you up... _" The man grunted, but Joel already had a response planned.

"Come on."

They were both dragged off in no time, Joel's handiwork fine, if he had thought so himself. He had bound both of them up, throwing hefty punches into the one that had the knife.

"What do you want?!" He cried, another knuckle bruising his nose. "What the f-" He never finished, interrupted by Joel's attacks. He had bound this one by his wrists behind him, leaving him near a radiator. He was unable to get up and even if he tried, Joel would just shove him back down. The other one, the one who had grabbed him, was tied up to a chair behind Joel.

As the man finished beating on the one, he turned, clutching at his wound. He hadn't even realized how much it still hurt. He figured it had only been a week or so since the incident; they couldn't have survived much longer than that in this season. Of course it would still hurt; it was naive to think it wouldn't. But for a moment, he had felt invincible. Two lives at risk, two lives that were sure to be killed by bandits soon if they weren't already. He _knew _they were looking for him. It only made sense that this crew must have seen Ellie and Clementine dragging him off somewhere. But what could they want with them? It wasn't like they had much... but Joel's question was soon answered by himself when his mind drifted back to Pittsburgh, back to before Boston, even. They didn't need much; he didn't need much back then. He had always needed something; even if that something meant killing two little girls.

It angered him even more, his wound flaring against him as he strained with fury. The man's knife had been left on a nearby table, Joel eyeing it down as he left him behind.

"You wait here," his gravelly voice breathed before he pulled the blade off of its resting place. "Now..." He began, turning to the man in the chair. He pulled up another seat, directly in front of the tied man, plopping himself down into it. "The girls... are they alive?" The most important question, he figured. The man wouldn't tell him right away, of course. But it would be coerced out of him eventually.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The man slanted his eyes in response to the question from the wounded man they'd been sent to find. He was getting tired and frustrated from beating up his friend and getting no answers from the looks of it. Well, it wouldn't be any different here. This man could fucking choke for all he cared, soon enough more of them would arrive. _Then_he'd be fucked.

He deadpanned, shaking his head and furrowing his brows as he answered. "What girls…? I don't know no girls."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

_The wrong answer. _Of course it was the wrong answer. Just as Joel had expected, too. He clenched his teeth, looking behind him in disappointment. Then, his newfound knife came stabbing down into the man's knee. The man's hands flew up in pain, his legs unable to kick due to their binds. " _Gah! Fuuuckkk... _" He screamed, Joel leaning closer as he left the knife in the man's leg. He slapped his chin once, a dark grate wandering out of his throat. "Focus right here. Right here." He leaned in closer, gripping the knife tighter. The man continued to struggle, Joel finally leaning back. "Or I'll pop your goddamn knee off." He watched the man, toying with him. "The girls." He questioned again. No, not questioned. It was a _command._

**Shadowtucky [Narrator]**

Jason clutched his eyes shut, reeling in pain. He was still angry, so very very angry; but his friends dying seemed so far away now. Now all he could focus on was the knife in his leg and the vivid image of his knee hanging from its socket. This was the worst of it and this image was what made him nod his head furiously.

"They're alive. They're Henry's newest pets." He crooned, trying to just _get this man away _. The bearded man got closer, breath pouring into Jason's face.

" _Where? _" He hocked up, twisting the knife in Jason's legs.

_Why?! Why would he do that?! _Jason tore back, the back of his still pounding head falling to the back of his chair. "In the town! In the town!" He spoke, as the man ripped the knife from his flesh and stuck the handle in between his teeth. The man held up a map, directing Jason with a heavy finger.

"Now you're gonna mark it on the map, and it better be the same exact spot your buddy points to." He looked at him as Jason hesitated. The man's eyes bore into his very soul; Jason had seen that look before. He had seen it in insane men, delirious and wild in a frenzy of survival. He had seen that face all too many times.

Jason marked the butcher's shop where Henry kept all of his prisoners to toy with. Jason didn't like it; he didn't eat others for the fun of it. He did it because he _had _to. What it was like to go hungry, nearly _starve _to death... he never wanted to experience that again. He spit the knife out onto the floor, turning to the man, quaking in fear and the shivering cold. "It's right there. You can verify it, go ask him. Go on!" He pleaded, as the man began to stand up.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel had never intended on leaving either of them alive. The man had no reason to lie; he was too scared. Joel knew this, yet still his arm gripped around the man's neck and squeezed. Neither of them deserved to keep going; as the one had said, he called those girl's _Henry's latest pet _. Whoever Henry was, he was obviously their leader and it was obvious that these men had allowed that to happen; an unforgivable offense.

"He'll tell ya. I ain't lyin... I ain't lyin..." The man begged before Joel's arm wrapped around his throat. He held him up, his head tilting back while thick gargles proposed from his throat. Finally, bone and sinew snapped, ripping the man's spinal cord in two. Joel let the corpse and the chair fall back, hitting the ground directly in front of his friend.

The other looked up at him, anger swelling in his eyes. "Fuck you, man! He told you what you wanted! I ain't telling you shit." He swore in defiance.

Joel picked up the sharp pipe that the dead one had on him, wielding it over the other's head. "That's alright. I believe him."

Joel gripped the pipe in both hands, raising it up for a swing. "No, wait!" The man cried, before the pipe crashed over his head, spraying blood everywhere.


	51. Captive, II

_5:02 PM_

**Dot [Ellie]**

She felt like she was suffocating. The burlap bag over her head had all but blinded her, leaving her at the mercy of the two _shitfucks _hauling them around. At one point, they'd gone outside, if only briefly, the freezing cold clinging to her even minutes after returning indoors. She could hear Clementine struggling nearby, but it all seemed fruitless.

She was shoved against a wall, held there by Henry's hand as the sound of a door creaking open filled the air. Once the noise stopped, she was hauled inside. She clenched her eyes shut as the burlap sack was removed from her head, the fluorescent lights of whatever room they were in blinding her momentarily. Henry pushed her towards a table in the middle of the room, where-

A bloodied and beaten Lee looked back at them.

Her breath hitched, but the assholes holding them didn't give her a moment to let it sink in. Henry forced her to sit in a chair across from Lee, placing her hands behind the back of the chair, where her bindings kept her in place, then the other guy put Clementine into another chair in between them, ripping her bag off too.

The sound of screeching metal forced her eyes away from Lee and to where Henry was dragging a chair to sit in the empty spot around the table. He leaned forward, smiling.

"It's real fuckin' nice to see a reunion. See? I told you we had him." He stood up suddenly, leaning over the table. "Now that I've got you all here, we can finally get to the bottom of this, since Lee over here wasn't being too… _cooperative _... before. We'll make it a game. I'll ask one of you a question, and if you answer it truthfully… we move on to the next. If you lie to me… one of you's getting hurt. Understood?"

Ellie glared at him, her hands shaking as she tried to remain calm. She wanted to tell him to fuck off, but found her voice had died completely. Based on how… bad Lee looked, he might actually go through with whatever he threatened them with…

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

His head pounded in dreary repetition, throbbing away as the pain he was feeling had time to creep up on him after the adrenaline from the torture had worn off. If Lee wasn't upstairs in the damn cage watching that sick fuck hack away at human body parts, he was down here with Henry…

The tortured man was holding strong so far in not giving him the answers he sought, yet Henry was slowly beginning to peel away at his own deceiving facade, revealing what he truly was. The dark levels of depravity this disturbed man was capable of was beyond anything reasonable. When it came to Lee's anxiety in regards to trusting new survivors, people like Henry were a culmination of everything Lee wanted Clementine to avoid, everything he strived to stay away from, that was why they were always constantly on the move. Yet here he was, captured and beaten… waiting to see whatever horrible torture technique this **butcher** would concopt up for him next.

Lee's left eye was completely swollen shut, shades of purple and blue coating it, accompanied by a bloody nose and puffed up lips that were beginning to chip and crack from dehydration. The malnourished and brutalized man forced himself to slowly lift his head up as two figures were seated down on the same table as him. His one eye widened as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a small raspy whimper escaped him due to the fact that he recognized their clothing and size. His chest began to stir in panic and unease, a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach as everything he'd fought for was about to come crashing down on him. This was a nightmare… This wasn't real, there was simply no way they'd managed to get themselves…

That was when both of the burlap sacks were removed from their heads. There they were… Clementine and Ellie's dirtied and scraped faces that he'd be ecstatic to see if it were under different circumstances. Alive, but captured... Lee's breathing increasingly became erratic, audible to everyone present as he violently tugged against his binds in frustration. He squeezed his eye shut as he tilted his head down.

" _No... no, no, no, no, no. _" The man mumbled to himself, his mind threatening to spiral out of control at the thought of them having to endure what he'd been enduring for the past week. Why were they here?! How could they let themselves get captured?! Where was Joel? Had he not made it out either? The mere mention of a game… it was enough to get Lee to immediately respond.

"Wait..!" Lee gasped, his voice raspy and panicked. They were his responsibility, even if he wasn't in a position to act… he could still talk. "I swear… I'll- tell you… _everything_you want to know. Just- please, you… you don't have to hurt them." The broken man begged.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

Simmons's wicked smile returned in an instant, his gaze falling on the man he'd so desperately tried to beat the information out of for the past day. He let out a sardonic laugh. "Is that really all it fucking takes, Lee? How pathetic are you?" He pulled out his knife then, circling around the table, as if choosing a victim to put on the chopping block first. He stopped near Clementine, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. _Y'know what, yeah. Let's start with you._

"I'll get back to you in a minute, asshole," he directed the comment towards Lee, turning his attention to the other girl sitting at the table before gesturing for James to come over and untie Clementine. "Hold her down for me." He told the man, placing her left hand on the table as James held her face against the metal surface. Simmons held the knife over her ring finger, itching to just cut it off right then and there.

"Alright, girl." He turned back towards the redhead, smiling. "I'm just going to call you Shitstick, since you won't tell me your name. _Anyway _, we'll start with you." He placed the knife against Clem's shaking hands. "Your friend here's been holding out on the reason why you four were snooping around an old Firefly base. Care to elaborate?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's eyes widened as the man held a knife to Clementine's fingers, struggling against her seat to stand up and stop that asshole from hurting her best friend. She couldn't break free, though, effectively helpless to stop him. When he asked his question, she met it with a silent glare.

"We were looking for suppl-"

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

"Tsk tsk, wrong answer, shitstick." Simmons shook his head, disappointed. He had a feeling the two were close friends, which only made what was going to follow all that more satisfying. He almost admired her for sticking with her bullshit story, less so in her willingness to sacrifice her friend to keep the secret. He glanced towards Lee, smiling. "You folks are really fucking cagey, y'know that?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Seeing Lee again, knowing he was _actually _alive, it was hardly a cause for celebration, and she couldn't have possibly fathomed that that'd ever be the case. It spoke beyond any words to how terrified she felt, looking over him and the torture those people had subjected him to with raw horror. She had a dozen things trying to escape her gnawing teeth. Most of them boiled down to the same thing, all coming out through the weak words the girl muttered. "I'm really sorry, Lee." Clementine couldn't even tell to what she was apologizing for. Whether it was for leaving him behind, or getting herself and Ellie captured, she meant it with all her heart.

It wasn't long before the ropes tied to her wrists fell on the floor, and Henry's partner dragged her toward the table. Clem could barely hear him - the rules to his stupid, sick game - over the beating of her own heart ringing in her ears. Her face met the metal with no shortage of cruelty, like the guy, James, was doing his best to hurt her as much as he could.

To a point, she couldn't really blame him.

With her arm held and laid out against her will, Clementine felt a sharp-edged object run through her fingers, and the picture was painted clearly long before she finally made eye-contact with the knife Henry held over her hand. Fear loomed over her, keeping her hands from sitting still and enough air from entering her body. It was a miracle that any did, with how hectic her breathing was. They kept talking, and again, she couldn't hear it. She couldn't hear anything. Clem struggled to breathe in and out, shutting her eyes, trying to fight back while James shoved her head against the table.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee continued to frantically beg the man as he circled the table with the knife, he was ready to come clean about the Fireflies, about everything. He didn't care anymore… Henry refused to listen, and to Lee's absolute dismay. He targeted Clementine… The questioning began again, and Lee struggled against his binds. Trying to squirm his wrists out of the bindings without success as he started to question Ellie, who was refusing to give the information.

"I said I'll tell you anything! Just- fucking talk to **me.** Not **them**!"

Henry simply smiled as he hovered the knife over Clementine's finger, the fear on her face directly mirroring Lee's as he watched in horror. This wasn't about to happen, surely he had some smidget of pity… he wouldn't dare do this to a kid. Lee didn't want to believe it… all he could do now was plead mercy.

"Listen to me." Lee locked eyes with the knife-wielding maniac, trying to focus his attention elsewhere, his throat cracking as he fought through the strain of raising his voice, trying to calm himself through heavy breaths as he spoke. "I am **begging** you. Please don't-"

**Art [Clementine]**

The knife ripped through her skin before the girl could even finish exhaling, blood trickling down the open wound in her ring finger as the sharp blade was slowly and violently driven into it, robbing a pained gasp from Clementine, her face closed in a grimace. Henry rammed the knife further through numerous stabs, hacking away at her finger, each cut digging deeper than the last, tearing through her flesh like it was nothing. When the knife sunk in deep enough, reaching her bone, Clem screamed like she never had before, tears bursting out of her eyes nearly as frantically as the gush of red running down her left hand.

Her knees felt weak, her head numb from the pain, eyes running dry from crying. Clem's screams were torment put into air, raw, desperate, until they turned into ragged sobs. Clementine couldn't take it; the sight of her finger detaching from her hand, or the agony of having a knife slice through its cartilage.

Eventually, the fourteen-year-old's mind shut itself down so that she wouldn't have to.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

With the work done, he pushed the severed finger away with his knife, letting James hold her her down while he opened a medkit nearby, wrapping bandages around the wound.

"Now don't fucking bleed out on me on some shit like that," Simmons muttered, though the girl had already passed out.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Before he could even finish, the knife sliced down into Clementine's finger. Her pained cries accompanied by the sound of flesh being torn echoing through the desolate room. Her blood pooled a portion of the table. The distorted and cruel fucker was smiling as he did it… he was **hurting** her… he was- he was going to kill her!

"Stop hurting her! **STOP IT GODDAMMIT!**" Lee bellowed, screaming from across the table as the man continued to cut away at her, his voice cracking as tears threatened to dampen his cheeks. He wasn't stopping… he wasn't. She was going to die if he didn't do anything. It was already too much to bear. Lee felt something horrid begin to emerge, a contorted influx of rage, fear and panic all bubbling to the surface at the same time. She was in pain, and all he knew was that he needed to help her. To make it stop.

That was when he finally snapped.

Lee wrenched himself upwards while they were still cutting away. There was red… nothing but red mixed into a frenzy that overtook him. The beaten man charged forward towards Henry, carrying the weight of the chair behind him, envisioning his hands wrapping around his throat like a vice grip, squeezing the life out of him until he was no more.

Lee didn't know how, but he was going to make him suffer... _then _kill him.

Not before he was quickly swept off his feet from a third man that had been guarding him, the hard kick causing his knees to buckle mid-charge, sending the already weak man barreling down to the floor on his side before he could reach him. His vision was blurred for a moment, but still red. A shockwave of pain shot through his body, the bruises he already sustained from his many prior beatings making themselves known. Henry approached him with the knife, seemingly amused.

"**UNTIE ME! UNTIE ME RIGHT NOW YOU SICK FUCK!** " Lee continued to hurl profanity at the man in a blind rage, his eye widened and crazed, getting to the point where the constant yelling was making it hard to breath. Pure adrenaline was the only thing pumping through his veins as he laid there on his side, the chair still attached to him. " **I'LL FUCKING RIP YOU APART! YOU'RE DEAD! DO YOU HEAR ME?!**"

**Dot [Ellie]**

"No, no no no, please…!" Ellie could only watch in paralyzing horror as Henry buried his knife into Clementine's finger, struggling against her bindings with every ounce of strength she could muster. They were hurting her…! Oh fuck, they were cutting her _finger _off! And it was all her fault. Her mouth was left agape, her breath exhaled all at once and refused to refill her lungs as she watched Clementine slump against the table, unconscious.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

Simmons's laugh echoed through the room as Lee attempted to attack him, only to be foiled by the guard he'd stationed in the room to watch over the dickhead. He struggled uselessly on the ground, and Simmons gestured for James and Gregory to pick him back up and sit him at the table.

He leaned over the table once more, keeping his face away from Lee as the man practically seethed. A part of him was enjoying this, seeing that asshole finally brought to the brink, but he couldn't let it go… unpunished.

The redhead was saying something as Henry gestured for the other two to pull back Lee's chair, giving him ample room to stand over the man. Lee fought against his bindings, to no avail. The sound of his struggle filled the room while Simmons bent his knees, lowering himself to his level.

"Y'know I'm starting to think this wasn't worth it," Simmons stated coldly, glancing back towards the table. The redhead was on the verge of tears, the other girl had passed out, and Lee rewarded his close proximity with a speckle of spit against Simmons's face. He wiped the saliva away, his smile in a grimace that practically advertised how much he wanted to rip the man's throat out right then.

But still, he held back.

"I gotta hand it to you, Lee. You impress me." He stared into the man's beaten face, clutching the knife he'd just used on Clem's hand, a part of him already envisioning himself stabbing it through the man's neck. He stood up, then, face contorting. "Actually, no. You don't." With those words uttered, her sent his boot directly into the man's chest, sending him colliding with the concrete floor. It took only another second to send a harsh kick into his face, knocking him out.

He bent his knees, looking over his battered face with what could only be described as satisfaction. The redhead was blubbering something now, but he didn't care to listen. She wasn't going to say anything that'd get him to stop what he would do this asshole. You reap what you sow.

"I'm gonna make it nice… and slow," Simmons purred, pushing himself to his feet as he gestured for James and the other guard to untie Lee and pick him up. His smile grew wider. "And that's gonna be the fun part."

With those words uttered, he watched the man be dragged from the room, his feet scraping against the floor. His eyes then turned towards the girls.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"Please…!" She begged for him to stop, promising that she'd tell him what he wanted to know, but he just wasn't fucking listening to her. Her cries were met with the sickening sound of leather meeting a human body, and every ounce of resistance she had left was gone in an instant. She could only watch in horror as he spouted more and more threats, looking towards her with a gleeful smile as Lee was dragged out of the room.

She thought she knew how bad the world was, but it only took a few minutes in this room to realize she didn't know shit. She didn't know _anything _about the horrors of humanity, and what they were capable of. She wanted to crawl up into a ball, return to that dingy room in Boston, and never come out. She wanted it more than anything.

The door closed with a deafening _slam _, causing Ellie to jump in fright. She couldn't lift her gaze, then, keeping it focused on the bloody metal table in front of her. She could feel the man's presence as he drew closer, standing over her.

"Have I made myself clear, Shitstick?"

She answered his question with every ounce of hate she felt for him, a silence that filled the air. He only laughed in return, dropping the knife to the table.

"Alright, playtime's over." He gestured towards the final guard. "Get her back in the cell. I'll make sure the other doesn't bleed out."

The man obliged with a nod, lifting Ellie up and unwrapping her binds from the chair. She didn't resist, letting him haul her off without a word. She had only one chance to look back, just in time to see him turn Clementine's head slowly, a frown etched across his face.

Then the burlap sack was over her face once more, and the march back towards the butcher shop began.

* * *

_6:03 PM_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Every ounce of her being was focused on only one thing in that moment, and that was figuring out how to escape from that cell. For a while, she paced around like a caged animal, gripping the metal fence and attempting to rip it apart with her bare hands, to no avail. Without a weapon, she wasn't getting out of here.

It had been a while since she was hauled back here, alone, and the only company she kept in that spanse of time had been the carcass lying across the butcher's table outside. She refused to look at it, eventually falling to the ground and clutching her knees against her chest.

Thoughts of escape soon dissipated, replaced by those far too heavy for her heart to bear. Thoughts of Clementine and if she was alright. Thoughts of what a psychopath like Henry might do to her when alone. Thoughts of what might become of Lee after his outburst earlier. She was left feeling empty, realizing then that she'd failed them all. Joel… Lee… Clementine…

She should've put an arrow in Henry's head before he could've said anything.

That thought lingered in her head as the sound of metal scraping against concrete filled the air, a faint shaft of light filtering in from the other room before quickly disappearing. She dropped her eyes, intent on burying them into her knees as the sound of footsteps filled the room before eventually stopping at the fence.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

The girl was broken. That much was obvious the instant Henry walked into the room. Couldn't even look up at him, like a scared child. Where was that fighter he'd seen before? The one that was all too eager to point bows and rifles in his direction without an ounce of hesitation?

It was… disappointing.

"Before you ask," he began, his voice quiet as he bent to her level, examining her with a curious eye. "Your friend's alright. The boys should be bringing her back here any minute now."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Her mouth contorted as she dug her face further into her jeans, her fingers clenching around her ankles in an attempt to keep her from practically screaming. When she finally managed to lift her head, she hesitantly met his gaze, who stared back with a look of concern. One that she was sure was faker than anything else he'd said to her before.

"We told you…" She began, her voice barely a croak. "We said we'd tell you…"

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

"Yes… you did." Henry replied evenly, eyes falling to the floor as he scratched at his beard. He took in a deep breath, clearing his mind. This wasn't the time to get sentimental. No time to humanize. Whatever information they had about the Fireflies, it was going to be worth all this effort. He just knew it.

"Y'see…" He began, clearing his throat as he pulled up a chair from nearby, planting himself in it. "I believe… that every action needs a consequence. Eye for an eye, or… something like that." He shifted in the chair, shrugging. "Hammurabi. He had an eye for cruelty, but lacked in common sense. Life these days makes it _so _much easier, though."

He leaned forward in his seat, clasping his hands together as he met her stare. "I gave you a choice, and you chose. Whatever happened after, that's on _you _."

**Dot [Ellie]**

She couldn't listen to this _bullshit _anymore. Anger swelled in her gut, nauseating her, and she pushed herself to her feet, closing the distance between her and the gate. She clenched her fingers around the metal, her voice cracking.

"You're a monster. You deserve to die. _**Every single fucking one of you.**_"

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

He couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face, standing up to tower over her. "There she is," he stated, leaning towards her, though keeping himself an arm's length away. "The girl with _spirit _. I honestly admire that about you, kid. You may be down for the count, but you're not out of the war."

He took the risk to get closer, grabbing onto the metal fence himself. She stared up at him with fearful eyes. Fearful, yet defiant.

"When I first saw you two… honestly, I was surprised you've made it this far. Strong, capable… but gullible." He shook his head, conveying his disapproval. "You had me thinkin' for a minute… 'bout how _maybe _you'd be able to come around. See things our way. Couple fighters like you, and Baseball Cap…"

"... it makes a man wonder. What you're truly capable of." There was a brief period of silence, the girl's harsh stare being more than enough to bore into him. He chose to ignore it. "_ Maybe _… there's still a chance for you. For your friends." His eyes began to trail over her face, biting his lip as he considered what he'd say next.

Her eyebrows had drifted downward, a look of defiance that caused him to scowl. He pushed away, then, settling himself back into the seat near the table, elbows propped against his knees. "Y'think I _wanted _to be like this?" He asked suddenly, lips twitching bitterly. He shifted in the seat, sitting back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I thought I had my whole fuckin' life figured out, then the world turns to shit. People start eating each other, and suddenly it's me and my goddamned brother against the world."

**Dot [Ellie]**

His voice was starting to fill up the room, venom laced in his tone. Ellie had tried to keep her mouth shut through it, holding back retorts she wanted to make, rethinking her strategy. Her body threatened to shake at the thought of what Henry might do if she kept egging him on, things that he could do to her, or to Clem, or to Lee. She couldn't let him hurt her again. _Never again._

So, instead, she latched onto those final words spewing out of his mouth, a curiosity that already existed at the back of her brain pushing its way to the forefront. She shifted in her spot, running her teeth along her lip to hold back harsher words.

"What happened to him? Your brother?"

She'd say anything to get him to calm down. To give her a chance to figure out a plan.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

A sigh escaped him, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I went through hell to keep that asshole alive. For _**years**_." He pushed himself to his feet, hands planted onto the metal table in front of him as he averted his gaze towards it. "He'd _always _been weak. Since the start. Dragged his ass across half the country before…" He clenched his eyes shut, images of that stormy night in Arizona interrupting the darkness. Even now, that spineless fuck continued to haunt his mind. Like a pest pricking away at his skin, only for Simmons to slap it, crushing it. "And in the end, we _both _knew it was either him or me. There weren't any other choice there. Nothing that I could fucking do. What happened to him- _I _\- **It wasn't **_**my **_**fault!**"

That pent-up rage inside of him exploded in an instant, his fist colliding with the metal table with a resounding crack. Pain shot through his arm, and he clenched his fist tighter, practically seething.

When the rage finally dissipated, the girl's voice acted as another mosquito, burrowing its way into him and forcing him to turn back towards her.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie stood frozen to the spot, fingers clenched around the metal bars as if letting go would direct Henry's wrath towards her. His shout made her ears pop, so loud that she could've imagined him losing his voice in a matter of seconds.

One wrong move, and she could already feel his fingers wrapped around her throat, squeezing the life out of her. She had to be careful… figure something out. Simmons clung onto sanity like it's a rope tied to the back of a car, threatening to give out in an instant. She didn't want to be in his crosshairs when that happened.

Her entire body shook with an uncontrollable sense of fear, squeezing her fingers harder around the bars to quell it. She took in a shaky breath, struggling to keep her voice steady.

All she could do was lie. What other choice did she have?

"It sounds like… whatever you had to do… you didn't want him to suffer."

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

"Yeah…" The word slurred out of Henry's mouth in a low rumble, unclenching his fists before looking at the damage, at the red splotches beneath the skin, threatening to burst out. He lowered his hand soon after, looking towards the girl with a piercing gaze, examining her.

Perhaps she understood. Finally. But, maybe she didn't. That part didn't concern him that much. Words were meaningless, useless things that signified nothing. He knew what she _truly _felt, that rebellious side she'd so readily adopted before settling back into that fear.

He turned away then, back to the metal table, now dirtied with tiny specks of his own blood. "I thought I could protect him. Teach 'im. But he was was a dreamer. An optimist. Always hoping that the government had some _plan _to make it all right." He shook his head, already remembering those arguments from long ago. Ones that nearly tore the apart a dozen times. "He wasn't made for this. Not like I was. Or _you _." He emphasized the word, looking in her direction out of the corner of her eye.

"If he saw me now, I don't think… he'd be able to look at me." His voice grew quieter, sombre. "He'd be like _so many_ others. _Afraid._ _**Unwilling.**_ Lambs to a slaughter, whether by the dead or those willing to do whatever they can to stay alive."

He pushed away from the table, drawing closer to her cell. She looked away, towards her shoes.

He'd been in this position so before… they always looked the same. Lost, doe-eyed… his brother had been the same, once. Too afraid to speak out, to do anything. Because he thought Henry was a monster, and was _ashamed _to be with him. This was somehow different, though. Like she knew that he was _right _, but too afraid to admit it.

He took another step forward, reaching out to cup his hand around her own, clasping the metal bars with his left. A fire burned beneath his eyes, but his tone was sombre, absolute.

"I won't let what happened to him happen to you. You're strong. You have heart. And… you're _special _."

**Dot [Ellie]**

It didn't take long for her to figure it out, just what he was after. Her entire body shivered, every ounce of willpower she had left being devoted to only one thing: getting back at this asshole. She could see the keys on his belt, had been eying them with a twitch of her eyes.

So, when he leaned closer, grabbing her hand, she didn't resist. She'd give him what he wanted if it meant getting a chance at those keys. Whatever horrific thing she was about to experience, it'd be bearable… if it meant plunging those keys directly through his eyeball.

She leaned in at the last moment, their lips brushing together as she opened hers. Until Ellie chomped down on his bottom lip with feral ferocity, causing its flesh to squirt a rancid red. The sudden action left Simmons surprised, his eyes widening in her face as she attempted to grab for the keys blindly, crushing her teeth together to not let go. He backed up, pulling her with him as he attempted to get free. Eventually, he did, knocking her against the bars hard enough to knock the wind out of her, but not before a sickening noise reached Ellie's ears, and the resistance Ellie felt from him had ceased immediately. When she opened her eyes, part of his lip was still in her mouth. The taste of iron invaded her senses, and she spit the piece of tissue out, spitting in an attempt to rid herself of the blood.

His screams nearly deafened her. He stepped away, hand covering his face as his enraged voice echoed off the walls. "**YOU LITTLE -ITCH!**" The last word came out garbled, barely a word without a lip to emphasize with.

Despite it all, Ellie managed to smile, wiping the blood away from her mouth. She almost had her chance to get away, but that _monster _got what he deserved. As he struggled to hold a paper towel over his bleeding face, she gave him a crimson-toothed smile, finally giving him what he wanted.

"Ellie."

He cupped what was left of his lip with the paper towel, turning back towards her with a fiery stare. His voice was low, a growl that mimicked the sound of a wolf preparing itself to pounce on its prey.

"What?"

She pushed herself from off the ground and onto her knees, clutching at the metal fence. "Tell your friends that Ellie's the little girl that _**RIPPED YOUR FUCKING LIP OFF!**_"

She could see the spark in his eyes, that desire to tear her apart. The same look he had when he took Clem's finger. She refused to look away, though she wouldn't have to. Before either of them could say anything more, the sound of scraping metal once more filled the air, and two more assholes entered through the meatlocker, carrying Clem in between them by her arms. At the sight of Simmons, they stopped in their tracks.

"What th-?"

"Just get her in the _**th-**_ucking cell," Simmons roared, and the two bandits instantly moved to do as they're told. The asshole on the left let go of Clementine, holding up his pistol and indicating for her to step to the back of the cell. Ellie did as she was told, staring them down as they unlocked the door, tossing Clementine to the ground, before locking it again.

They didn't even wait for Simmons to dismiss them.

A quiet chuckle reached her ears as Simmons laid down the bloody paper towel, looking towards her with disdain. His face looked… grotesque, a whole chunk missing near the middle of his bottom lip, where blood continued to ooze out in thick clumps. His teeth were stained red, matching her own. "I'll be back for you two later. It's about _th- _ucking time I pay your _daddy _a visit. -ake sure to keep your ears open."

She didn't breathe until he left the room.

She dropped to Clementine's side, cradling her head in her lap as she looked her over, desperately searching for any sign of… _anything _. She seemed okay, though. As okay as she could be without one of her fingers… Ellie gulped at the thought. The girl was barely conscious, her eyes opening and closing in slow movements.

She wanted to say something, to apologize or… do _something _to make this shit situation better. Whatever they were planning to do to Lee, though, dominated her mind, and as Clementine's eyes opened again, a baritone scream reverberated off the walls, intermixed with the sound of metal scraping bone, eventually fading into silence.

Her heart felt as if it stopped beating at that same moment.


	52. Captive, III

_7:28 PM_

**Dot [Ellie]**

A noise pulled Ellie out of her slumber, the cold, hard floor greeting her vision as she let out a groan. By the time her vision returned to normal, a hand gripped her arm, pulling her. The voice that followed the action was gruff, angry. "Wakey, wakey."

Panic took over, and she squirmed to break free, cursing and kicking as the bandit eventually lifted her into the air, slamming her onto the butcher's table. Her breath hitched, and she tried to move, though her hands were held down by the asshole who'd taken her out, another hand eventually grabbing her free hand. Through her panic, Simmons's horrible face came into view, his teeth peeking through the hole in his lips.

"Lee had his turn, now it's yours," he practically shouted the words, raising a cleaver over his head.

This was it, then. She'd be chopped into tiny little pieces, just like she'd asked him before. Now, there was no denying how fucking scared she was, watching this eyes sparkle with rage as he prepared himself to plunge that blade into her arm. She had to stop him, she had to _do _somethi-

"I'm infected!" She screamed, wriggling in an attempt to break free. "I'm infected!"

Henry took a step back, eyes falling to her face as he scowled. For once, it seemed that he had nothing to say. She wasn't even sure if he'd fall for her bluff, but she had to hope.

"... and so are you," she continued, calmer.

"You must think I'm _**th-**_ucking stupid," was all he could say, rearing the cleaver back once more, but she stopped him with another shout.

"Roll up my sleeve." He stopped mid-swing, indecision crossing his face for an instant. "Look at it!"

His eyes darted towards James, who begrudgingly rolled down Ellie's sleeve, revealing the months old bite. The room went silent, Ellie staring down Henry while he focused on the bite with wide eyes. James muttered something about it being fake, but Henry only shook his head, sighing. He knew this was real. He put down the cleaver, slamming his fists against the table.

She used that distraction to her advantage, grabbing the cleaver from the table before burying it into James's throat. She yanked it out with a violet pull, thrusting the blade into Henry's stomach, leaving it there as she rolled off of the table. He howled, clutching the blade before pulling it out as Ellie rushed for the cell, dragging Clem towards the open window in the next room over and grabbing her own knife from where it was buried into the shelf. Behind her, Simmons reached for his pistol, firing into the wall to her left. The bullet pierced through the metal, and Ellie instinctively jerked towards the window, thankfully not getting shot in the process.

She could hear Clementine stirring now through the ringing in her ears, and Ellie pushed herself to her feet, practically dropping her friend through the window before jumping out herself.

She wasn't even sure if Clementine was fully awake yet when she grabbed the girl's hand, but she dragged her through the snow all the same. Henry's voice filtered through the open window.

"_**Get your ass back here!**_"

Ellie didn't stop, though, hauling Clementine through the labyrinth of alleyways until they finally reached a door leading into a large building. She threw her body against the door, escorting Clementine inside before kicking it shut behind them. Brick walls enclosed them into a narrow space, a small hallway leading into several store fronts. It'd be enough to keep them from getting seen, at least.

She had to get them out of there, even if she had to drag Clementine through hell to get her to safety.

**Art [Clementine]**

Pain. Shooting up her arm and exploding like fireworks: that's the first thing Clementine felt as her eyelids slowly came to open, only scarcely revealing the amber eyes they'd kept concealed. Where she was relative to the ground took the girl a long time to figure out. That was, until the back of her head collided with the wall, her legs stretched out in front of her, loose and unmoving.

She figured she was dying, or close to that, anyway. Only vaguely capable of picking up the sounds beyond her immediate surroundings, gunshots and all, and next to nothing within her blurry line of sight. The girl let her eyes fall to the floor before they were completely shut again. For good, this time. Desperately wishing the fire under her wrist would just... fade away.

Clementine woke up to Ellie clutching at her arm, pulling her from the floor in a haste she couldn't keep up with. Her legs failed her one after the other, causing the girl to drop to her knees while Ellie struggled to keep her on her feet, wrapping Clem's arm around her shoulder. The rest was a blur at best, and a complete blank at worst. She moved at the pace Ellie's boots dictated, only to fall short and plummet downward like a puppet without its strings, leaving it to the other girl to pick her up and carry her onward. Time would tell how long it'd take until she couldn't move anymore. Until she gave in to the pained heaves emerging between her quickened breaths.

... And it did.

Without warning, Clementine's grip on Ellie loosened in full.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The hallway felt as if it was closing in on them, getting thinner and thinner with every turn. Voices filtered through the storefronts lining the main road beyond, and it became immediately clear that they were looking for them.

They reached the end of it all, where it eventually opened up to the road beyond while leaving no other alternate route to take. Ellie stopped in place, squinting her eyes to try and make anything out through the intense snowfall. When she found nothing, she took a step forward, bringing Clementine with her, until the girl's hand slipped from hers. She turned back, eyes wide as Clementine fell to the ground.

"_Shit_," she breathed, dropping to her knees to try and slap Clementine across the face, hoping that would be enough to wake her up. "Clem, c'mon…!"

It wasn't working. Wisps of breath escaped the girl's mouth thankfully, so she was still alive, but that was it. Ellie cursed under her breath, grunting as she lifted Clementine up and put her arm around her. They weren't going to make it through open road without getting seen if she couldn't get Clementine to wake up, so she was forced to head towards an alleyway nearby. She opened the first door she could find, closing it shut behind them before taking in her surroundings.

Stoves and messy countertops met her gaze. The kitchen was spacious, and she could see out into what appeared to be a large restaurant. She clutched Clementine tighter, hauling her through the kitchen before depositing her against the side of a booth seat near the opposite end of the restaurant. She darted towards the entrance nearby, opening the door to look outside. If they were lucky, they could move on without getting seen.

* * *

_7:42 PM_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

It sat before him. Something near a freezer door, attached to the side of a brick building and left slightly open. _That was where the map said. _It looked well enough like a room for capturing people; yet, fearfully, it was unlocked. Had one of them already come by and taken the girls? Or had the girls already escaped? He wasn't sure which he preferred.

His walk through the increasingly violent snowstorm was almost uneventful. All of the denizens of the town seemed focused on something or another; nothing he had been able to catch over the howling winds and hefty footsteps crashing the otherwise silent landscape. But his walk was finally over; he hoped, at least.

Joel grabbed the door, pushing it open as best as he could. It was cold and metal, rubbing up against his leather jacket and shrieking against the hard soil below. But he was in eventually, shutting it behind him to keep the cold out. It was for naught, it seemed. Goosebumps still boiled up his arms, twisting across his neck and making his fingers spasm. He turned, eyes met with the absence of light. He flicked on his hand held torch in an abrupt second, revealing a metal shelf full of assorted knick knacks and "souvenirs."

Folded clothes, books, boots, and two backpacks stood out the most. He grimaced, thoughts returning back to the hunters in Pittsburgh and the hunters before that. Joel rushed towards the shelf, a ghastly pole still ripping through the flesh in his side, but his mind was on those two things now. _Ellie and Clementine's backpacks. _He'd recognize them anywhere. Ellie's with a toxic caution button on the back, Clementine's with a few floral decorations. He scooped up both of them, looking at Ellie's predominantly. The monster keychain, the eagle badge, the America button. His mouth was growing dry.

On a higher level of the shelf, he discovered Clementine's hat. He never figured he'd see her without it, let alone it without her. He grabbed the hat, looking over it before stuffing it into her backpack.

"What is this? Why is their stuff here?" He questioned himself, but he felt like he knew already. On another shelf sat a piece of paper, dates and pounds scrawled in a chicken scratch fashion. Joel chewed on his gums, anxiety gripping him by the legs. He pressed forward, carefully pushing through a bundle of curtain strips into a much, much colder room.

"Oh Christ." Naked bodies hung by theirs legs from hooks, their hands bound, faces wrapped up, and backs bruised. He couldn't help but think of a butcher's shop when he laid eyes on all of them.

"I gotta find them. I gotta find her." He mumbled to himself, fear striking him harshly.

He moved through the shop, bursting out of the front door and back into the snowstorm. He thought he saw a figure behind him, wandering towards him, but the silhouette disappeared just as it had revealed itself. His head swerved, eyes glued onto a fiery restaurant nearby. "Holy shit... Ellie..." He only hoped she was okay; he only hoped Clementine was okay, too. But he couldn't allow it to happen, not again, no it could _never _happen again.

* * *

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

It didn't take long for the reality of the situation to dawn on Henry Simmons. His lip burned from where his skin was torn off, and his guts felt twisted, ready to plop out of the hole Ellie had put in him, but he didn't have time to deal with it any more than he already had. He limped through the street, barking orders to his men to find Ellie and kill the girl with the ballcap.

Because Ellie was the only one that mattered. She was infected, but not only that, she was _immune _. It was the only thing that made sense. They were looking for the Fireflies, traveling across the whole fucking country to find them, and not only that, but this so-called _infected _girl was trying her fucking damndest to stay alive. There was a reason these two groups were brought together, and it all suddenly made sense.

And if her bite _really _infected him, he intended to rip that cure right out of her fucking head if he needed to.

His eyes noticed movement through the windows of the restaurant, causing him to alter course and rush towards the building. By the time the door opened, he was already there, grabbing the girl by the throat and pushing her back inside. He shut the door behind him, knocking her against a table. He didn't care about the candles laid on it, and how they'd tipped over during the altercation. All he cared about was getting her.

"You're easy to track," Simmons growled through his fucked up smile as she fought against him, eventually managing to wriggle herself free. He went for his pistol, aiming it towards her, but she'd already disappeared behind the booths before he could fire a shot. He let out a chuckle, raising his voice. "It's alright. There's nowhere for you to go!" He turned around, locking the front door. "You want out? You'll have to pry these keys from my dead corpse." His attention diverted towards a form lying on the ground halfway into the restaurant, slumped against a booth. He took several steps towards her, smiling. "I see Clem's not doing so good. I should just put her out of her misery right now."

**Art [Clementine]**

Hunched against one of the seats with her eyes wielded shut, Clementine did what she could to catch her breath, shifting between trying to speak through pained wheezes and completely blacking out.

If nothing else, that monster's laugh would be the thing to make her shoulders stiff, that'd keep her lungs from taking in air.

He was walking toward her, that much she could tell. The fear made her sweat almost as much as the blood loss did, turning her grimace into a glower. Henry said he'd kill her that time. No more bullshit. Clem heard the click of a gun and immediately knew it was intended for her, keeping still until the very last second. Maybe that _would _be it. Dying in the middle of nowhere so that Ellie could make it out. Whatever happened... whatever was gonna happen to _her, _that fucker was in for a rude awakening.

She slammed her foot against Henry's kneecap, hoping to break a bone. Knowing how weak she was, though, Clementine knew it'd be smarter to settle for less. A gunshot rang as he staggered backward, missing her by a longshot, a fluke she didn't expect to happen twice. Clem forced her limbs to move, to crawl away, the girl diving behind cover to avoid the incoming bullets, even despite the pain robbing her of every one of her senses.

She wasn't outrunning him. Clementine hid the best she could, waiting for him to show his face and kill her. The only thing she could promise herself is that she wouldn't go without a fight.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Her heart was beating out of her chest, loud enough that she had a feeling even Henry could hear it. All it took to silence the thumps was a single sentence uttered from that that psychopath.

" _I should just put her out of her misery right now. _"

She resisted the urge to scream out, to stop him before he could kill Clementine, but she had to be smart about this. She kept low to the ground, sneaking down rows of tables on her way back to where she left Clementine. To her right, the soft roar of the flames engulfing the far wall broke what would've otherwise been silence.

That was, until a gunshot rung out, and Henry growled a harsh swear, followed by a "You little b-itch!"

Ellie was practically running, keeping her head low until she finally reached the end of the row. Out of the corner of her eye, Henry was stepping towards another row of tables, aiming his pistol, finger on the trigger.

She closed the gap within seconds, leaping into the air before digging her knife into his back, right in the shoulder. As she pulled it out, he let out a scream, reaching for her arm with his free hand, though she let go of him, rushing behind the cover of the booths. She could hear him swivel around, a bullet splintering the wooden table she'd just passed.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

"Not bad, Ellie," Simmons shouted, grimacing as he reached his hand to his back, feeling the gaping hole she left behind. His hand came back covered in slick blood, and he wiped it off on his jeans. He pocketed the pistol then, leaving Clementine alone. She wasn't the threat here.

He gripped his machete tightly, each step he took through the assorted rows of booths and tables filling the air like a slow drumbeat. The girl couldn't hide forever, and when he managed to get his hands on her, he'd make her regret fucking with him. She'd still be alive until he got that cure from her, but she'd wish that she wasn't.

"I gotta admit," he continued, letting his voice echo off the walls as he strolled into the next aisle. "You impress me. The lip thing? Brutal. Really made me wonder, though, why the fuck you're trying _so hard _to stay alive, knowing that you're infected." He paused, as if letting his words sink in.

"Wasn't that hard to realize that you're immune. That's why you were looking for the Fireflies, huh? Y'know, I actually went to that shithole looking for them, too? A chance to get a cure? Too th-ucking good to pass up." He made it to the next aisle, lifting his machete in preparation to find the little fucker, but was met with empty space. He let out a frustrated sigh. "But like everything else, that turned out to be another pipe dream. Then you showed up. _th _-ate is a _**th**_-ickle bitch, ain't she? Dead end after dead end, only to realize what I wanted was right under my nose."

"I gotta thank you for that, Ellie," he continued. "With you, we can finally sort this shit out. Take our lives into our own hands. Stop hunting other people just to put a meal in our children. This means more than you could imagine."

**Dot [Ellie]**

She'd already stopped listening to what he was saying, focusing on just… _staying silent _. His voice seemed to oscillate around her, as if he was circling like a vulture. Fear crept up her spine, threatening to force her to spasm in order to release it. Instead, she kept low to the ground, peeking over the tops of tables occasionally to get a bead on where Henry was, and watching as the front entrance of the restaurant continued to become a wall of flames hot enough to have her sweating in her jacket.

As he finished his final statement, she rushed up behind him, stabbing him in the leg. She pulled it out just as quickly, dashing into cover near where she last saw Clementine crawling towards. The girl was still out of sight, but being near her put her at ease, just knowing that if anything happened, she could get to her.

**Dot [Henry Simmons]**

He nearly doubled over as he felt a blade pierce his leg, cursing violently as he spun around to meet the little cunt, but found nothing. She was fast, too fucking fast, and she was wearing him down.

"Alright, kiddo, you've had your chance. I'm done playing games." He limped forward, returning to the entrance before heading for where he saw Clementine crawling towards. It wasn't that hard to find her, slumped against another wall, breathing erratically. His smile grew, and he yanked her to her feet before she could attempt to escape, holding her close before letting his machete rest against her neck.

"Hey there, sweet cheeks," he purred, casting a glance down at his victim. If anything was going to get that little shit to come out, threatening her friend would do it. He would bet everything he had on it. "Alright, Ellie. Enough's enough. You get the _**th**_-uck out here, or Clem's head is gonna be mounted on my wall."

**Art [Clementine]**

With Henry's blade pressed against her neck, Clem couldn't move even if she wanted to, the fucker pulling her head back, a tight grip on her hair to make sure her throat was in full view, ready to be sliced within a moment's notice. Clementine glared at the man through thick and thin, contemplating ripping his head open like a tiger would to a cub. A fact made more than distinct by the rage in her eyes and the vicious gnash of her teeth. "Go to hell!"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Something inside Ellie snapped listening to him threaten her like that, a primal rage that couldn't be contained. She stood up fully once she was close enough to them, letting out every ounce of hate she had for him in a single, anguished cry. He spun towards her, dropping Clementine to the ground as he attempted to block her from attacking him. She rushed towards him, her knife finding its mark in the side of his stomach as he tried to grab her by the neck, Ellie using whatever strength she had left to send them both falling to the ground.

The machete slid across the ground, stopping just underneath one of the booth seats at the end of the room. Her entire body felt as if it was shutting down. Soon enough, she wouldn't be able to put up a fight anymore. She rolled over, grunting pained gasps as she tried to crawl towards the machete. To end this once and for all.

But then she was on the ground, her ribs feeling as if they were being caved in by Henry's foot as he kicked her with his good leg. She yelped, gritting her teeth, trying desperately to get back onto her hands and knees once more. Above her, Henry's gravelly voice bore through the fog building in her mind.

"I'm getting really tired of this, Ellie. You've got spirit, I'll give you that, but you need to learn how to _**th**_-ucking give up."

She answered him by putting one hand in front of the other. He simply laughed, and she could imagine him shaking his head.

"You're lucky I still need you alive."

Another powerful kick returned her to the ground, and she couldn't help the wheeze that escaped her. She tried to get up again, but something pressed down on her, her head suddenly being jerked up as Henry grabbed onto her ponytail, holding her head up and twisting it to meet his yellow-crimson-toothed grin.

"So, what'll it be, kid? 'Cause I can think of a couple things to do if you keep this shit up."

Then her head was pressed against the ground, her neck feeling the brunt of the pain as he continued to apply more and more pressure to her.

"Fuck you."

He grabbed her arm, turning her over to meet his gaze fully. She clawed at his hands helplessly as he gripped her neck, squeezing tighter and tighter as his rage consumed him.

"Y'know, I liked you before, but now you're really askin' for it." She swung her hand above her, trying to reach for the hilt of the machete, but it was still out of reach. With each finger digging into her throat, Henry pushed her closer and closer to the booth. "Keeping you alive would've been _so much _more entertaining."

Her fingers brushed the hilt, and she desperately reached her hand out further to grip it. What happened next was a result of pure instinct and rage, swinging the blade towards him to catch him in the shoulder. He screamed, trying to pry it out, and she used that momentary lapse in his attack to wriggle from underneath him, twisting him around so that she was on top.

She pulled the blade out, then buried it into his face. Again. And again. And again. By the fourth swing, she was moving on auto-pilot, screaming at the top of her lungs. She wasn't going to stop, not until he was nothing but a pile of sliced flesh and bone beneath her. Not until she knew for sure that he couldn't come back. He could _**never**_come back.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He hurried as fast as he could for the restaurant, the burning building appearing nearly ready to topple. Ellie had to be in there; maybe Clementine too, if life was lucky.

Life wasn't.

Joel tempered his expectations, running up the steps in a blur. He made it to the door quick enough, grabbing it but realizing that it had been locked. _No matter. _And it didn't, the door shrieking from its hinges as he smashed it open with a heft of a kick, glass smashing and wooden splinters flying into the small fire. Torrential discomfort swam up his torso, still leaning on his wound as he stumbled through the fire that licked at his heels. Heat pushed up against him as he looked around, catching a glimpse of a limp Clementine on the ground nearby. He almost said something, but in a split second his attention was turned to a chopping.

Joel saw her atop a man; a bloodied machete ripping strings of flesh, bone, and viscera from his torn apart face. "_**Ellie!**_" He cried out, running to stop her. She wouldn't stop, she couldn't stop, but he had to make sure this act was done soon. He grabbed her from behind, pulling her away from the corpse and trying his best to persuade her. "Stop! Stop."

**Dot [Ellie]**

A man's voice was at the edge of her hearing, like a white noise that barely registered to her. She found herself being pulled off of Henry, and her brain went into overdrive, forcing her to try and crawl away from whoever was trying to stop her. Her voice was raspy, a shout that shook her to the core.

"**DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!**"

She couldn't get away though, her grip on the machete weakening.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He tried to calm her, something he had done so long ago with his daughter. Fatherly instincts kicked in, himself horrified by what he saw; what she had done, what had_pushed _her to do it. Joel could never let that happen again. He shushed her, soft whispers to get her to calm down.

"Shh. Shh. It's okay!" He flipped her around to face him as she struggled against him, holding her by one shoulder. "It's me. It's me."

**Dot [Ellie]**

She was forced to look him in the eye, but even then it took a moment for her brain to comprehend what she was seeing. Her body slumped, her reserves of adrenaline depleting in an instant.

"He tried to-" She choked on her words, breaking down into an uncontrollable sob. She couldn't hold it back, her mind practically shutting down along with it.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He held her to his chest, hugging her for her comfort as best as he could. The next words came naturally to him; he didn't even think about them. "Oh, baby girl... It's okay,_it's okay _. _It's okay now. _"

**Dot [Ellie]**

She buried her face into his chest, not caring for a second how much it hurt her ribs. He was there. He was there with her, and Henry was… Henry was fucking _gone _. She couldn't even look in the corpse's direction, thankful that she didn't have to with her vision obscured by Joel's jacket. She let out a breath, her voice cracking. " _Joel… _"

She continued to sob into his jacket, her arms hanging limply by her sides as she let him hold her close, to keep her safe. She couldn't express just how much that meant to her in that moment, having him there with her, but she was sure that they both knew.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He held her for a few more seconds, closing his eyes to stop himself from crying. They were both safe now; in each other's presence, a mutual embrace in the wake of a gory mess. It was terrible, the blood that still soaked the carpet, that stained Ellie's hands and face. But it didn't matter. None of it mattered in this moment.

Joel held her by the face now, looking into her eyes to make sure she understood. "I'm never going to leave you alone again. Do you understand?" He said and the girl nodded in agreement. He wasn't a liar; he wouldn't dare go back on his claim now. He _couldn't _dare. "We have to go." He told her, pulling her up and looking side to side, turning away from the machete that still lay in the man's head.

He had to grab Clementine too; _if she was still alive. _He led Ellie away from the body, rushing as he held a hand behind her back to lead her forward.

"Clementine?!" He yelled, hoping for a response. Ellie wouldn't be able to bear losing her best friend, not now... if the girl would respond, he would help her to her feet and guide her away too. He had left their backpacks outside in the snow, as far away from the fire as he could put them.

**Art [Clementine]**

She saw everything. Forced to watch while lying on the floor, struggling to stand, only to fail time and time again.

Ellie carved Henry's face in. Buried his own machete inside his skull, cutting through his scalp until there was nothing left. Nothing but brain matter scattered around in tiny pieces. Processing that... for Clementine, it wasn't easy. She'd never seen Ellie like that, never _expected to..._

... and worse; even in spite of the horror glistening in her eyes, Clem couldn't direct any of her pity toward Henry Simmons. Couldn't feel loathing or disgust at what the other girl did to him, right in front of her. That's what scared her the most, more so than the bloody corpse she watched Ellie violently butcher. The thought that it came to this. The fact that she couldn't protect her friend, or even herself.

Clementine was on her feet before long, either by some kind of miracle or through sheer force of will... and, much to her surprise, the same could be said about Joel. She couldn't believe it, not even after Ellie'd already settled between his arms. It was the one time she'd get to crack a smile, albeit a short-lived one.

"I'm so glad you're not dead..." she weakly blurted out in response to his calls, stumbling slowly toward them while holding tightly the arm that wouldn't stop burning. He led them outside, away from what she wouldn't dare share a second glance with. Something she could only ever wish she could forget.

Joel bent to pick up their bags, handing Ellie's over to her before turning towards Clementine. He slipped a hand inside, pulling out something she thought she'd never see again.

"Here," he stated quietly, placing the girl's baseball cap back on her head. "You don't look quite right without it."

Clem smiled despite herself, however it only lasted for a second. She tried to talk through the pain, each word more feeble than the last. "Lee's here, too. We've gotta find him." It wasn't a request or a command. Clementine was begging for help.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Her mind had all but shut down, focusing on only one thing: getting out of there. The fire raged behind them as they waded into the snowstorm, Ellie intent on staying right by Joel's side through it all. When Clementine spoke up, though, her gaze drifted towards her, that sickening feeling of guilt rising in his chest due to everything that happened to her, and what only imagined happened to Lee, because of her. She couldn't ever forgive herself for that, for letting her secret be a higher priority than her friend's life. It wouldn't happen again.

Without any other thoughts, she spoke up softly. "They did something to him…" That alone told the story, that whatever happened to Lee, he probably wasn't _good _. They'd had to find him, somehow. If they hadn't already killed him. "We could try their infirmary…"


	53. Captive, IV

_8:12 PM_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

His eyes flickered open, dark shades of black slowly blurred into a blinding white. Lee didn't know how much time had passed, only that he was staring at a large white ceiling. Unlike where he'd previously been accommodated by the Hunters, whatever bed he was laying on, it felt soft. The brief few seconds of drowsiness were soon interrupted by a fiery jolt of pain, serving as a reminder.

"Ohh. Ugh. _Holy fuck…" _Lee groaned out, his eye squinting from the discomfort and soreness. His head slowly twisted towards his side, lifting up his arm to to bear what was… left over. The stump had been heavily bandaged, still soaked with his blood. But stable, nonetheless.

_The girls! What am I doing here? _Panic and disquiet soon took the reigns as each profoundly disgusting memory of Henry's atrocities flooded back into his mind. He couldn't kill that man if he was lying here in this bed. Clementine and Ellie were alone with him… he had to get out of here. He **had** to. The man violently launched himself up to leave, but was promptly halted by a harsh tug on his other side.

Lee cursed under his breath, turning to see that those vile fuckers had cuffed his right hand onto the bed, effectively pinning him down here. His unbeaten eye fanned the room, spotting a roller tray holding some surgical equipment and knives he could possibly use to arm himself on his right side, it was presumably the same equipment that was used on him while he was out. The man groaned, it was out of arm's reach… though maybe he could reach it with his leg.

Just as he was about to try, movement from the hallway in the form of what sounded like footsteps forced him to cease… and they were fast approaching. Lee couldn't afford to get caught, not now.

**Shadow Boy [Ed]**

Ed ran as fast as he could, away from the gunfire, from all the death. He'd already seen two of his friends go down near the entrance, rifle rounds clean through their heads before anyone could do anything to stop it. That guy from the university was back, the same fucking one, and he was killing everyone. Every son of a bitch standing in his way. Those two little girls were with him, and Ed couldn't believe his damned eyes. Where the fuck was Simmons?! His instinct was to sprint for the infirmary. There were fewer of them on watch, but they had guns there. Unarmed and scared for his life, it seemed like his only shot at making it out of that place without a hole in his head.

One of 'em was in the infirmary, John, sitting on top of a wooden chair, half asleep. Ed frantically slapped him in the shoulder, hauling him to get off his ass. "They're coming! Wake the hell up!" Ed didn't have time to check and see if he did. He didn't have time to do much of anything. The room down the hall where they were keeping the guy missing a hand: that's where he went. There had to be something there, and he was too desperate to be able to think otherwise.

Ed burst through the door, nearly dropping to his knees in the process. The one-handed asshole was awake, it turned out, trying to get out of the cuffs. "Don't fucking move!" Ed cried as he made a run for the cabinet, opening drawer after the next, looking for a weapon of any kind. "There's gotta be somethin'... C'mon...!" Another gunshot, loud and lingering. Only a brief scream to follow it before it was silenced. Ed was sweating, practically pulling his own hair out of his head…

Until he found a knife, stashed away in the case of an emergency.

His features softened in some form of relief, and he began to turn around, knife in hand. It wouldn't be there for long. There was a third gunshot. Closer, this time. Much closer. The knife flew out of his hand, making way for a bloody crater. He cried in pain, squirming on the floor, but there was no bullet to the head to follow it. In fact, there was no bullet to follow at all.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem hated being back there, peering over the rows of corpses waiting to be chopped up and eaten. She pushed fear to the back of her mind, reminding herself that they were there for Lee, that those people would never do what they'd done ever again. Not once they were done with them.

Trying not to faint as they advanced onward was the most challenging part, the girl taking pauses to rest while Joel bashed skulls in, shot, choked, sliced and murdered. Neither her or Ellie were in much shape to help, but he didn't need any. Most of those hunters could barely point a gun straight. Inside the infirmary, there was a hallway leading to a single door; half open and swinging back and forth. She staggered toward it while the other two checked different rooms, thankful that her revolver was finally back within reach.

That's when she found Lee, along with a man. He looked scared, looking for something. Clementine didn't hesitate.

She pulled her gun out, and its trigger with it, firing at the man's hand. The knife he had slid across the floor, far away from him, and she snatched it, stuffing it into the empty sheath on her belt. He was done. Clem noticed the handcuffs first, even from a distance, and her mind immediately went into search. Something sharp? Keys?

The girl could hear metal flapping below, almost like a little chime. The guy she'd shot had a keychain on the back of his jeans, and Clementine immediately went to grab it, rushing toward Lee the moment after. "I'm gonna get you out of here..." Clem assured him through paced, pained breaths, struggling to open the fucking thing using only the hand that wasn't hurting.

Then, the handcuffs clicked, before falling to the floor. Lee didn't have anything to hold him back anymore.

**Shadow Dot [Derek]**

Taking care of his patient had left Derek mentally exhausted. He'd never seen the man before, and immediately assumed he was a 'prisoner' of Simmons's. What the higher ups did in this godforsaken place had never really been any of his business. He knew about the cannibalism, of course, and starvation eventually forced him to partake in it himself, but the violent acts that this man had endured at the hands of his leader were verging on inhumane.

The first step had been to cauterize the wound, ensure that the bleeding stopped before he could die. It'd been enough to wake his patient, though he doubted that he was_conscious _enough to realize what was going on other than the fact his stump was being burned. He promptly passed out again anyway.

After everything was said and done, and he wrapped clean bandages around the stump, Derek retired to his office at the back of the room, taking in a deep breath before running a shaking hand through his beard.

He was getting sick of this shit. Sick of cleaning up Simmons's messes, and imagining the horrors he inflicted upon these people. It wasn't enough for him to choose to leave, especially during the early stages of winter, but he entertained the thought for longer each time he was in this room.

When a gunshot went off in the next room, he nearly jumped out of his skin, fumbling towards the door to open it. Beyond, he was met with one of Simmons's soldiers being held at gunpoint by a young girl, who was helping his patient off of the bed.

He took a step forward. "Wait!" He called out, stopping in place when both of their attentions focused on him. "He's still recovering. Any excessive movements is just going to open his wounds."

He glanced towards the patient, who seemed to be barely clinging on to consciousness. "Please. Haven't enough people died already?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Clem-"

" _I'm gonna get you out of here. _" She interrupted him, determined, like a renewed fire was burning in her eyes. Lee was baffled at the sounds of gunshots in the hallways, frantic screaming echoing into the room… somehow, they must've escaped. With the way she handled that man, without an ounce of hesitation… He knew she was here for one reason, and he wasn't about to waste his breath telling her to leave him and focus on getting out of here herself. Luckily enough, he didn't need to, with ease she'd grabbed the keys off the guy flailing on the floor. And with a small click, those accursed handcuffs fell to the ground. He was free.

Not a second later, as he slowly wobbled to his feet. They were interrupted… a frail looking man had appeared from the back room of the infirmary. Now they were the ones on the back foot, and of course… the bullshit always followed, the part about them not having a choice. In Lee's mind there was always a fucking choice. Make no mistake, Lee was still seething on the inside, for what they'd done to himself and Clementine, irreversible damage that'd never heal itself. He was going to finish this, he wasn't going to let them off, he wasn't going to make the same mistake he did with the St. John's. Not again.

And with that, he signalled for Clementine to keep her gun trained on the fucker bleeding from his hand, he'd deal with him next.

" _Please. Haven't enough people died already? _" The doctor pleaded. Lee ignored him, paying no mind to him as he nonchalantly limped over towards the roller tray, digging around until he found what he was looking for. A small scalpel was the most efficient weapon that was in there, he took it into his hand, gripping it tightly, his wild eye locking with the other man's as he slowly began to walk towards him. Lee wasn't going to let this one escape to warn the others, they **weren't** getting captured again.

**Shadow Dot [Derek]**

Derek's eyes went wide as the man grabbed a scalpel off of a roller tray nearby, heading towards him. The look in his eyes was wild, pissed off, and Derek found himself backing into the wall like a trapped animal.

"Please man, I was only trying to help…! Whatever they did to you, I wasn't a part of that…!" He was practically begging now, hoping that _something _would get through to him. He had to believe that this man wasn't like Simmons, that he still had a heart somewhere in there. Or, maybe… whatever Henry did to them had taken that away.

"I'm just a doctor…!"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_Bullshit. Bullshit._ **Bullshit.**

Lee wasn't falling for it, or rather. He truly didn't care what this guy was… they were all under the same roof. Sick cannibal fucks that wouldn't grant him the same mercy if it were the other way around. When he'd begged for Henry to not hurt Clem… pleaded with the man to show a sliver of compassion, he'd refused. And now the damage was done, he'd had gotten himself mutilated, had failed to protect Clementine in that moment, and Lee hated himself for it. There was nothing more to lose now, no moral ground to bother upholding; they deserved this. They **all** did for what Henry had done.

Lee drove the scalpel straight into the doctor's eye, hearing the gooey squelch of the knife digging through his pupil. Blood spurted out of the man's now leaking socket as he fell to his knees, still begging and sobbing out inaudible pleads, with the scalpel still wedged in his eye. Lee stood over the man, balling up his fists as he sent a boot flying to the doctor's head, effectively knocking him off his knees and sending him to the ground. His breaths were heavy, nostrils flaring… he was still weak, but he'd finish him off.

The doctor clutched at his mutilated face, his soft sobs beginning to die down as the blood loss did the rest of the work. Without hesitation, the enraged man cried out as he slowly lifted up his leg and forcefully dug the sole of his boot into the man's frontal lobe. Again. And again. And again. He felt the mixture of muscle, bone and skin all squelch and crack underneath him, until there was nothing left but a twisted and contorted form of what used to be a head.

That was when Lee ceased, wobbling on his feet as he took a step back, huffing and puffing as he examined what he'd done. Beginning to feel light headed again, he stumbled slightly, but caught himself on the wall next to him, outstretching his right hand and using it as support to keep himself standing.

He looked back towards Clementine now, but more so his attention was focused on the man she still had her gun drawn on. Lee noticed the gun that'd slipped out of his hands, walking over and kneeling down, fumbling with it before picking it up. His face was stagnant, void of any feeling or remorse other than just wanting to get it over with. Deeming that this time it'd be better to let him turn, Lee rose the pistol to the man's abdomen, quickly sending four excessive shots into his gut, his scowl didn't waver, watching the man violently thrash and clutch at his shredded stomach, before finally going limp.

Lee's tattered and torn clothes were absolutely drenched in their blood. His hand twitched slightly as he lowered his gun. Before long, the room fell silent as he turned towards Clementine. His breaths were raspy, his mind felt numb, a stale shell of himself. _She _was here, but he didn't see her best friend. He just had to hope she wasn't-

"Where's Ellie…?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine kept her revolver aimed toward the man bleeding on the floor, just as Lee'd warned her to. He didn't budge at all, not an inch. Could've been he'd just gone into shock, or was simply too scared to move. He was right to be frightened... after all, so was she.

Lee walked past her as though the girl wasn't there at all, his frenzied glare focused only on the man claiming to be a doctor. Clementine didn't watch the rest. Couldn't. Her eyelids drooped against her will, shortly before the sounds of steel ripping through muscle rang in her ears, the stomping of what surrounded it being what followed. Clem's head went amok on the spot, trying desperately to make up excuses, a long list of reasons why Lee had to kill that man. Why they couldn't just let him leave.

All of them vanished at the sight of his corpse, barely recognizable if not for the fact that he lived mere seconds before.

Clem could hardly hold her gun steady anymore, letting it steer downward while her eyes followed its course. Lee must've noticed it, that hint of unwillingness, for the man Clementine was meant to keep watch on was the next to die.

"_Let me go, man! I didn't do nothin'!" _He tried reason, only for it to fall on deaf ears. Clem braced herself for what was to come, shoulders leaping at the four consecutive gunshots that pierced his stomach.

When she finally opened her eyes, they met Lee under a thick layer of dark red, watching over her with an expression somber enough to match the blood dripping from his shirt. She didn't think to answer him, not at first. Clem couldn't find the strength to use her voice. Her gaze fell on his bandage-covered wrist, dressed by both crimson and white. Clementine almost choked at the sight, covering her mouth with the hand that lacked the burden holding a weapon. The girl's voice was inaudible, almost, weak and terror-stricken all at the same time. "Your hand...!"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel pushed into the infirmary. The incantation that told him that Lee was here confused him. He led Ellie along with him, Clementine rushing in before them. It was too cold outside; too snowy for any of them to see, besides that. Joel walked through the hallway, still making sure Ellie was behind him and okay. Judging by what these people had done to two little girls, he could only imagine what they would do to a grown man.

He stepped into the room, hearing four gunshots just moments before. Fear paralyzed Joel as he walked in, eyes scanning the room.

"Jesus... Lee." He mumbled, looking at the corpse and keeping his hand on Ellie's back. "Oh... oh God." He muttered, eyes falling on Lee's missing hand just as Clementine did. He breathed heavily, not approaching. Clementine was doing her best; she was all Lee needed now, he presumed. Joel couldn't say anything else; he couldn't find the words to escape. He had never seen Lee or Ellie kill; never so brutally.

_Oh God, what had happened here?_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Clementine's comment forced the man's gaze to drift towards his stump, looking at the ragged bandages that were soaked in his own blood. It cramped and stabbed away at him, like his wrist was on fire. The worst part was the lingering sensation that his hand was _still _there, he could almost- **no,** he could _still _feel it. Lee refused to look any longer at it, his somber glare again meeting hers.

"I know…" He spoke in a dull hush, before falling silent. His hand was gone, and he'd failed Clementine in the process. What's done was done, any sort of regret or discussion on that topic could be saved for later. Right now, the focus was getting the hell out of here. Clementine's finger… his hand. That was probably Henry on a _good _day, they were simply lucky to not have gotten worse. That was about the only thing Lee could feel glad for, not that he felt much of anything at this moment.

"_Jesus... Lee._"

A familiar voice filled out the now silent room, Lee turning around to face a man he thought he'd never be seeing again. There he was, looking a little worse for wear and paler in the face. But it was definitely him. His question from before had answered itself, as Ellie was under his arm, right next to him.

The girls had managed escape that sick maniac. It filled Lee with a grim sense of disappointment that _he _wasn't the one to finish him off. But Lee wasn't stupid, starting a witch hunt for Henry was just going to get everyone killed.

"Joel... You're here?" Lee spoke in near confusion, disbelief. He was relieved of course, but he'd been so sure that damned university would be the last he saw of the Texan. They were _all _here. Together. If there was ever a time more important to cut their losses and book it, that time was now. Lee still felt weak on his knees, but strong enough to travel. He assumed the same for the girls and Joel. Above all, the only thing plaguing his mind was the possibility of them getting recaptured, and the paranoia of going through the whole damn thing again. Disregarding the bodies that lay behind him, Lee spoke as if they weren't even there, his mind drifting to the task at hand.

"We need to leave. Before more come."

**Dot [Ellie]**

The infirmary had been quiet, nearly empty, but that only lasted as long as she and Joel were searching through it room-to-room. When the gunshots went off at the end of the hallway, where Clementine went to search, Ellie's heart jumped into her chest. She wanted to rush in there and make sure her friend was okay, but stuck close to Joel instead as he escorted her there.

They were met with a gruesome sight, though thankfully Clementine wasn't on the receiving end of it. Lee held a gun in his hand, lowered to his side, and beneath him, a body laid against the wall, clutching at his wounds as they bled all over the floor. Behind him, another man laid prostrate on the ground, his head looking more like a crushed meatloaf.

Ellie turned away, clenching her eyes shut. She took in a deep breath, trying to rid herself of the image. She'd never seen Lee do something like that, never even thought he was capable of it, but…

…she also didn't blame him for it. What she did to… it was just as bad, right? She couldn't look at him any differently because she knew what it was like. A part of her hated that fact, but there was no going back. Not now.

She choked when her eyes fell onto Lee's stump of a hand, tears already threatening to burst out of their ducts. Those screams she'd heard before… the things _she _caused to happen…

She wouldn't have time to dwell on it, as the older man suggested they should leave. She gave him a slow nod of understanding, in part towards the idea of leaving, and in part towards accepting what he'd done. Despite what had happened, everyone was _okay _, and that's what mattered.

With Joel guiding her around, the four pushed on, back out into the snowstorm. She only wished it'd stop. It'd make this escape a whole lot easier.


	54. Goodbye, I

_2:44 AM - November 7, 2025_

**Dot [Ellie]**

There was a dull ache in Ellie's heels, only worsened by the fact they've been walking almost non-stop for the past seven hours. It felt longer, agonizingly so, due to the silence that had permeated the air, almost choking them. Ellie wasn't in any hurry to break it, though, choosing to dwell in her own thoughts rather than voice them aloud.

That trend continued after they stopped at a cabin deep in the woods, built next to a river that continued to flow south despite the frigid temperature. The interior was nearly as cold as the exterior, furnishings sparse. It was comprised of a large living space, including a small kitchen, along with a single bedroom and a bathroom. Inside, they'd found a walker hanging from a ceiling fan, which had been dispatched quickly by Joel, being dragged outside to rot in the snow.

While the others rested in the living room, Joel and Lee working together to gather firewood for the fireplace positioned into the center of the far wall, Ellie retreated from the room and into the bedroom.

She placed her backpack on top of the bed, which seemed nearly stiff after being untended for over a decade, sifting through her remaining belongings. She frowned; some of her stuff was gone. The book she'd gotten for Clem was still there, but whatever scraps of food that had been left were now gone. The only other things that remained were anything that were of use, along with a few of Ellie's personal possessions, like the photos of herself and Riley, of Joel and Sarah, and the letter that her mother wrote, though she couldn't really read it anymore. It smelled of dried shit, but she still hung onto it, and probably would until it eventually crumbled into paper dust. Her weapons had been in there too, and she pocketed her pistol immediately.

Then her attention fell onto the bottle of whiskey she'd scavenged from the ranger station, her fingers wrapping around the thin section of the bottle. She weighed it in her hands, just as much as she weighed the decision in her mind.

Though that train of thought was soon interrupted by one that had gone around the track enough times to sicken her. Images of Henry cutting off Clementine's finger, imaginings of what happened to Lee's hand, then her own hands clutching the machete that turned the asshole's face into a meaty paste. Her hands grew shaky, and she twisted around, sinking to the floor before laying her back against the side of the bed. She popped open the bottle, taking a small swig. It burned like a motherfucker, causing her to gag, and memories of a similar situation back in Pittsburgh came flooding back to her. This time, though, she didn't stop, taking another swig as soon as the burning sensation subsided.

She sat there for a while, drinking from the bottle every time a troubling thought entered her mind. She wanted to forget about everything that happened, even if it'd only be for a few minutes.

By the time anyone came to check up on her, she'd already gone through half of what was left over, clutching the bottle clumsily in her hands while she laid her head against her knees. She didn't even bother to look up at them.

**Art [Clementine]**

The living room was silent and dreary, dead-quiet if not for the snowstorm beating against the window. Clementine's head rested on the couch, submerged deep within a soft cushion. The mustiness coupled with the creaking of wood under her ear wasn't exactly awesome, but in spite of that, after hours of lying on the floor, it almost felt comfortable. There was some peace of mind brought about the fact that she had her hat back, all thanks to Joel, which was mind-boggling by itself. Clem had no idea _where the heck _he'd found it, but she couldn't be more thankful to him for it, wearing it like a shield from all the unease threatening to surface from her skin. She found herself staring blankly at the ceiling, trying to get some semblance of rest while her body so valiantly fought against her, keeping her eyes open even in the midst of exhaustion. The unenviable feeling of being too scared to fall asleep.

The pain dulled before long, if only slightly. It felt more like a constant sting, setting in only when her mind was at its most absent. It hurt to mull over it, most of all, like the thought alone of having one finger less made the cut ache twice as hard. Clem toughed it out, biting her lip whenever it became too unbearable.

Lee. She couldn't imagine it... how much worse it must've been for him, how fucking horrible what happened must've felt. He wouldn't talk about it, brushed her off whenever she showed concern. Clementine couldn't stop thinking and beating herself up over it; all the chances she had to prevent it, all the ones she didn't take.

Once regret started catching up to her, well... Clem knew sitting around doing nothing would just make her feel worse.

Ellie had walked off to the bedroom on her own, more tight-lipped than all of them combined. With Joel hurt the way he was, Ellie refusing to speak, and Lee... _scaring _her, she couldn't tell what to do anymore. Who to turn to for help, or even who to talk to, really. Clem bounced around between wanting to approach her friend and giving her some space, pacing back and forth without getting anywhere. She'd look like a dick either way, may as well try to... say something to make her feel better.

Clementine peeked through the door, twisting its knob with her good hand. Her nose was immediately flooded with the stench of alcohol, which unsurprisingly came from a bottle that happened to be full of it, wrapped around Ellie's hands. The girl scrunched her nose at the sight, grimacing, voicing her disapproval through a drawn-out sigh. "Is that whiskey...?"

Yeah, it was. Clementine couldn't help but sound uptight, verging on confrontational, crossing her arms while she glared at her friend. The label had given it away, in any case, so there was no point in trying to hide it. Ellie didn't try to, though. In fact, she didn't really answer. Clem waited for one anyway, tilting her head to the side and raising a brow, but Ellie simply took another sip, bordering on doing so just to spite her. _Okay._

Clem walked up to her in slow steps, sitting next to Ellie while pursing her lips. What followed was just grueling silence. She was really gonna ignore her, wasn't she? An eye roll had Clementine debating what to say next, until she settled for something different. Before Ellie could have another taste, Clementine ripped the bottle away from her hands, the girl's lips twisting into a frown. "**Hey.**"

It was one way to get her attention.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Confusion contorted Ellie's face as the bottle was suddenly yanked away, leaving an empty space between her hands that wouldn't go away. She lifted her head from her knees, letting it rest against the side of the bed before glancing towards the girl sitting next to her. She couldn't muster the energy to get angry, instead wiping her eyes as if trying to rid herself of the fatigue, with faint, incoherent mutterings escaping her lips.

When she finally had some sense of lucidity, she met the girl's gaze lazily, her voice louder than she'd intended it to be. "I'm fine, I'm fine… just…" She _really _wanted to ask for the bottle back. As much as she adored her friend, though, she knew that she'd probably throw the bottle out the window sooner than she'd give it to her again. _Whatever _, she didn't need it. She could just… fall asleep, and none of it would be a problem anymore.

Until she woke up, that is.

For a moment, she tried to focus her brain, to accomplish the simple task in _trying _to talk to Clementine in coherent sentences. She didn't really know what to say, fumbling over words as if seeing them through would only result in getting a metaphorical injury. She'd already received enough of those. Her teeth ached from before… the taste of blood still as apparent as ever beneath the stench of alcohol.

"How's… your finger?" She decided to ask, pushing away any thought of Henry to the very back of her mind, where it belonged.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem would've loved not to have seen that one coming. Heck, if anything, the only shocker was how long it took for Ellie to ask her. She laid down the bottle of whiskey beside the bed, wiping the palm of her hand on her cargo pants.

_I don't know, Ellie. It's sorta not attached to my hand anymore. _The phrase danced around her tongue through a faint smile, though the girl ultimately kept it to herself. Snark was the last thing that moment called for, even if she did want to lighten the mood a little. Dreading the alternative, Clementine leaned her head back, a discouraging look taking hold of her.

"Hurts a lot." Her fingers were wrapped around the bandaged hand, the girl caressing the area around the wound like it'd somehow make it feel better. That was as honest as it got. She wasn't good with... dealing with pain. Every passing hour made the sting harder to bear, the blood loss already long since setting in and getting to her head. "I'm okay, though. Alright?" She spoke reassuringly, before lowering her gaze.

"Doing just fine..."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Even when her head was… clouded, that overwhelming sense of guilt remained as strong as ever. Of course it fucking hurt… she lost a finger. Henry _cut it off _, and… it was her fault for lying to him. Maybe he would've left her alone if she told him about being immune… maybe Lee wouldn't have tried to attack him, and he wouldn't have lost a hand. Everything traced back to her, a whole slew of bad things she wished never happened, but did. Riley dying, Tess dying, Clem losing her finger, Lee losing his hand… it was only a matter of time before she got one of them killed too.

Or, at least, that's what the whiskey was telling her.

"I can't keep going on like this anymore," she spoke slowly, quietly, trying her best to articulate each word as if it'd become the most difficult thing in the world. This train of thought she'd adopted, it was leaving her mouth on its own, whether she liked it or not. "I got Riley killed… and Tess… and almost lost Joel… then Lee…" She wrapped her arms around her legs, hugging them close to her chest. Tears were beginning to blind her, but she couldn't get herself to wipe them away. She took in a deep breath, looking towards Clementine out of the corner of her eye. "I almost lost _you _. And I can't…" She choked on the words. "…go through that again."

Dizziness overwhelmed her as she felt her head falling to the side, laying against the girl's shoulder as if it'd bring her some emotional support when there was none to be found. When she spoke again, her voice was stronger, angrier.

"Everything's so _**fucked**_."

**Art [Clementine]**

All that stuff hit Clem with the subtlety of a punch to the jaw, robbing the girl of her ability to breathe.

Things did feel pretty fucked, so she wasn't wrong there. The repulsive smell of human remains still lingered in her nostrils, the sight engraved into her eyes, a never-ending slideshow being constantly projected to her eyelids whenever she dared to keep them shut... and none of that even held a candle to the uncontested scariest moment in her life, the one that still kept her hands unsteady even in the form of a passing thought.

Yeah, they'd done better. But Clementine kept her chin up. Someone had to.

Her frown turned upside down, Clem letting Ellie scooch closer before speaking into her ear. "What'd I say?" Her words were soft, and the closest she could get to soothing. She was resolute on getting her friend to feel safe again, no matter how fucking long that took. She owed Ellie that much, and probably a lot more.

Clementine's hand inched closer to hers, settling between her fingers in a tight grip, until the girl held Ellie's hand with all the strength left in her. "I'm not leaving. Can't get rid of me." She slowly shook her head, smiling. It was a tired smile, but a smile nonetheless. As genuine as one could get.

...And if it made Ellie feel even the least bit better, it'd be worth every bit of effort it took not to burst into tears with her.

**Dot [Ellie]**

A warm, fuzzy feeling washed over her as Clementine whispered in her ear, but the moment only lasted a second before she felt electricity jolt through her body. The girl had interlocked her fingers with her own, saying something that at this point she could barely register in her brain, even if she could think clearly in the first place. She had no idea how to take this, unable to comprehend it, and the words she uttered earlier echoed in her mind.

" _I can't… go through that again. _"

Well, here she was, her heartbeat growing erratic and uncontrolled. Was this really…? Was she…? Some part of her fought against this, wanting to pull away for the sake of not getting hurt again, but she couldn't. In that moment, her worries had faded into a background noise, and she found herself unable to stop herself from doing what she was about to do next.

She lifted her head from the girl's shoulder, closing her eyes to catch her breath. When she opened them, Clementine's cheek filled her vision, and Ellie leaned in to kiss it softly. The instant her lips made contact with the girl's cheek, though, some manner of lucidity returned to her, long enough for her to realize what she'd done and to quickly pull away, scooting away from the girl in a panic.

"I'm sorry, I-" What the fuck was she thinking? Her clouded brain was practically screaming at her now, despite the fact it was its fucking fault that this happened in the first place. She wrapped her arms around her legs again, burying her face into her knees to avoid having the girl see how red her cheeks were becoming. Anything to save her from meeting the girl's gaze.

**Art [Clementine]**

If what Ellie said before was a punch to the jaw, then this was the knockout blow, sending Clementine's head spiraling out of control like a plane who'd just lost its wings. Her two eyes were about as wide as they could stretch, rapidly bouncing between Ellie and the floor, where they were looking to stay for the rest of eternity.

What _was _that? I mean- It was a peck on the cheek. That's it, right...?! Was she just... y'know, overreacting?

A final, rapid glance at her friend's flaming red features said everything she needed to know, and probably more than Ellie even intended. It was a _that _kind of kiss, wasn't it? Clementine panicked on the spot, the color on her face fading, before following suit and shifting into the same deep red. The girl swallowed, resting both hands on her thighs. This was a lot more than she could take in at once, like a whole _monster amount _more…

Talking, then, took somewhat of a backseat. In the heat of the moment, Clem could swear she forgot how to.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's thoughts had become an incoherent frenzy, only to be exacerbated by her friend's silence in the wake of what just happened. She'd been worried about this, feared it for _months _, and buried any thought of doing something like this long ago to prevent it. She'd misinterpreted what the girl was doing, the alcohol in her system doing nothing but worsening the situation.

What was she supposed to do now…? She'd gone and fucked everything up, likely their whole friendship, all over something she _knew _would end like this. Amidst the silence, she found herself struggling to rise to her feet, catching herself with the bed when her legs threatened to give out beneath her. Her mind drew a blank when she tried to think of something to say, to break the tension, but she chose to not even try. Hearing what she'd say back would only kill her. Stumbling towards the bedroom door, she twisted the knob, closing it behind her in a hurry to separate herself from Clementine.

She needed to clear her head, so she headed for the door leading outside the cabin, hoping that Joel and Lee wouldn't be out there to stop her.

* * *

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Using the bottle that he'd previously collected river water with on the way here, Lee rested it on the sink top, having to fumble with the lid to get it off and eventually soak the rag. The whole process was strenuous… _everything _now was, with one hand. The man stared down at the sink as he wiped his face off, occasionally glancing up at the mirror in front of him. Bags of grey swelled underneath his eyes, he hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep yet. _How could he?_

Sleep proved to be impossible, the burning sensation in his wrist constantly nagged at him. It was accompanied by the dark thoughts that refused to leave his mind. The doctor begging underneath his boot. The silence that filled out the room once he'd executed that other man. The fear in Clementine's eyes. Underneath all the numbness, it indeed all bothered him. However, as much as the continuous cycle of thoughts revelled in his tired and fractured mind, the guilt was _nothing _compared to what the man felt whenever he looked at that small fucking stump on her finger. _That _was there because of one man… and it wasn't Henry.

That butcherer. Lee heard about what happened from Joel. Ellie… he'd almost killed both her and Clementine, but the immune girl had saved their lives, then Joel had showed up at just the right time... _And what were you doing while that was happening? What were YOU goddamn doing?! _Lee knew what he was doing, wasting away in a damn bed with a recently chopped hand, waiting to die. He'd fucked it this time, fucked it up beyond repair. From the time that girl was eight, Lee promised he was going to take care of her. And he thought it was working… until this week had bulldozed that concept out of his mind. It was just a testament to how wrong he was, about everything.

Clementine was getting older, and yeah, he admitted to himself that the whole teen phase was tougher than he was expecting, but she was capable of taking care of herself. Still, he was the driving force behind their journey, and he knew deep down that this could've been avoided had he just directed the both of them elsewhere. This was on _him. _ Even if Clem was too old to hold on to that unspoken promise anymore. Lee still was. It was still _his _obligation to keep his little girl safe.

And with that final thought, it was done. Lee set the rag aside and headed for the door, strolling outside of the small bathroom. The man headed out towards the front porch, managing to catch Joel just in time as the man seemed to be returning to the house, trudging through the snow with pieces of bark and kindling in hand before reaching the front porch.

"Joel. I need to have a word."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

As of late, life had been horrific.

He almost regretted the journey. _Almost. _A permanent torn muscle in his side, likely to bring him pain for years to come. The years he had left, at least. Joel ached, the adrenaline worn off on his side, a couch inside beckoning him; but they were worse off. Lee's hand left behind in that godforsaken place with Clementine's finger... then there was Ellie. She had done something no person should ever do; something that they shouldn't ever _have _to do.

He returned with the kindling he had retrieved for the fire soon enough, pushing through the chilling snow as best as he could. If there was one thing he could say about the cold, it was that it numbed the pain at least. The pain in his side; it hardly affected Lee leaving the porch, crippled as he was. They stood on the porch, facing each other then, Lee staring at Joel with those commanding, terrifying eyes of pure anger.

" _Joel. I need to have a word. _"

Joel looked him up and down, still holding the wood in his arms. He nodded to the man, bated breath glowing in the crisp air.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Listen, Joel."

A faint sigh escaped the man, his gaze drifting off towards the desolate cluster of trees that surrounded the cabin, avoiding eye contact. The prolonged silence began to egg on a certain sense of unnecessary tension that Lee was just dying to break.

"I didn't know how I wanted to say it… So I'm just gonna be straight with you."

Lee hadn't come to this conclusion lightly. And he knew not everyone would be happy about it. Hell, he hadn't even told Clementine yet. That path ahead was uncertain, and quite frankly this week had only showed Lee that it just wasn't damn worth it. If this decision meant mitigating the risk of running into more people like the cannibals, then yeah… he'd be able to accept the backlash. Drawn out silence filled the air for what seemed to be an eternity, before the one-handed man's gaze finally levelled with Joel's.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel sized Lee up once again, taking him into account as he gripped the wood tighter. "Okay." He said to Lee's first statement, tapping his foot with impatience and anxiety as he waited for Lee's reply. His eyes narrowed to almost pinpricked slits, hands breaking into freezing sweats. There was silence; a horrible, horrible silence that left the two men alone in a whistling wind and a raspy breathing from both of them. Finally, he said it.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"I've decided it'd be best…" Lee spoke slowly. "If I took Clementine back to Jackson."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel froze. Caught like a deer in headlights, confusion swathed his brain in swaddling clothes. "What?" He asked; a genuine question. He stopped, wincing at the thought of the words again. "You can't... alone? You won't be able to make it. You're, you're... you're hurt, Lee. How the hell are you and Clementine going to get back?" He lowered his voice to a screaming whisper, just in case either of the girls were listening in.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"We know how to handle ourselves out there. Both of us have been on the road for as long as we've known each other. We'll manage. Gonna take another two days to rest up here, then that's it." Lee spoke, eyes still locked on to the other man, naturally adopting a defensive tone as Joel questioned him.

He supposed he appreciated the concern, but right now he just had to do what was best for Clem, and not everyone was going to like it. Lee felt like Joel already knew why this was happening, maybe he could even see the topic of discussion coming up eventually. It was only being brought up now because Lee was trying to get this out of the way sooner rather than later. That way, it'd be better for everyone. If they were lucky enough to find a car then it could be a half of a day drive, walking would take longer. But they knew the way back.

Lee heard about the fall Joel took back at the university, he could still see the man hunching and clutching his side from it. That damn injury would've probably killed any other man. Yet, he was still standing, out there putting in work for the group. That man was as tough as nails, and had a silent stubbornness that was unrivalled. It didn't make a difference if Lee and Clem tagged along or not. If anyone was going to get Ellie to the Fireflies, it'd be Joel. And no one here was more determined to get there than Ellie, they'd both be fine even if they left.

Lee thought about how he always used to defend his decision to search for the Fireflies, but now he just felt like a fool, gallivanting around the country with their noses in the air, oblivious to all the shit they were yet to run into. After spending so much time on the road, being careful about everything, they lowered their guard in the university… and someone was there to capitalize on it. There always was _someone. _Regardless, from everything Lee had seen back at that university, the Fireflies were in disarray, moving around different locations like nomads… no different to what Clem and himself had been doing these past five years. At least, with Jackson, he knew what he was getting, he knew there were _good _people there. What would the Fireflies even do with Clementine if they joined up with them? Unlike Jackson, the Fireflies were still stuck in their war with the government. Lee knew that it was very likely they'd try to train Clementine up from young to fight. Like hell if that was a life he wanted for her. No... now Lee actually had another option, and that was Jackson. To hell with the Fireflies, to potentially dying in an attempt to get to a place that could very well be as deserted as the university was.

"Your brother has something good going on over there. And I think it's better than whatever the Fireflies can offer us at this point. Not worth it, at least not for Clem and I."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel watched Lee with a fire in his eyes. There was nothing he could do, he supposed. It didn't stop him from trying. "Christ Lee, your hand!" He tried to make a point, but after he said it, he only felt the friction increase between the two of them. "Just..." He continued, listening to Lee over and over again. He ran it all through his head, the final point that Lee brought up slamming into Joel like a bag of bricks. Jackson _was _a good place. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, he cared for Ellie. Jackson was a good place and he had never really said goodbye to Tommy... they could head back. After the Fireflies, after the cure was done, everything would be better. They could live out their lives with power, watching movies, playing ball, facing heartbreak, growing up, getting old, dying, dying in the way that folks were intended to go out…

_After _the Fireflies. Joel hadn't made an empty promise to Tess. But his faith was faltering; his mind, slowing as Lee finished. Joel couldn't keep up eye contact with him, brown gaze aimed at the floor.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Joel understood, given that he wasn't trying to go against it anymore. He could sense that the same doubt was instilled in the other man. It felt wrong to part ways like this. Lee was just hoping this discussion would prompt Joel to swiftly follow suit and travel back with them. Silence fell upon the two, Lee's features growing more somber as he averted his gaze from the Texan.

"We should've just stayed there… all of us." He knew getting hung up on hypotheticals wouldn't mend his mind. He needed to keep his shit together, even though every fibre in his being just wanted to break down. He couldn't. Not yet.

That was when they were interrupted by the sound of wood grinding against the decking as the door swung open.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie shivered as she opened the door, a gust of wind chilling her to the bone. Whatever plan she had to disappear before Lee and Joel could see her was immediately abandoned as she stepped outside, realizing that the two men were talking on the porch. It didn't take much to realize that the conversation wasn't a casual one, based on the looks Joel and Lee were giving each other, and only made her stop in her tracks.

"W – What's going on?" She asked, slurring her words together slightly as she approached them. A hint of worry burrowed its way to the pit of her stomach, planting itself right next to the guilt that already lived there. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to hear what they were going to say.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He watched her as she stumbled out, gait long, eyes large and glowing as her words ran against each other, a jumbled car crash of syllables and speech. Joel noticed it all subconsciously. His mouth was open in shock, eyes gleaming at hers as he sealed his lips before thinking of the next thing to say. He had to be calm; he only felt generous, especially after what she had faced back in that godforsaken town. Mentioning Lee's hand was already gushing guilt over him, the frothing of mindless thoughts forcing his eye to twitch.

"It's okay, Ellie, just..." The tiny ice sparkles of breath floated amongst the three, Joel considering the other two. He had wanted to leave them behind what seemed so long ago... now here they were. The favor being returned.

He stared at Lee for what felt like a longest time, before starting. "You gotta do what you gotta do." It wasn't friendly anymore; no longer did Joel try to plead. He had never been a convincing man, especially against a man who couldn't be convinced. The words were more like a bite, as Joel looked to Ellie. "Come on back inside, we need to start a fire." He wasn't as straightforward as he would have liked in this final sentence. He was shaky now, unconvinced, horribly concerned... it was a nosedive ever since they had gone to that damned university. Ever since they had started this damned journey...

**Dot [Ellie]**

Even drunk, Ellie knew when she was being lied to. Her gaze bounced between the two men in what could only be described as a frenzy, desperately hoping that one of them would just tell her what the fuck was going on. She stood firm as Joel tried to usher her inside, shaking her head defiantly.

"No." Her eyes locked on Lee, her gaze practically demanding an explanation. "What the fuck's going on?"

This wasn't something she could just back away from, especially if it was as important as it seemed.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Are you-" He started, stopping himself. There was no way out of this, was there? Joel switched glances to each of the two, thinking of ways to defuse this _now. _But there was nothing he could do; and accusing Ellie of being drunk was a part of that nothing. He stood his ground but his voice sunk back, allowing Lee to explain himself to the girl.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Her speech was slurred, and the harsh stench of alcohol filled Lee's nostrils, wafting off her like a bad scent. The kid had been drinking, and it wasn't something he'd ever expect to see from Ellie. If one thing was certain, this week had brought out the worst in almost everyone. She questioned him, then Joel attempted to defuse it.

_Goddammit. Not now... _Lee wasn't in the right frame of mind to be dealing with a drunk kid right now. He hadn't planned on telling Ellie this before Clementine; he hadn't planned on getting sprung like this. Hell, Lee hadn't planned for a lot of damn things this week. That was when the teen swore out, demanding an answer as she continued to slur and mildly stumble. He shifted his gaze away from the girl, turning to Joel, he tried not to take the hostility seriously, since she'd gotten drunk. It'd be best to keep things civil for the sake of his own sanity, or at least what was left of it.

"I think I'll get us a match..." Lee basically pretended he hadn't heard the intoxicated teen, Joel would just have to handle it. The man instead chose to acknowledge Joel's request for the fire, he spoke almost tiredly, a hint of frustration mixed with guilt in his tone. He was just fed up with it all. It was then that he attempted to make a beeline for the door that led inside. There'd be a time for this... but not until he'd talked to Clementine about it first.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie could only watch incredulously as Lee brushed past her, her face burning hot as anger boiled beneath the surface. Despite everything that's happened, she was _still _being treated like a kid, like she doesn't deserve an explanation after everything. She didn't even bother looking towards Joel, knowing that he'd only delay telling her what's going on like he did before, so instead she followed Lee inside, practically stomping across the cabin before practically slamming the bedroom door behind her, separating herself from Lee and Joel. Things may have been fucked between her and Clem, but she'd rather sit in _that _awkward silence than blow up at the two adults.

She just needed a minute to cool down.

It only took a second to realize that Clementine wasn't there, which made this all the more bearable. She positioned herself against the side of the bed, plopping herself down before hugging her knees to her chest. She buried her head into her knees, thinking back to what Joel had said to Lee.

"_You gotta do what you gotta do."_

What the fuck did that even mean? What was Lee going to do? She let out a frustrated noise, as if the act would release some of the tension building up within her. It barely did anything other than piss her off more.


	55. Goodbye, II

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Ellie..." He called out, voice shaky and mind twisted against itself. It was useless; she was gone soon enough and Joel had left the wood in the fireplace and told Lee he needed to talk to Ellie as Clementine walked out. He figured they both needed to discuss things with their other... alone. He didn't knock on the door, instead calling out "I'm coming in" and pushing it to reveal the girl sitting by the bed. He shut it behind him, figuring it would be best for the two to have some privacy.

Joel sighed, heavy footsteps moving for the girl before he stood beside her, plopping himself down in a similar position that she was in. His knees stood before him, arms propped over the caps to hang comfortably. Unsure eyes fell on the bottle of whiskey, the culprit for at least part of Ellie's outrage. He picked it up, a weak chuckle coughing from his lips. No sticker left on it. It might as well be moonshine, for all he knew. Hell, it probably _was _moonshine.

"Looks like a strong drink for your first time." He set the bottle back down, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder but still staring straight ahead. A deep exhale left his nostrils as his lips pursed and he thought about his next move; but nothing seemed to come to mind. "Just... when we're safe. Next time." He pulled it close to himself; Joel was almost certain that Tommy would have alcohol of some sort. Safer, then. She wasn't in a good mental state for it and they sure as hell weren't in a good enough physical state for it. He waited for her to speak next, patiently. He knew what was coming but... putting it off was best right now. Instant gratification for himself; no hurt, no anger, just the two of them sitting on the floor talking. He missed it so much.

He'd give anything to have that back.

**Dot [Ellie]**

When Joel entered the room, she didn't lift her gaze, wanting to just ignore him for the time-being. She was still mad at him for not telling her about what Lee was doing, and she wasn't willing to let that go _just yet _. Still, when he decided to sit next to her, she lifted her gaze a little, glancing towards him as he grabbed the discarded bottle and examined it.

What he ended up saying forced a small chuckle out of her due to how _unexpected _it was. She couldn't muster the energy to make a retort, letting his comment hang in the air for a moment. She wasn't… _proud _of what she'd done, especially with the consequences caused by the act, but it had seemed the only method of release at the time…

In the end, she decided to move on from the conversation about the whiskey. There were more important things to talk about, things she hadn't gotten a chance to tell him yet. She let out a sigh, resting her head against the side of the bed before glancing towards him.

"I thought… you were gonna..." she spoke quietly, trying her best not to slur. "For a while…" She stopped, choking on the words while averting her gaze. The thought of Joel dying after everything they've been through was absolutely horrible and felt like a stone sinking into her gut. She let out a heavier sigh. "I didn't know what to do," she admitted softly.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel listened to her, smiling and nodding at her saying her first. "Me too." He responded, his smile faltering as she choked. He looked to her and he saw so much. Confusion. Age. Terror. Guilt. Emotions ran through her face and he felt the heat slap him with a harsh fervor that only caused his eyes to widen. Taken aback and he was _scared. _So unbelievably _scared. _Joel returned the sigh, wrapping an arm around her neck and pulling her close.

"Yeah. I know. I don't really know either sometimes, but... it's alright now. It always will be." He was sure of his words. He hadn't been so sure of his words in a while, but now? This, this was something he was sure about.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She wanted to believe him, she really did. She felt safer with his arm wrapped around her, but it wasn't enough to get rid of everything that happened, and everything that could still happen. Until they reached the Fireflies, they'd always be in danger, always fighting for their lives. Ellie was tired, and right now, she wasn't sure if she could keep going on like that. She'd have to, no matter what, because the world depended on it.

Then there was the other thing that wasn't alright. How were they going to travel to the Fireflies together with that hanging over their heads? She'd done something so stupid that she wasn't sure if there was any fixing it now, like putting tape on a gaping hole to keep a boat from sinking. Sooner or later, it _would _sink.

"I… think I fucked things up with Clem…" She spoke suddenly, raising her gaze to look at Joel out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure how to talk about this, but… maybe he'd have advice for her, maybe reassure her that she _didn't _… anything to make her feel better. "And I don't… know how to fix it."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

His eyes only grew more mournful and lost as he pulled her closer. Joel had little to say, staring ahead at the rotted drawer that sat beside of the bed. What could he say? It wasn't like he had done anything like this in... in a very long time. His watch bore through his skin, bearing down on his wrist with a metallic clamp that only drove the point farther home. _What are you doing? What do you think you're doing?_

Joel opened his mouth to speak, pausing in that position, sighing. "You two are close. You know what happened between me and Tommy... he told me to never come back. But... it'll work out, Ellie." He paused again. He'd have to say something about it; she had seen the conversation, she knew something was going on.

"About Clementine, though... and Lee, I guess. You wanted to know what we were talking about out there." Another heavy breath left his throat, one of a weight being lifted from his ribcage. "They're going back to Jackson. Because of that town."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Joel's words were comforting, though she had a hard time believing in them. Of course, she was omitting certain parts of what happened, though maybe she was worrying too much about it. Maybe things would work out, they could go back to being friends without a problem, and-

She glanced towards Joel as he continued, his words leaving a lump in her throat that she couldn't quite get rid of. Her brain spun on its tracks, losing cohesion almost completely as her mouth opened, hanging there for a moment as she struggled to come to terms with what he said.

They were leaving them? Just like that? After everything they've been through? For _months _, they'd stuck together through thick and thin, and Ellie had begun to believe Clem's promise that she'd never leave her would be carried through despite the awkward situation Ellie had put them in. Now… _**fuck**_, now they were going to leave them.

"No…" she breathed, almost in denial about the whole thing, but she couldn't come up with _anything _to prove they'd stay. "No, no no no no…"

She buried her face into her knees, wrapping her arms around them as she did so. Tears welled in her eyes before eventually letting loose. She couldn't calm herself to say anything more, and while the seconds ticked away, she continued to sniffle and cry into her jeans. It was better than facing the fact that she was about to lose another best friend.

* * *

**Art [Clementine]**

Her head felt as though it'd been spinning like a mean merry-go-around; the pain, the exhaustion, and... _that, _a few minutes ago. It all kept her still for a while, pensive even in spite of the biting shiver settled in her stomach, shifting it side to side... but that stillness didn't last for very long. After Ellie was gone, she left, too. To where? Anywhere, she supposed, so long as it didn't smell of wood and the decaying odor that came with it. Between all the dozens of things, the one Clem was in the most desperate need of was some fresh air.

Lee was the first thing her eyes fell upon once the door behind her was no longer open, something resembling relief - and another, transparent unease - surrounding her eyes. He was messing with the fireplace, it looked like. An unreadable expression hidden deeper still behind a shadow looming over his figure. The girl's hips twitched to force her legs to move, until she was close enough to be within Lee's earshot, standing uncomfortably next to the man.

"You wanna talk?" Clem was brief and quiet, crossing one of her arms while her gaze lingered on the carpet underneath her boots. "I haven't seen you in weeks..."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee held the fire iron firmly in his hand, picking and prodding away at the lumber that Joel had set up in the fireplace. The man was squatted down, gazing at the flames with what could only be described as a blank and desolate stare. He was alone now, and no one was in good shape. He couldn't hold a conversation with Clementine if his life depended on it… Ellie was- off _drinking. _Lee just had to thank everything holy that Joel was here to help out... It felt like a gamble at this point, when it came to holding everything nasty inside.

Now Joel knew, and Ellie would too, soon enough. In theory, the plan was easy. But putting it into practice… seeing how everyone was being affected… it wasn't worth it, but Lee was set in his ways here. It _had _to be done. If they could… convince Joel and Ellie… maybe it didn't have to mean goodbye?

The thought was promptly halted as Lee heard Clementine's voice from behind, she'd goddamn snuck up on him real good. The man jolted his head in her direction, surprise on his face. That she wanted to talk… Granted, they hadn't spoken all that much since earlier that night, but maybe she was more more concerned about it than he thought.

"Yeah, I- wanted to. I've just been… " He trailed off, _busy _didn't seem like the right word here. He desperately tried to follow it up with something, but ultimately failed at it. "I don't know." He spoke rather bluntly, before turning to her.

"Is it… still hurting as much as before?" He gestured towards the girl's hand.

**Art [Clementine]**

The girl pouted her lips, tucking away her left hand inside her jacket pocket, hiding from Lee the blood-stained fabric enclosed around her fingers - and what used to be her ring one - in a hurry. She delayed her answer for as long as she could, before her gaze plummeted downward.

"Yes."

The single word left her in a weep, almost. Clementine flinched at her own reply, her brows drawing together and forming a pair of narrow slopes over her eyes. Mulling over a follow-up and coming up short, she didn't bother with a _'don't worry' _or an _'I'll be fine.' _Clem had a hunch Lee would see right through those…

The fourteen-year-old's knees slowly gave in, letting the girl's bottom meet the floor next to Lee. Clementine crossed her legs, watching the fire, and biting her lip, resting her hands on her knees. She couldn't stop looking at it. It was - _**everything**_below Lee's wrist was gone, and seeing the pool of red where it used to be had Clementine swallowing raw panic, making her breathing that much more frantic. It scared her enough that she couldn't bring herself to ask about it, letting the thought of doing so fade with the silence.

She turned to Lee once the quiet had become too much to bear, pulling on his sleeve like an infant, while letting out a string of faint whimpers she had no means of holding in anymore. Even if she didn't have the courage to spell it out, she just…

… _She just wanted him to hold her._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The answer the girl gave to his question hit the man like a freight train. It was his fault for asking something he wasn't ready to hear an answer to. It hurt him more than he could handle, to know how much pain she was in…. all because _he _couldn't get her out of that university fast enough.

**Guilt.**

It was slowly feasting away at him from the inside and rotting his mind, not allowing him to think anything other than the cold hard facts. He'd fucked up, and Clem paid the ultimate price because of it. He was _supposed _to keep her safe, Clem trusted him to. And in the end… he couldn't.

It was getting to the point where the man couldn't even bear to look at her. A small part of him didn't think he deserved to be talked to, not after everything he'd done. Lee wasn't a good man by any means, what he did to those people was proof of that. It was still there inside of him… he was still capable of it, even if he didn't want to believe it himself. He'd always talked to her about the value of life, not taking it needlessly. Yet, Lee couldn't even follow his own advice. Did the doctor and guard deserve to die? The man simply didn't know… all he knew was what he felt in that moment; he wasn't acting purely for survival's sake. He didn't need to… he _wanted _to do it because he _could._They were powerless, and he saw an opportunity to make them feel what he'd felt. _That _was the truth.

Before long, the teenager sat herself by his side. The man desperately tried to keep his gaze on the fire ahead of him, the fear of breaking down if he looked at her for even a second driving him to do so. That was when he felt a tug at his sleeve, causing him to look over. For a moment, he was oblivious to it. Though it didn't take him long to realize that she was… _breaking down _right next to him. Her soft whimpers echoed throughout the barren room. The longer they'd both been together, the more the concept of 'holding everything in' and staying tough seemed to be prevalent. But, behind it all… she was still just a kid, stuck in a horrible situation. It was easy to forget that.

Finally, Lee was able to do what he thought he would never be able to do again. As the man did without any second thought, like muscle memory had overridden everything else. He wrapped his right arm around her, even his left one… as much as it would allow. Lee gently brought her in closer, nestling the side of his cheek into the top of her head as he cuddled her. Needles and daggers began to stab at his eyes, he could feel them burning, before squeezing them shut to ward off the flood of emotions that were arriving.

He'd been acting so distant and cold ever since he'd found her… and it was for no other reason than the burning culpability he had for himself. Even if he hadn't been showing it lately, he just wanted her to know… needed her to… and hoped she already _did _know.

"I missed you so much..." He whispered, not being able to help the small quiver in his voice.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine nestled between Lee's arms, snuggling in and burying her face against his chest, hoping the pain would go away. Lee squeezed her tight in what had to be the strongest hug he'd ever given her. The girl's muscles loosened one after the other until her body turned limp, and all the worries gnawing at the back of her mind faded away.

Her voice was muffled, lips pressed against his stained shirt. "_ Me too. _" Every bit of fear welling up in her, it all felt like it'd left through the utterance of those words. The knowing that Lee would be there to keep her safe, to keep that nightmare from repeating. "I don't want to lose you again. _Not ever again. _"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"You won't. Because we're gonna be smarter from here on out... _I promise. _" The words left him more confidently this time, a renewed sense of determination fuelling him. It took him a few moments to regather his composure, before he finally let go.

"Clem… there's something I have to tell you. A - And, please. I **need** you not to fight me on this." Lee placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, his eyes fell on hers, the man's gaze refusing to falter. Because he had a plan, and it was one that he intended to stick to.

"I've been thinking a lot, about _our _next move. I know you're not gonna like it..." The man took a moment to mentally prepare himself for what was to come next. It was time to tell her, and after a brief moment of silence, he did.

"I want us to go back… to Jackson. I think it'll be safer for us there. Safer than out here."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine could feel her gut freeze to a cusp at the idea, her gaze dwindling, and only meeting Lee's once her lips opened to form words. "But..." She paused abruptly, swallowing, and bringing her hands together, holding the bandaged one atop the palm of another. Her teeth moved up and down as though the girl literally minced on what she intended to say. Her eyes screamed confusion, while her brows formed an angry, incredulous shape, Clementine raising her voice, if only slightly. "Lee, we're so close! We can't just go back _now. _What about the Fireflies?"

The strength of her cries waned as they went along, until they turned into downright silence. Clem lowered her head, hiding her expression behind the purple end of her hat. It hurt to bring them up like that. It always did. The fear of looking like a fool for still believing in it, of facing the hard truth that they were really gone… It almost paled in comparison.

"What about my parents...?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

This whole conundrum with the Fireflies. It was over.

Lee knew it. And from what little he'd spoke of it with Joel, _he _knew the same too. The Fireflies actually being there could very well end up being a bunch smoke without fire, just like Colorado. He wanted the other pair to come back with them. Joel might've been able to warm up to the idea after a little more persuasion… Ellie, the one that was_immune _… it'd be harder… so hard that Lee even contemplated asking Clementine to convince her. Even then, he wasn't sure if Clementine herself would ever be convinced.

As expected, Lee was met with an astounding amount of opposition from the teenager. She stood firm with Fireflies, the same never ending circle always spinning back to the same dreary topic. _Her parents. _He knew it was coming, and he had long since prepared an answer. The man wasn't ready for this. Hell, the four of them were barely hanging on by a thread as it was. The only thing quite frankly holding him together right now was the sight of Clem safe and sound.

"Clem." He spoke softly, already trying to hold onto what was left of his near non-existent composure. "You're a smart girl. So _you know _just as well as I do that the Fireflies might end up just like Colorado. What happened to us this week… I'm not risking it out here again. _I won't." _Lee stood firm in tone, making his opinion on the matter known, almost as if it was a declaration that the decision had already been made… Lee couldn't kid himself, that's exactly what it was.

" _The Fireflies…? _They'll just try to pull us into their goddamn war on FEDRA. That's not what I want for you, and… it's not what your parents would want either. Not when Tommy is running something better than that in Jackson."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's eyes shut themselves in exasperation, a sea of feelings rising from the center of her chest, and overflowing past the girl's boiling point. What the hell was that?! Ellie, Joel... Mom and Dad... They were just giving up on them...? Clem didn't know what to feel, besides anger and frustration. The two things most prevalent under her arched brows.

Her eyes fell and rose at rapid intervals, two golden spheres moving up and down without knowing where to go. Clem listened to him with perked ears and a ghastly scowl, to every time he told her to forget about her parents, that Mom and Dad could end up 'just like Colorado,' until she couldn't stand to sit and listen anymore.

"You don't know that...!" The girl barked at the man, gritted teeth that were soon hidden behind a pair of pursed lips, until they both disappeared into a pout. Her hands shook, and her then brazen eyes now stood liable to tears.

He was gonna force her to leave Ellie behind like she was nothing. She didn't have much in the way of a response. Clem didn't want to look at his face. Clem didn't want anything to do with Lee Everett.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It took a moment for Lee to register what he'd just told her, he'd initially meant the hospital just had the chance of being deserted. Clementine, however, had taken it far worse, as a suggestion that her parents were… _Oh, Christ. _In the heat of the moment, Lee had almost unintentionally slipped up. His eyes widened for a moment, revelling in the stupidity of his words. He wasn't thinking properly, not since they got here.

"Clem, I - I didn't mean it like that…" He stammered out, panicked and frazzled as he attempted to reach out towards her... only to fall short. It was too late. Even now, he couldn't bring himself to come out with it. Lee fell silent, gaze locked onto his grimy, tattered boots. The silence was quick to fill out the room yet again, and frustration was soon to follow.

"If we keep going, all it'll take is _one _screw up. _One _person like Henry to come along. And if that happens to you again… I won't ever forgive myself. Already don't. I don't want to leave them either, but - I just... I can't go through it again." Even now, all he could think about was the torture. That sick man looming over Clementine with the knife, it was a thought he wished he could erase from his memory. Lee already wasn't coping with it. The man wouldn't dare risk getting her killed trying to get there.

"So, I'm sorry Clem. I really am. But I'd rather see you hate me for it then see you lose another finger, or worse."

**Art [Clementine]**

It took the girl's every ounce of restraint not to tell him off right then and there. The four-letter word hung by the tip of her tongue, and stayed there only on the account of it being Lee who lay beside her.

Clem breathed in and out, her eyes narrowing by virtue of her puffed up cheeks, both burning a furious red. As it were, she couldn't do a damned thing. So many months of hoping and praying she'd finally see them again; torn into pieces, burnt to ash like everything else she'd ever hoped for. As though her legs moved on their own, the teen marched off in loud steps, smashing the front door behind her. Clementine would stay outside, sitting in the snow with her back against the cabin, fighting back the urge to cry.

Again, it happened. Another time he dragged her away, running off with every bit of freedom she had.

They weren't a team anymore, and she'd be an idiot to think otherwise.


	56. Goodbye, III

_11:13 AM_

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie wasn't sure when she eventually passed out, but her body told her that she definitely didn't get enough sleep. Her head was pounding, as if someone was taking a hammer and bashing it into her skull, and she rubbed at her temple gingerly as she passed through the living room of the cabin, trying desperately not to look in Lee's direction. She pushed the front door open, zipping her jacket up before trudging into the snow.

With everything packed and ready to go, she was sure Lee was going to try and leave as soon as he could, so she had very little time to try and talk to Clem before they were gone. As much as she dreaded doing so. They didn't talk at all last night, for good reason… and Ellie's stomach was churning just imagining the millions of ways this was about to go down.

She stuffed her hands into her jean pockets as she drew farther away from the cabin, sauntering towards the treeline separating the cabin and its thin road from the river beyond. She stopped suddenly when a glint of metal caught her eye, casting her gaze towards a large tree. An unfamiliar knife was embedded in the wood, and Ellie wrapped her fingers around the hilt, pulling it out, leaving a deep gash in the bark. This entire side of the tree was covered in similar markings, and some areas seemed to be missing bark completely.

She almost felt bad for Lee, but then she remembered just how pissed she was at him too, and that feeling faded.

She eventually found Clementine standing near the edge of the river, holding a small stone in her hand. Her back to her, the girl tossed the stone, and Ellie watched with mild amusement as it hopped across the surface of the water before disappearing into the depths.

Ellie stopped at the edge of the treeline, leaning against a tree as she watched Clem for a few moments longer, mentally psyching herself up for what would likely be the worst conversation she's had with the girl. Clementine continued to skip stones, and it wasn't clear if she'd noticed her approach or not. Hopefully not.

Finally, Ellie took in a deep breath, letting it out in a long, drawn-out sigh. She pushed herself away from the tree but maintained her distance from the girl. "So I guess this's gonna be goodbye, huh?" Her voice was quiet, withdrawn, maybe even disappointed. Probably about the same way she looked.

**Art [Clementine]**

The younger Clementine held the small stone between her fingers, bringing her wrist behind her body and tossing the pebble toward the water, watching vacantly as it leaped once, twice, three times, before submerging away from sight.

She hadn't seen Lee or talked to him since. Didn't want to, neither. The thought of running away clawed incessantly at the back of her mind, leaving behind scratch marks too hard to ignore. Maybe she would've, if things were any different. Being... _away _from everyone, just for a short while; the little it helped kept Clementine better placed between hills of pale-white snow as opposed to the warmth of a four-walled cabin.

There was so much buried under whatever calmness her gaze instilled. Hatred against the guy who hurt them back at the town. Hatred at Lee for saying the things he did. Hatred at herself for promising so many times that she'd stay by Ellie's side.

Clem had been carving that tree all morning, slicing chunks of timber with her knife until her hands felt numb and her lungs ran out of air. Every swing against the wood came naturally, like an extension of her movements, the very same ones brimming with rage. The girl kept at it until the anger turned into sorrow, and the girl's grunts devolved into quiet sobbing.

When her ears picked up Ellie's voice, Clem's eyes were the single thing to move, landing softly on her friend before returning to the cobalt water. She could feel her arms getting itchy, her shirt drench with sweat, even in that cold. Clementine shut herself into a tiny ball, one that'd surely do its job at distancing the girl from everyone else. It was a lot of things. Too many at once, but also only a single, pressing one.

How was she supposed to explain to her best friend that they were leaving?

It sounded like she knew already, a fact that robbed a not-so-subtle gasp from Clem, her exhale visible in the air. She sniffed once, nostrils blocked by the November weather. Her voice was all kinds of messed up, like her vocal chords had been all tangled up from the crying. She didn't bother hiding any of it.

"Lee wants us to head off as soon as the snow clears..." Another rock found its way into her hand, not very long before it flew over the lake, landing heavily in the water. "This is such... _fucking _crap...!" She again reached for one of the rocks, only to have her shoulder jolt in pain, a burn that signaled the fact that she'd used the wrong set of fingers. The rock under her left hand now lied smeared with blood, something that would take the girl a long time to adjust to.

The silence grew, and Clementine's desire to speak was only hampered by it. The shame she felt for _everything _relating to Ellie, it wasn't just obvious, it was spelled in the girl's every gesture. There was so much she wanted to say and so many reasons why she couldn't.

In a way, she supposed, the quiet spoke for itself.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's stomach felt as if it was tying itself into knots, with no signs of going away. As Clementine fell into silence, a brief period of time filled with nothing but the calm sound of the water flowing downstream and the wind blowing through the trees, a silent, mutual understanding and agreement about how shitty this situation was settled between them.

She took a few steps towards the riverbank, idly pacing until she found a smooth enough rock and bent over to pick it up. She weighed the rock in her hand, tossing it into the river and watching as it bounced once before sinking into the water.

It was an attempt, but ultimately fruitless. About sums up this journey, didn't it?

She glanced towards Clem out of the corner of her eye, stuffing her hands into her pockets once more. "Joel told me last night," she ended up explaining, given how Clementine reacted. She didn't want to go any further than that, though, just _thinking _about how she'd ended up curling into a ball and crying her eyes out being far too unpleasant to endure right now. That whole night was a memory she wished she could forget.

She picked up another rock, tossing it with a bit more vigor. It bounced off the surface of the river three times before eventually meeting its fate.

Better.

Eventually, she couldn't distract herself any longer. This was her last chance to talk to Clementine before… before her chances at seeing her again dropped almost to zero. She might as well try to take advantage of it.

She let out a deep breath, watching as it came out in a thick wisp of steam before eventually dissipating entirely. "I don't… know what to say, honestly," she admitted in a soft voice, wringing her hands together to bring about some semblance of warmth in them. "Just…" She took in a deep breath, turning fully towards her. "Thank you. For everything. I know that's not enough, but… I'm sure I'll probably come up with something on the road out of here. Something sappy and… well, better than _this _."

For once since she'd come out here, she kept her gaze fixated on the girl. If this was goodbye, Clementine deserved to be told it straight in the eye. Ellie wouldn't have it any other way.

**Art [Clementine]**

A sigh and a deeper frown was all she could afford to give her, sulking on behalf of her own wretched thoughts. Clementine's eyelids were halfway closed, drops of water still amassed under her eyelashes.

Things were so _awful _and so damn _confusing._

The teen's mouth hung open while she mulled over what to say, the girl beating herself over every phrase she failed to utter. Was there even any point to it? Knowing they might never see each other again, exactly like everyone else she'd ever known, it almost made her want to skip the goodbyes altogether. Maybe... try to forget all about her and Joel while there was still time, before they turned into another Jane.

…

Who the hell was she kidding? It was her _**best friend.**_

"I'm gonna miss you like crazy." Clem would have choked on her words were she not so confident in them. A set of six with enough resolution put behind them, it was almost as if they hadn't been only barely audible, stated by a frail little girl. Even so, what was meant to follow would end up stuck in her throat, unable to find its way out. Her uneven gaze now matched by her trembling lips.

Clem didn't know what was what between them. What it was supposed to be. What it was... Ellie _felt. _All that time and... she'd only ever seen Ellie as a friend. Couldn't have_not, _even if she tried to. Even after everything they'd been through.

She was a girl, wasn't she? They both were. It just didn't make sense. Everything she ever knew about that stuff, the little it was, it'd all went topsy-turvy pretty much overnight. How was she supposed to... have those sorts of feelings for another girl? How come Ellie had feelings for her, even though she wasn't a boy?

Those questions, Clementine had to bury in the back of her mind, at least until she had the answers. Fearing the silence, she forced herself to speak, her grip on her knees tightening. "Guess I'm not... gonna be seeing my mom and dad again..."

She did what she could not to sound like a total mess as she said it, shutting her eyes as though it'd do anything to help her cope. "I was so fucking sure of it. For some reason, I... I thought for sure that this time was gonna be it."

It was good, she thought. Sharing that with someone. Sharing it with Ellie, especially. It felt like so long ago when she first told her about them. And now look at her, clinging to the flame that kept that hope alive only for what felt like necessity. Maybe it was time to grow up, the little voice in her head kept telling her. "I still think they'll find _me."_But that, it still said the loudest, muffling the other like they were in a constant shouting match. "Maybe Jackson isn't so bad a place to... wait it out. See if they... you know."

Clem sniffed again, rubbing her nose. One look at Ellie was all it took, and she found the strength to smile one more time, sheepish as it was. "I'll see you there, okay? You better come back."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Everything that followed hurt to listen to, as if she could _feel _Clementine's disappointment in the pit of her stomach. For her, that same feeling had lingered with her for years, realizing that she'd never see her parents, that she'd never belong anywhere but in an orphanage until the day she was old enough to be thrown into the military. She had a chance to start again, after they got to the Fireflies and cured this thing. Clementine… didn't have that.

And there was nothing Ellie could do or say to change that, or to make her feel better. Nothing would make up for giving up on your parents, even if there _was _something Ellie could do.

She took in a deep breath, approaching the sitting girl in small strides. After scraping away a spot for her to sit in the snow, she sat down next to Clementine, resting her elbows on top of her knees before holding her head up with the palms of her hands. She looked towards Clem out of the corner of her eye, trying to put on a smile.

"I've got a promise to keep," Ellie stated in a quiet voice, referencing to what they said back at the university. Technically speaking, they were breaking it, weren't they? They were splitting up. Still, it sounded nice, and that's what mattered. "After we're done with this, I'll be there. No matter what."

With that said, she fell into silence, choosing to bite back words she knew wouldn't do her any good right now. For now, she just had to… _be there _for Clem, to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. Even if she couldn't make Clementine's parents appear out of thin air, though she was starting to wish that she could. Anything to make her friend happy.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The thought that they were finally done with this… it lifted the weight off Lee's shoulders, but the temporary relief it provided still couldn't negate the fact that it felt like he was dumping that weight onto Joel and Ellie. Ripping Clementine away from her best friend… tearing that hope away of finding her parents. What he'd let happen this past week… what was happening _now. _Lee didn't think it was possible to loathe himself any more than he currently did. Regardless, he didn't intend to continue this journey to the Fireflies long enough to find out. Right now he just had to focus on getting her back safe… maybe finding a car if they could.

As for Clementine, the damage had already been done. He understood there was nothing he could do or say right now... It hurt him, just how much she seemed to despise him, to want nothing to do with him. But even then, it wouldn't hurt him more than seeing her get caught again… and _that _was what Lee continually reminded himself of every time he thought about going back on his decision.

The harsh blizzards had died down to a simple winter's chill, several clumps of snow still coated the ground. This was just the right time to leave before it picked up again, even if it's earlier than predicted. At this point, if they waited any longer… perhaps they wouldn't end up leaving at all. Lee swiftly exited the cabin with a heavily packed bag slung over his shoulder. He hadn't been so carefree to not be aware of where Clementine had been all morning… assaulting that tree. And that was where he headed, deviating from the dirt road until he was about halfway into the treeline. It was there that he spotted the river, along with two figures.

"Clem." He called out, somewhat keeping his distance as he gestured for her to come back to where the open grounds were, close to the road near the cabin. To where he hoped they'd at least be able to see Joel and Ellie off. "It's time."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine rose to her feet unceremoniously, boots sinking into the snow as the girl crossed her right arm, standing unresponsive between Ellie and the one telling her to go. Her brows sunk low before drawing together, a barrage of emotions being shot across her body, making Clem purse her lips and move along without saying a word.

With the straps of her backpack safely latched onto her shoulders, Clementine walked up to Lee one methodical step at a time, dragging her feet through the snow and forcing them to move. She didn't bother looking at him, saying even the most superfluous of things. He wouldn't change his mind even if she begged him to. Clem paced past him - far, far past him - stopping by the porch, where she'd wait until Lee stopped pretending he wasn't pulling her by the arm a third time.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The walk back to the cabin was… unpleasant, to say the least. She avoided looking in Lee's direction, choosing to let her anger bubble beneath the surface rather than let it loose on him. It wouldn't do any of them any good.

By the time they made it back to the cabin, Ellie spared one final glance towards Clementine as she stopped by the porch before making her own way towards Joel, standing next to him with her eyes focused on the sparkly white snow beneath her feet. With the sun starting to peek through the clouds, the snow became almost mesmerizing.

Then again, it wouldn't have taken much to get her to not look towards the others.

Without speaking, she waited for what was to come, something she'd been dreading all night, let alone since they first met each other.

She hated every single second of it.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Once all was quiet, Lee silently made his way back to the road. Clementine had parked herself over by the porch, seemingly dreading the moment he'd give the final word to leave. The rest overnight hadn't been enough, the man's eyes were still sunken, coupled with the plethora of mixed thoughts that were haunting him. He spotted Joel approaching, Ellie also making her way to his side. Joel looked like he wanted to talk at least, and hell… he figured Ellie was only here because everyone else was. The refusal to even look at him was a dead indicator to Lee on how she felt, and he couldn't necessarily blame the other teen. As stale as Lee's demeanour was, there was something akin to regret in his eyes as he fanned them over towards Joel. He'd been feeling it so much that it'd almost become numb at this point. There was no changing the past, this was happening now… whether the four of them liked it or not. Finally, Lee decided to try and be the bigger man and muster up something decent to say. They deserved that much, at least.

"Look, I just wanted to say thanks. For helping us get this far… we wouldn't have found Tommy's if it wasn't for you guys. I think it's gonna be good for us… eventually." Lee cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head to combat the ever brewing silence.

"It's not too late... to change your minds about coming back with us _today. _" Lee glanced over his shoulder to Clementine, who was still giving him the silent treatment, accompanied with a filthy glance every once in a while. After a small pause, he looked back towards the two in front of him. "We could sure use the company."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

It wasn't an easy decision. It never _was _an easy decision. Joel was certain that Lee was hurting with this just as Ellie and Clementine were; it pained his mind, but Joel was hardly damaged. The advent of the question had shocked him, even pricked at the thick layering atop his head, but he had to cope. Coming to terms was something he learned with age; coming to terms with Tess, coming to terms with Tommy leaving, coming to terms with the idea of…

Regardless of the terms approached in the past, this current leave of absence was something Joel had accepted. He nodded to Lee as he approached and spoke, arms at his sides. "Yeah... thank you, too. Wouldn't have made it this far without you two." He meant it, he felt. Could him and Ellie have really survived everything they had faced without the help of Lee and Clementine? Of course they couldn't have; of course not.

"You know me. My mind's all made up." It was done of course, so he had said. He patted Lee on the shoulder, smiling weakly in the glowering sun of snow. "You tell Tommy when you get there that he better look out, 'cause I'm coming for him."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A puff of air pushed through his nostrils as he shook his head, managing to elicit something akin to a weak smile. It was Joel's discreet way of telling Lee that it was okay. To the man, this all felt anything _but _okay. Entrenched in his own grief, he hadn't stopped hating himself for what happened this winter. Lee had been pushed to the edge. Clementine hadn't seen him simply enraged. The girl had seen him for who he truly was, underneath it all. Sure, Lee could try to underplay the lives he took and say that was how the world worked, just to make himself feel better. What aggravated him even more was the regret. That lingering feeling of wishing that he could've got his hands on Henry. What he would've done to him, it frightened him to think about.

A moment passed, almost as if Lee had forgotten common courtesy. This was really it? What they'd started in Pittsburgh was finally closing out. At least, for Lee and Clementine, the other duo still had quite the trek ahead of them. Although they were assured to be coming back, plans could change. They could get hurt out there… and Lee knew better than to not assume this could very well be the last time they saw each other, though he hoped it wasn't. He really did. What would've come to him naturally was a struggle… hell, everything lately had been a struggle for him. Before long, the man outstretched his only hand towards Joel.

"I'm sure you will." He spoke equally as lax, before finally shaking the other man's hand. His next words were directed at the both of them, but Lee glanced towards Ellie as he spoke. "And I hope you find what you're looking for over there." Lee was sincere, even if Ellie was still angry at him. Words were better than nothing, he supposed.

Clementine hadn't been able to socialize around anyone her own age in what seemed to be like… forever ago. Even if they'd started off on a very rough patch, Ellie was always there to support Clementine, in ways that even Lee couldn't. Teenagers always needed people around their own age to confide in, and he was grateful that Ellie had been that person. Lee just wished he could somehow tell her that… right now. In the end, silence ensued.

The sun barely peeked through the snow clouds as the wind picked up, the trees shaking and rustling against the breeze. "We… gotta go. While the weather holds out." Any more time spent here was pointless, and Lee decided it was time to tear the bandaid off for good. The man finally spoke after a brief moment of silence shared between them, before waving over Clementine to join him. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you guys had the same idea of holing up in that coffee shop. I don't know where we'd be right now if you hadn't." He spoke as he gave one last glance to the two of them, reluctantly beginning to turn away.

Boots crunched against the snow as Clementine joined his side, and now he could see how devastated she truly was. The girl's head drooped down as she stared at her feet, nothing but her obligation to follow instructions was keeping her moving. She didn't want to go anywhere with him, when usually it was the opposite.

_You really gonna do this to yourself again? To her? After everything..._

The voice was urging him to stop, to not go. He didn't listen. Lee's legs continued to carry him onwards. And that was away from here. From the Fireflies, from more bandits… from Joel and Ellie. This was goodbye. He didn't know for how long. Lee just had to hope it wasn't forever. It took all that he had to keep going, knowing that one simple glance at Clem's face could have him walking back the other way.

As the two of them slowly shrunk into smaller silhouettes. Lee had to convince himself that whatever was ahead of them… was better. That he made the right decision.


	57. Adjustment, I

_4:33 PM - November 16, 2025 (9 days later) - Denver, Colorado_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A harsh **clank** echoed out as Lee slammed the hood down with his elbow. His only hand gripped his pistol tightly; if it came down to it again, it was their lifeline. Ammo was short, so was food. It was a situation that wasn't favourable for them, but not one they hadn't seen countless times before. Without Whiskers, they needed to find another way to shorten their travelling time back to Jackson unless they wanted to keep scraping by out here. Lucky for them, this might've been it.

"Okay…" Lee breathed out, circling the vehicle. He realized it was one of the old muscle cars from back in the day, some kind of old Corvette, or… Mustang? An orange tint coated it, with white, racer-like stripes running down both sides and above. _Five seater, decent condition… probably won't blow up on the way back. Let's hope._

"I think we got one. Just needs more fuel. So we oughta start looking, yeah?" He spoke, before holstering his pistol and reaching into an open pocket on the side of his bag, outstretching his hand towards Clementine. He waited for her to take the siphon from him.

**Art [Clementine]**

So this was it, then.

Days, those seemed to go by much slower. Every morning quieter than the last, until nightfall ushered on the dead-silence that plagued Lee and Clementine. Two lone shadows under the moonlight.

It was a bad type of nostalgic. The kind that made her skin crawl, her toes curl up in fear. She wasn't _alone, _for as much as the beating of her heart warned her as much, but Clem may as well have been. Ellie and Joel had just joined the list, and the girl was all the worse for it.

A week had sneaked past her the same way a drooling clicker would before chowing on someone's neck. An uneventful afternoon preceded by many like them. The joints in Clem's knees screaming for help at the prospect of making even the smallest step toward their destination. It almost made her hopeful, then, that they might've not had to walk all the way there after all.

The girl took hold of the siphon without much in the way of physical contact, much less a visual one. Her lips trembled as she stared at the rows of cars, all waiting to have those meager drops of gasoline sucked right out of them. A drawn-out sigh was all she could afford to give before her legs met the pavement, and that dreaded plastic tube hovered over her tongue. The girl begrudgingly inhaled, wincing as the sour liquid found its way into her mouth until it had her spitting everything out.

A terribly unfun way to spend twenty-four minutes.

The can had enough to feel heavy, eventually. Heavy for her, at least. Clementine found herself back where she'd started, haphazardly handing the fuel to Lee, eyes flickering with nausea. _I'm gonna puke... _Those same amber eyes shot to the floor, and the saliva collecting on the edge of her lips the girl promptly spat out like there was no tomorrow, while she gradually started to feel weak at the knees. Lee'd just have to load the car himself, it looked like.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He couldn't lie to himself. Lee had exercised the thought of turning back into the direction that Joel and Ellie were headed. Even if it was just to see a reaction, a smile…_anything _from her. Though it was too late for all that. He figured they both knew turning back wouldn't be ideal at this point.

"Good work." He nodded, trying his best to play off the silent treatment before taking the fuel canister from her hands. Flipping open the fuel hatch, Lee rested the canister on his stump and used his other hand to grip the top of the lid. He fought hard to minimize any wobbling and spillage. Slowly, he began to pour the contents of the container until there was nothing left. This whole one-handed ordeal still took some getting used to, and all he could do was tell himself it could've been a lot worse, which was true… to a degree.

Closing the fuel hatch and throwing the canister into the back seat, Lee rushed to the driver side, the keys jingling in his hand for a moment before he placed them into the ignition. Still standing by the driver door and hunched over, he twisted the keys. The car purred and croaked for a few moments, until the engine finally spurred to life, a puff of smoke coming out of the exhaust.

"There we go!" He spoke cheerfully over the loud roar emanating from the car, flashing a smile towards Clem. He didn't know why he expected her to jump in joy in that split second, so when it didn't happen, his smile soon faded as he averted his gaze.

If the engine held out, this meant they'd be back in… hell, hopefully in time for dinner. Lee stared at the driver seat, the door still wide open. Almost as if tantalizing them to get in and start driving… away from this hellhole, back to safety. Though, he looked back towards the teen, eyes darting around as if he was trying to come to some kind of conclusion.

_You've been putting it off for too long anyway. If not now, when?_

The man let out a soft grumble of defeat, circling around the car and opening the door on the other side. With that, Lee hopped into the passenger seat, reaching to his side and pulling the seat belt over him, firmly buckling himself in. Once all was said and done, he directed his attention to Clementine, bending his head down so he could see out of the driver seat where she was standing.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go." He nonchalantly enquired, making his intentions clear. Yes, he finally wanted to give her the long awaited driving lessons. How she was going to take that was anyone's guess.

**Art [Clementine]**

The little girl watched in unrest as Lee forced the muscle car to start, twisting its key with force, not before loading it with the gas collected in the grimy, red can. As it turned out, the vehicle cheered in response, letting out a loud roar in the form of a working engine. Even then, she couldn't hope to feel anything but indifference, stricken by the fact that they'd only be traveling farther away from where her parents were. Away from the Fireflies.

Clementine wiped her mouth using her good hand, stopping to glance at Lee comfortably resting in her seat. "What are you doing?" She sounded reserved and genuinely confused, clutching at her forearm as her brows drew together.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee supposed he should've expected her to be confused. He'd never taken the passenger seat before, but today was going to be different. If there was ever an emergency that put her in a position where she'd somehow need to drive, it would be a profoundly useful tool to learn one of these days, and Clem was around the right age now.

"I'm teaching you to drive." Lee responded, carefree in attitude. "So, c'mon. And don't forget your seatbelt." He promptly reminded her.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem would've figured it for a joke had it not been for the look in Lee's eyes, the matter-of-factness in his voice. _Drive? _They'd had that type of conversation before, sure. Back when the girl's feet could barely reach the pedal, the windshield seeming entire worlds away.

Before she even knew it, Clementine could feel her back rubbing against the leather seat, the seatbelt sliding across her chest, her nine fingers wrapped around the steering wheel. With all that came an anxiety hard to fight back, the weight of Lee's request finally kicking in. It's not that she didn't _want _to drive that crazy cool car around, it's just that...

"You sure now's a good time...?" The question faded into silence as quickly as it left her. "What if there's, like... _walkers _or something?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"_So, what now?" A young Lee, still sporting his teens, curiously asked his father. Looking over to him with his hands firmly gripped on the steering wheel, expecting a detailed response._

"_Put the car in drive." His father responded firmly. Lee would waste no time shifting the gear into its required place. Looking over to his father again, he awaited his next instruction. A brief pause followed before the older Everett stared straight at him, almost as if he expected him to know what to do._

"_Now drive."_

In the moment, Lee remembered not being all too impressed with his father's 'direct' coaching skills. It still managed to garner a grin out of the man every time he thought about it. Some things just got funnier over time, and that memory was one of them. Lee just figured he'd try to do better at explaining things with Clem, if he could.

"If we see walkers blocking our way, just treat it like seeing a friendly average Joe. We slow down." He attempted to reassure her. If anything, maybe it'd be the perfect distraction to just… get their minds off things.

"Now, think of a… uh, clock. Or an old watch. Where the positions of the _ten _and _two _numbers are, that's where your hands should be on the steering wheel at all times. Accelerator is on the far right. To start off, you can ease your foot on and off it as slowly and as smoothly as you can. Got it?"

**Art [Clementine]**

It was easier than it looked. _Kinda._

Clem's amber eyes were drawn to the spiraling road ahead. Her foot leaned against the right pedal with a mountain of hesitance, keeping the muscle car at what could only be described as a snail's pace. As daylight gradually came to fade, so did the steadiness in the girl's hands. Every small animal caught in the headlights had Clementine's shoulders leaping in place, and the snow-covered windshield did little in her favor. Her lips pursed and her palms sweated almost as though it wasn't freezing outside.

As Clementine lifted her right hand to pull off a gear shift, she swallowed hard, catching a glimpse of Lee's watchful eye. "Am I doing it right...?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

With every passing minute, they were putting less distance between them and Jackson. The man occasionally glanced out of the window to the road, just imagining them both walking right now... it was a distasteful thought. One that made Lee all the more grateful that they'd found this thing. His _watchful eye _probably should've been doing the_watching _part more carefully, but to be frank, he was caught up by how... _grown up _she looked. Watching her take the wheel for the first time after all these years, while he sat in the passenger seat like an old man. It made him feel... well, just that. _Old._

Her worrisome tone was quick to snap him out of his daze. "Huh... ? Oh, no, you're doing good. Great, actually." Lee admitted, although he did notice that Clementine was a bit rigid. Naturally, that's how it usually was with the first time.

"If anything, just try to loosen up; be less... stiff. It's still a bit slippery on the road and it's getting dark, so slow and steady is good. You finding it okay so far?"

**Art [Clementine]**

She nodded, faking confidence. "Mhmm." Even if her shoulders loosened, her grip on the wheel only tightened, the girl's hips uncomfortably shifting position, looking for comfort where there couldn't be any. From then on, her eyes wouldn't budge. Her expression would stay the same, frozen nearly as stiff as the rest of her body, like it refused to change.

More road kept being unveiled from under the small corner of light ahead of the car, and that's where Clementine's eyes stayed. The two round shapes between her nose began to flicker once the light sneaking through the buildings ceased to be. Buried under her eyelids more and more, the longer the road stretched on, seemingly without an end. Clem loosened then. It was the only time she could afford to.


	58. Adjustment, II

_5:02 PM - November 18, 2025 (2 days later) - Highway into Jackson County_

**Art [Clementine]**

She'd had one of those dreams again - the really messed up, head-twisty kind. They weren't always, or ever, the most coherent, not after the fact. It was a lot of... that guy from the town. Sometimes he'd be doing things. To her, or in front of her. Grinning from ear to ear, drowned by the shadows beneath that cold cell.

Other times it'd be Lee.

It felt better, being in the passenger seat again. Not that it helped much with sleeping. Her hand felt a stupid amount of sore that morning, a jolt of pain that kept serving as a reminder of what was missing. As if she needed one.

Lee would often turn to Clementine once her eyes were open, spotting those glimpses of fear she could only hide by looking the other way, out her window. It really was like he could sense something was wrong. Maybe he just had an eye for it.

They were probably close now. All she wanted was to be in her room for a while. Away. Where no one else could get to her. Not the one in Jackson; the one she had to..._somehow pretend _was the real thing. Clem wanted to go home, back to Dad, Mom... back to all those animals she loved so much.

She'd do anything to have that back.

* * *

_5:30 PM_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

With the car nestled safely into the tree line, the duo continued onwards, boots crunching against the twigs and leaves beneath them. Getting here was already a miracle in itself, they were just on the final stretch now; everything Lee had pushed and fought so hard for, it ended at those gates. It was going to be worth it in the end, that's what he continually told himself. Lee's stomach violently rumbled, and the stump on his left wrist still throbbed from time to time. The man just wanted to rest easy… and knowing they were inside the confines of the community would be enough. Of course, Lee was still relying on the kindness of Tommy and Andrea. Unless the both of them had changed drastically in such a short amount of time, he was hoping they would be agreeable to him and Clementine staying long term.

The gates finally came into sight, the same ones they loomed over with Andrea not long ago before they left on horseback. As they steadily approached the front, Lee kept his pistol tucked into the back of his pants, his only hand gripped around the backpack strap hanging over his shoulder. Even seeing it for the second time, it was still as impressive as he remembered it. Thus, came the moment he'd been hoping and dreading for. Lee's neck tilted back, staring up at some sort of makeshift lookout tower behind the gate, which still gave off an intimidating feel.

"Anyone up there?"

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea had only just recently gotten used to having Dwight around. The first few weeks had been some of the most awkward times she'd ever experienced, though that wasn't _really _Dwight's fault. Trusting Saviors, even ex-Saviors, was something foreign to her, and it took Carl's confidence that things would work out alright for her to eventually get over it. She'd gone from watching him with a cautious eye to trusting him enough to turn her back on him. She only hoped she wouldn't find a knife buried in it one of these days.

Recently, she'd been accompanying him on lookout shifts on the gate, mainly due to the fact she still didn't trust him _enough _to leave him alone with it. It was during these shifts she tried her best to get to know him, to figured out what made him tick, and she'd been questioning him about Paradise and what had happened to it since her last incursion there when a voice from beyond the wall had caught their attention.

Standing up, and clutching a rifle tightly, she climbed onto the scaffolding to peer over the wall, her gaze being met with two familiar faces: Lee and Clementine.

And noticeably without Joel and Ellie.

She lowered the rifle, breathing out a sigh before turning to Dwight on the ground. "Dwight, get the gate. They're friends."

She returned to the ground, meeting Lee's gaze with a respectful nod and gripping the younger girl's shoulder gently as she smiled. "It's good to see you two again. How'd things go? … Where's Joel and Ellie?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

" _They're friends. _"

That comment alone ushered a certain sense of relief from the now one-handed man. Andrea had remembered them, at least, and from what it looked like, she was willing to talk.

_Thank Christ..._

At one stage, Lee wasn't sure if it was a sight himself and Clementine would ever see again. However, to his surprise, the gates slowly creaked open to reveal the still thriving community, unmarked by the blemishes of the outside world. What was even more surprising was the man operating the front gate; for a moment, Lee almost halted right there, staring at the man with the half-burnt face.

It was the man from that rough trading outpost, from _Paradise _. What in the hell was he doing _here? _Regardless, Dwight hadn't even acknowledged them yet, and so to not make things awkward, Lee simply didn't either. The first priority was making his case to Andrea, that was the most important thing right now. The split-second of confusion had him frozen, before he quickly snapped himself out of his daze. Once they were on other side of the gates, his attention turned to the woman next to him as she asked them about their travels.

"They're good. Still on their way to the Fireflies. Long story short, the plan ended up changing for Clementine and I…" Lee stated, deliberately avoiding the deep trench he'd dig himself into if he actually gave a proper answer to how it went, it was best to avoid that altogether. "Look, uh…"

Lee mulled over his thoughts for a moment, this might've been a make or break moment here, perhaps he was hyping himself up too much, perhaps not. The only thing that mattered was securing a spot for Clementine here, nothing else.

"You guys were kind enough to let us in the first time. And we came a long way to-" Lee stuttered, realizing that he was starting to sound like he was trying to garner sympathy. Dragging this out any longer would be pointless, he just had to hope they were as kind as he thought they were. They had to be. "I just wanted to ask for the opportunity to talk to someone about a long term position here… _for us. _"

**Dot [Andrea]**

A sense of relief had washed over her when Lee confirmed that Joel and Ellie were okay, still on their way to the Fireflies, though she figured they would've already made it to the university by now. While Lee started to ask about staying in Jackson, Andrea's mind had gone elsewhere, a reeling effect caused by something she'd missed the upon first seeing them again.

Lee was missing a hand.

_Things had only gone from shit to even shittier in the span of a few hours. With the fence down, walkers swarmed the prison yard. The only thing between her and Dale and a grueling death was the older man's RV._

_When the gunshots started once more, she was drawn to the window, staring out to see who had gone outside, though her gaze was met with familiar faces she hadn't seen in a while, and some new ones. She opened the door hastily as Dale called out towards one of the men._

"_Rick? Holy shit son, it __**is**__you!"_

"_Rick!" Andrea shouted the man's name as she ran outside, clutching her rifle tightly. "Rick! Oh god, you're alive!" That was when the realization dawned on her, accompanied by the sight of stained bandages wrapped around Rick's- "Your hand… what happened?!"_

That same feeling of dread had returned in full force, causing her eyes to open wide. The man's question had been forgotten, replaced by a question she couldn't help but blurt out. "Holy shit… what the hell happened out there?"

From next to her, Dwight's gaze hardened, as if the sight of Lee's missing hand left him surprised too.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee supposed he couldn't expect everyone to pretend it was there, like he'd been doing, the sharp hint of dull pain every so often serving as a harsh reminder of reality. Part of Lee thought if he didn't acknowledge it, others wouldn't, so when Andrea practically gawked in concern, the man shifted uncomfortably in response. Lee glanced over at his still recently-chopped hand, realizing he'd have to get used to expecting this sort of thing in social settings. That's if they allowed them in, of course. Being reminded didn't upset him at all, it was moreso a lack of an answer from Andrea.

"Nothing good." Finally, his gaze settled on the blonde woman in front of him, frowning slightly. "You don't wanna know the rest." She really didn't, and it wasn't like he was ready to tread down that route of conversation yet in front of Clementine. Too much.

**Dot [Andrea]**

The look on Andrea's face was one of pity and understanding. After everything they'd been through to get here, Andrea knew what it was like out there better than anyone. She knew the kind of people that roamed the wasteland, the kind of people that cut Rick's hand off and destroyed Alexandria in a cacophony of explosions. Lee's response brooked no further inquiry, and Andrea wasn't about to give it anyway. She took in a deep breath, ushering them inside while Dwight closed the gate.

"Well, I'm sorry about what happened, but… you're more than welcome to stay here. I'm sure we can find a place for you two. The place you were staying in should still be empty." She looked towards Dwight, a hand on her hip. "Let Tommy know that Joel's friends are back." He simply nodded before beginning to walk off, clearing his throat as he turned back around.

"Good to see you two again," Dwight stated in an even tone.

Andrea raised an eyebrow, giving Lee a questioning glance. "Guessing you two met in Paradise?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine fell into a short stretch of silence while the other adults led her in, every step of hers feeling pendulous and averse, always a couple behind Lee. Even Andrea's gesture had her feeling jumpy, a mixture of feelings causing her to drop her head and frown.

The one with his face scarred, then - who she did not recall the name of - had her eyes widening, and a large fog sneaking through the gaps in her teeth. He still scared the wits out of her.

"Yes," the smaller one said as loud as a whisper, not purposely avoiding the man's gaze, but doing so all the same. The bit of guilt she felt seeing him again, it hardly helped. Clem hadn't trusted that guy for even one sec. Held him at gunpoint after he saved her and the whole lot of them. He probably thought she was a _total douchebag._

Then he got them that car and those supplies, which was half the reason they ever made it to Tommy's in the first place. This felt due, even if the man didn't like her._Especially if he doesn't... _"You really helped us..." Clementine told Dwight, outstretching her hand to shake his, albeit shyly, and not without fright spelled in her expression. "Thank you."

**Dot [Dwight]**

Dwight gave the younger girl a curt nod before extending his own hand out to shake hers. Everything that happened back then had been to keep these folks from getting sucked into Negan's shit. Good gestures were hard to come by, especially from him, and he had a feeling they would've died on the road anyway, though his intuitions had been proven wrong.

When he let go of the girl's hand, he replied to her comment with a warmer tone. "Don't mention it."

With one cursory glance towards Andrea, he headed off, listening as she led them deeper into Jackson.

" _C'mon, let's get you two situated. _"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As those words of confirmation finally left Andrea's mouth, the anxiety in the pit of his stomach almost dissipated in that moment. They had a community, a functional and_decent _one which they'd be allowed to call home. Years of running and isolation were soon going to be a thing of the past, provided this place stayed safe. Lee was prepared to pull his weight as much as he could, prove that Andrea's decision to let them stay wasn't the wrong one.

Small groups were a bust, they tried making things work before. After everything, the quality of life associated with travelling alone soon became all too unbearable to handle. Maybe it was time for some change. Something _bigger. _A tidal wave of thoughts washed over the man's head, there were so many things to start organizing, including sorting everything out for Clementine, and her new school.

_One step at a time…_

"Thank you… this means, more than you know." Lee responded, noticeably more enthusiastic than before. "We'll do everything we can to help out around here."

Dwight had finally spoken up, it seems like he'd definitely remembered them. Although Lee couldn't help but wonder what had ultimately transpired at Paradise for him to wind up here. Did something happen, or did the man always know about Jackson? Regardless, it was good to see another friendly face.

"Good to see you, too. Small world, it looks like."

Andrea was quick to catch on, Lee shifting his gaze towards her as she asked about their previous relations. "Yeah, it was quite a while back. He treated us pretty well."

Andrea then offered to show them their old place, as to which Lee promptly nodded in response. The man excitedly readjusted his bag strap as he readied himself to follow the familiar face.

"That sounds good to me."


	59. Adjustment, III

_12:04 PM - November 20, 2025 (2 days later)_

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Somehow, Carl had found himself shivering by the residence of someone who hadn't been on his mind in a long, long time. He hoped that no one noticed him loitering, but he'd been there for a little while, and there had been no sign of the elusive Clementine. Carl had been up and about before the sun, straying from his home as soon as the sun had risen, because the last winter had taught him to take advantage of any time you could get out at the crack of dawn. The onset of November had brought flurries of snow, but they hadn't yet collected enough to be more than an inch deep before the mountain sun beat it back into water. Rubbing his hands together roughly and pacing to keep himself warm, he tried to reminisce on Georgia, with its merciless sunshine that he'd despised. The cold permeated even the memories.

As time drew on, he began to realize that she probably didn't share his early-bird mindset, at least not after the journey back. So, he wandered around the community and tried to soak up sunlight, checking regularly to see if anyone had appeared. At one point, Lee's large footsteps led away from the house, but he never caught up to him. The sun was high above by the time he'd decided to try again tomorrow, his stomach demanding a late breakfast, when he saw her sitting outside doing just that. _As if she'd been here the whole time, _he thought.

Tentatively, he stepped up, well aware of how loud the crunch of each step was in the snow. "Long time, no see!" He called, holding up a hand in greeting. The scene seemed to be lacking, without the animated redhead keeping the quiet girl company.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine felt herself in a trance difficult to break away from. Everything from the colorful birds singing next to her window, parallel to a bed that now housed only the one sporting the baseball cap, to the children laughing frenziedly in the park a meager two blocks away from her house; neither elicited a response from the girl, who couldn't do much besides embrace her pillow whilst having her back leaned against the bedroom walls. As far as Ellie and the Fireflies went - even more so, her mom and dad - the loudest voice in her head urged Clem to move on. Lee would have said so a dozen times had he had the courage to, she thought. That's all there was left. The last few years suddenly felt very senseless, now entangled with every single one of her broken promises to make one large stew of regret.

…

She _was _hungry, at least. That much felt like progress.

Downstairs, Lee had left her two toasts crispier than that big, freaky thing Ellie offed back in the university, and neither the food nor the memory lent her a good kind of nostalgia. The girl's teeth still crunched on the bread mercilessly, and with no regard for table manners. Not that she intended to eat there anyhow. Not by herself.

The boots and leg warmers were a must, much as they were near ruined from overuse. It wasn't that cold, mind you. Habits like those were more hang-ups than anything, harder to shake off than the need to keep that old hat over her head. Breakfast felt tastier outside, on the porch. Clem caught herself smiling as the crumbs of bread stuck to her cheeks like glue - the crusty toast now only a pleasant aftertaste.

There was no hiding how startled she felt when a boy approached her from her blind spot. Hard as it was to admit, she might've shrieked had it not been for the bits of food filling her mouth.

Even more embarrassing, Clementine had forgotten about Carl _completely. _Maybe her only friend in all that stretch of land someone fancied naming Jackson? _Good one, idiot. _ Besides Carl and his total whacko of a girlfriend, she really didn't know anyone her age well enough to call a friend. Of all things, it made her awfully giddy that he even bothered to check up on her, even in spite of her being a jerk. Clem mustered up the courage to talk in what felt like the first time in the last dozen hours, what came out sounding more insecure than what any human could achieve.

"Hi."

The girl's left hand was the first thing to move, away and out of Carl's sight. Hiding it came as naturally as breathing to her, and would for a long time to come. "Guess I should've dropped by to say hello, huh?" Attempts at humor turned into nervous fits as soon as they left her mouth, and there was no avoiding lifting her gaze away from the friendly boy standing next to her.

_You don't even know where he lives..._

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl almost felt bad, the way Clementine jumped when he approached. She could have passed for a deer in headlights. The calm, bold demeanor that he'd known was more different than a simple spook could change, though. For a second, it seemed that the slightest wrong move would scare her off, but then she seemed to completely recede into an uncharacteristic timidness. It must have been a long, hard road to Colorado and back.

He chuckled warmly, hoping to reassure her. "Don't sweat it. I'm hardly ever home, anyways. Besides, you just got back! You're probably exhausted," he exclaimed. As he stepped close, he thought she looked more sick than anything. He gulped, hoping he wasn't opening a bad can of beans. "Are you settling in well?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem shook her head almost immediately in response, feeling the edge of her lips twist into a frown. Jackson had water, beds, food - not leftovers or slim pickings. _Real _food. They had street corners that lit up at night, and more animals than Noah's stupid ark. So, _ugh... _how come it still felt so hard to breathe whenever she tried to fall asleep? For so many reasons at once, it felt almost redundant to cite them all. Andrea said it was part of this thing called an _adjustment period, _and that most people her age had to go through it too. It sounded like adult talk for _'you're supposed to feel like shit', _which honestly did more bad than good.

She shot Carl a glance that wound up being cut short, like her gloomy eyes couldn't decide on where to settle. Maybe it wasn't this huge maze she made it out to be. When it came to why Clem felt so upset, it really couldn't be simpler. She rested her arms over her knees and sighed loudly, staring blankly into the sidewalk. "It's been a while since I've been all on my own.

... That's all."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

The instant the words left her mouth, Carl felt even worse. Of course, he should have been more considerate. Clementine's greatest friend wasn't by her side anymore, and there was no promise she'd return. He felt bad for her, and then felt worse because no one needed pity. He stood still, unsure of what to say. Words seemed to fail him more and more these days.

Finally, he forced himself to do something. Offering a sympathetic smile towards Clementine, nodding weakly. "I understand," he mumbled. "But try not to keep yourself too down. She got bit by an infected " He concluded. It was the story that he believed. The grey, fading picture he had in his mind of the redhead still had attitude written all over its face; not to mention Tommy's big brother keeping her safe, and that guy was a rabid animal based on what he'd heard.

"Besides," He continued, assured of the thought. "We shouldn't waste energy worrying if we don't know, right?" Carl leaned on the balustrade of the deck, facing her as he spoke. Since Ellie wasn't here, someone had to put good thoughts in the brooding girl's head. _I didn't wait all morning for nothing, _he decided.

**Art [Clementine]**

It didn't usually work with her, that sort of thing. _'Don't be sad.' 'Just don't think about it.' _Out of everyone she knew, Lee had always been the one with the good pep talks, but that's all they were. Just... _talk. _It's all Clem'd heard since that day six years ago: that things work out, and that people are _alright, _even when it doesn't seem that way. It never once was true.

Not once.

She nodded at Carl, even if her mind was someplace else, trying to cope. It's not like it was a new thing. Clementine would get over it, just like all those times before, and all yet to come. But she wouldn't stop hurting. Wouldn't stop worrying. Not about Dad or Ellie. Not about Jane, and not about everyone else who had a chance to be okay, somewhere. She owed it to them to worry.

Clem turned her pout into a smile more subtle than her friend deserved, the one sitting right next to her, worrying over _her. _Her gaze left the grass next to the sidewalk, finally working its way to meet Carl's. For now, the girl's eyes didn't belong anywhere else. "You're really cool, you know that?"

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl wasn't sure about what else he could say in his attempt to cheer Clementine up, but she didn't seem very comforted. Instead of driving himself crazy, watching her iron expressions shift ever so subtly, he leaned back and stared up at the sky, ignoring the creak of the aging wood. At least the days had been clear, with only a few wispy clouds high in the sky. In the broad sunlight, he still felt plenty warm. Maybe he could convince her to go on a walk.

When he looked back at Clem, his eyes met hers, and she finally spoke. Heat rose to his cheeks, and for a second he didn't know what to say. Finally, he forced a response. "I, uh. I'm happy to do what I can." He smiled toothily, wishing he'd said something smoother but not having any inclination as to what that might be. All he could do for a few seconds was stare back into those soft, pale eyes.

It was only for a few seconds, though, and then he dropped it. He gulped and forced away the butterflies in his stomach. _Why does she have to look at me like that? It's not like I did anything… _Eventually, he felt his blush fade, and decided to try to move the conversation. "It's a pretty nice day. Do you want to go on a walk?" He stammered out. It only now occurred to him that he might be intruding on her afternoon, but he'd rather keep a smile on Clem's face if he could.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine caught herself smiling again, this time around with a lot more sincerity. The thought to shake her head was there, as if for some reason she wasn't allowed to go out and have fun, but the idea ended up buried under her unusually expressive set of teeth. "Yeah," she quietly replied, only for no one to hear, too abashed to keep her eyes on the boy. This was a new thing for her. Going out for walks? So _normal _it honestly felt _ab _normal. None of that was in a bad way, though... _obviously. _Pretending it sounded anything other than the _best thing ever _would've just been disingenuous. Who was gonna believe it while she had that dumb smirk on her face?

"Yeah, I... I'd really like that." It came out, finally. Actual, spoken words. Maybe that _'adjustment period' _bullcrap wasn't total bogus after all.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Clementine's smile was infectious, but he once again found himself fighting a fluster. _What is this? _It was just a daytime walk through the snow, but the thought of the whole thing seemed… weird. Not bad, but different. Last time they'd seen each other, it felt like they were standing on opposite sides of the battlefield; and the campfire incident had been a fiasco. Only now had he really had the chance to get to know the quiet and mysterious Clementine, and it felt… right.

He'd always thought the time she punched Lydia was pretty kick-ass, at least. Even if admitting it _might _get him killed.

"Great!" He exclaimed, pushing himself onto his feet. "This'll be a great day." There was no destination in mind, but doing something was always better than doing nothing. He flashed her a smile and stepped back into the snow. "I'm ready to go when you are." He said cheerfully.

**Art [Clementine]**

The teen couldn't do much to help the chuckle that came next, soft as it was. Looked like Carl was so excited he forgot all about _'it'. _"Not so fast. We got school, remember?" I mean, she'd _totally _ditch class to hang out with Carl, but that was neither here nor there. Lee would kill her _dead _if she skipped her first day.

She got on her feet, too, walking up close to the boy and giving him a pretend-punch to the chest. "I'll come by after. That's a promise."

* * *

_3:45 PM_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The vibe in the air was friendly, welcoming. Various kids and parents winding down after a day of hard work. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her, but Lee figured it was only right to be here, at least at the end of her first day, just to check in. The man wondered how she'd fare in a social environment again, after being… out there, for so long. School arrangements had already been signed and cemented down, Clementine finally had her place here, and Lee was more grateful for Tommy and Andrea's generosity than they knew. A few more minutes passed, and the man nervously tapped his foot away at the pavement. It would be any second-

_There she is._

He spotted her amongst the crowd, walking out of the front gates. That famous hat of hers stuck out like a diamond in the dirt. He smiled, waiting until she was away from the other kids and onto the street before he finally approached her.

"Hey! How'd it go?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Little snowflakes gathered around the windows as the homeroom teacher blabbered on and on, words coming and melting like the snow: the perfect view for a teen who couldn't keep her mind from running at a bullet train's pace.

It was the looks and stares that bothered her; the ones directed at her. They didn't have many kids in Jackson's school, so the girl with the baseball hat stuck out like a bad rash. Looked like one, too, if you asked Lydia, who Clem exhaustively avoided for the entire school day. Mr. Barnes taught them about the local geography - like Missouri and Illinois, and stuff like basic algebra. Clementine's head was... elsewhere, the entire time, floating away, off to memories both distant and recent.

Her finger stopped hurting that morning. Now it just itched all the time. Not like a _bad rash, _but more like awful _bed bugs._

The foyer leading outside had posters all over the walls. _Halican Drops, _one read, with a white guitar used as a logo. _Probably a band? _Looked like adults put those in, trying to catch the eye, look _cool _for the students. Nobody there even watched those movies! _So fucking stupid._

She wasn't expecting to see Lee there, waiting for her. Most of her classmates were either orphans or still had a mom and dad. Never something in between. Clem felt her cheeks make way for a smile, even if she didn't share it with anyone else.

Almost as though it would disappear were she not to, Clementine held onto the straps of her backpack without letting go, eye contact still noticeable in its absence. "Okay," she muttered as a response. Her mind wandered more so, tugging at her brows as it forced the girl to think. She frowned while struggling to put it into words, walking beside Lee, still within school grounds. "This boy from class said he never killed someone before..."

"Do you think that's true?" Clementine surveyed at the man with her especially round eyes, badly in need of whatever he could to say to her. Anything that'd prove she wasn't so different from all the other kids.

Anything to make her feel normal again.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The absence of clarity was always prominent with Clementine; it was never easy to get a bead on how she was thinking, even more so on her feelings. Bamboozlement usually followed when it came to questions like these, covering up just how clueless he could be, whilst forming some kind of answer that wouldn't upset her. It was always the hardest part. First days of class were… rough, from his memory. It was easy to forget that _he himself _was a teenager once, somewhere under all these years of age; those memories lingered: trying to fit in, make new friends. Even in current times... it seemed like nothing had changed. She was adjusting. Trauma, mixed with hormones, jumbled in with- a lot of... _other stuff _that no one should have to experience at her age. It couldn't have been easy.

It wasn't fair, for Clem, for any kid from her generation. To be robbed of a shot at an everyday life so young… the very best Lee could do was try his damnedest to compensate for that. Hell, that was the _only _thing he could do. Clementine deserved to have _normal _problems that _normal _kids used to have, as opposed to worrying about getting chased, robbed or murdered. This place… Jackson… was the closest thing to normal. The man's lips twisted in response, giving himself a moment to think. It was harder to answer, given that he guessed the place this question was coming from almost right away. He knew the most likely answer, and he had a feeling _she _did too.

"Hmph." His eyebrow raised, glancing to her with soft eyes as they walked. "Sounds like _one lucky _kid." Lee admitted, choosing to run along with his honest thoughts. After all, honesty was the best policy… _Isn't it…? Lee._

"Y'know, Tommy tells me they're going twenty and something families strong here." Lee drifted off, revelling in the qualities of this place as he usually liked to do. "A lot of 'em are ex-Fireflies," He continued, coming to the conclusion that a few parents must've had their children in the care of the militia group for a while before moving here. "So I'd imagine some of these kids haven't been out there _nearly _as long as you." Lee complimented, offering her a smile.

**Art [Clementine]**

Her amber eyes swung right back down, like a pendulum. _Lucky. _Clem wanted to be that, too. To have a family that wouldn't leave her. Friends that didn't disappear. Somewhere to call home. That's what Jackson was meant to be for them: a shot at happiness... by giving up on searching for Mom and Dad. By letting Ellie die alone, someplace far away. That's what Lee believed in.

And she hated him for it.

Their walk home was slow and methodical, like Clementine couldn't keep up with the man. Or simply wouldn't. Her gaze would still drift away from the snowy grass, toward Lee's empty jacket sleeve. The sight brought her right back to that cold cell. The night she spent agonizing on a bloody floor, waiting to meet a worse fate.

Clementine wanted to be lucky, too.

"That man who... did that to you..." Just like that, the girl parted her lips, letting her frail voice reach Lee in front of her. All too suddenly, Clem didn't seem so distant. Confidence was written in her expression, in every vowel that used to block her throat, keep her from breathing. Like for the first time in a long while, she really meant what she said.

"... I'm glad he's dead."

That expression warped and twisted into one of anger. Into something animalistic. Clementine's grip on the straps glued to her shoulders was strong enough to make her wrists shake in place. The gnawing of her teeth, strong enough to make it seem as though they were but moments away from shattering.

"I'm glad Ellie killed him."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. That warped and barbaric look in her eye. It was enough to send shockwaves down his spine. Lee was hoping they would share a normal conversation about her day, but instead he was greeted with **this.**

_**This.**_

She was still bitter. Angry. It was on _her _mind just as much as his own, it wasn't like he expected it not to be. One comment was all it took... to send his thoughts right back to _that place. _It wasn't a healthy place to be in. Ever since they'd gotten here, it'd been a struggle for Lee; behind the calm exterior he was fronting, there was a man trying so desperately hard to keep his shit together. For her sake. The guilt of his failures, the heartache. What getting caught ended up costing her. What he'd done to those men. It was almost too much to bear, and he was feeling it every damn day. Then having to hear _this._

The smile on his face was wiped clean off.

Lee's steps began to slow, matching her pace as his stern eyes landed on Clementine at the mere mention of Henry Simmons. It made his skin crawl. How casual it sounded coming out of her mouth. The way Clementine drew satisfaction out of his death. She'd suffered because of Lee's poor decisions. She was talking like this right now because it was _his own _fault. All of it.

" _Everything _that happened in that _godawful _week..." He trailed off, trying to be as calm with her as he could. He was disgusted with himself; for letting it come to this… for not getting them both out of that damned university in the first place.

"It's nothing to be _glad _about."

**Art [Clementine]**

When Lee spoke, Clementine felt her heartbeat come to a stop, putting that grimace of hers in check, her fangs hidden in place of a gaped mouth. The girl's grip was no more as her arms fell limp, only her fiery gaze staying in place. It refused to go away. "Lee, you saw what they did." She insisted, raised voice and all, to defend herself. Every time she did, sadness stuck to her words like an ailment, verging on making the teen sound like a sobbing child. "What they were gonna do...!"

"That's why you-"

The sudden stop had her widening her eyes, though only a little. The memory was fresh, and no less painful than the rest: that of the sounds of broken bones, of pierced human fat, that urged Clem to keep her eyes shut and to never open them again.

"That's why you killed them too."

Clementine found herself breaking apart even when angry, when trying so hard to make a point. Her body tensed, and the girl's brows dipped downward to match the shift in her tone of voice. She could feel tears wanting to leave and soak her bright, brazen eyes, but she wouldn't let them. Not again. "They were worse than the **walkers**."

"What's even the difference anymore...?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The man's teeth grinded against each other, head swinging to the side as his eyes glazed over a nearby tree. Lee was unable to meet her gaze, thinking about what he'd done was hard enough. Hearing it from none other than Clementine herself was worse.

She was right.

Nearly frothing at the mouth, adrenaline pumping through his veins, the absolute rage he felt. Lee could replicate the memory in near perfection. Forcing his own boot down on that doctor's head, the crunch echoing through the room. The begging. The blood. It was all still there in his head. At the time it felt _good _, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, like he was giving that man _exactly _what he deserved. However, the 'what if?' thought lingered in his mind.

"_Wait! Any excessive movements is just going to open his wounds."_

"_Haven't enough people died already?"_

"_Please man, I was only trying to help…! Whatever they did to you, I wasn't a part of that…!"_

"_I'm just a doctor…!"_

The way the tears streamed down his face, his drenched eyes and cheeks burning red hot as he grovelled and begged at Lee's feet. Those words of his… they kept repeating every time he thought about it. Any other one of Henry's men would've fought back, but this one didn't… Why? Why was that? Was he held there against his will too? Was he lying? Did he even know what Henry was up to? Lee supposed it didn't matter anymore, it wasn't like he could ask him. The man had a feeling he knew the answer… hell, he knew from the moment he grabbed the scalpel.

That man was most likely innocent. There was no guarantee, but he was pretty damn sure of it now.

Lee killed him simply because the circumstances allowed him to, because he was enraged, because he _could. _He _chose _to do it on his own accord instead of focusing on a way out. That was his decision, and his alone.

His head swung back in Clementine's direction, levelling with her amber eyes. The distinction between man and walker was getting harder to determine as the years went by, but that didn't mean it was entirely gone yet.

"The difference is _we _still have a choice."

"I knew what _they were. _I know why I did it. And I-" The man choked on his words, feeling like a lump was forming in his throat. He found no relief. No peace in it. "I haven't had a good night's sleep since..."

"Henry had it coming. But I'll never be proud, or happy, or _glad _any of it happened." No, not when he could've avoided it entirely. Not if he just decided to stay put in Jackson the first time. How could he be glad of anything that transpired between the four of them and those sick, **sick** people?

"_Ever."_

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem; she snapped. Like some spark in her eye had caught ablaze and exploded. The girl's hands, then, were snapped shut, far away from her pockets where they so often belonged. Whether it was anger or sadness in her voice... not a person on earth could discern. "I could have done it!" Her eyelids fell and rose, fighting back tears just as much as they fought bitter stares. Even when looking Lee in the eye, it felt as though her gaze peered straight through him. Like staring at nothing. The amber in them seeming almost gray. "When he said they had you, I..."

"I was so angry." The pause came, for she couldn't keep going. Memories that felt like a chokehold she couldn't get away from. The girl's gasps of air doing so little, she may as well have not been breathing at all. "He didn't even react."

"I had a knife to his neck and I could have killed him myself."

"... But I was too fucking _**scared**_."

It haunted Clementine like so very few things did. That blizzard... all those chances to keep what happened from ever happening. Worthless. Just as she was. "And now they - What they did to you..." Ellie blamed herself. But it wasn't fair to her. Clem was the one who told Lee to stay behind. She was the one who ran away. Afraid. **Clementine** was the one who let that monster **live** so he could **chase** and **torture** them.

"I should have fucking killed him!"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Mist glimmered in her eyes, threatening to give way at any moment.

The sight crushed him.

Lee always hated seeing her like this, knowing there wasn't much he could do to stop _that _sort of pain. Guilt, self-blame, blaming others. It was the most natural thing to feel. Wounds eventually healed, but the scars… they only faded over time. _No matter what _, they'd always be there; the tough part was learning how to cope with it. Words were all that he ever had, and he again... had to hope they'd be enough.

"Clem…" The teen was met with a calmed and hushed voice. Lee's eyes grew soft, peering down at her as she explained. Hearing the source of where her previous words were coming from brought him a sense of relief. This misplaced sense of regret she had; it wasn't derived from the place he previously thought. In that moment his brows sunk together, feeling as though he'd been too snappy with her.

"Hey." Lee placed a hand on the Clementine's shoulder, almost offended that she'd even _think _that. None of this was on her. **None of it.**

"Instead of thinking about what you _could've _done, why not think about what you _did _do?"

The blessing of getting to live another day, it was all the more precious in these times. It might've been harder to be grateful, but Lee still was. To have made it back…"You helped get me out of there. _We all _got out… together."

"_That's _what matters at the end of it."

**Art [Clementine]**

Her head lowered, nerves winding down, Clem breathed slowly, and exhaled even slower. She listened. Tried so hard to.

But Clem shoved Lee's hand away.

The girl kept her tears to herself, hiding them behind distant eyes. Clementine's voice, even more so. "Doesn't feel like it." Steps as heavy as a turtle's, Clem walked past him without casting a single glance over her shoulder, that old baseball cap obscuring every one of her features.


	60. Denial, I

_3:40 PM - December 20, 2025 - Jackson_

**Art [Clementine]**

She liked the snow. The air that made her hands go just a little numb, and the _crunch crunch crunch _her boots made when they sunk on seas of endless white. It was peaceful in its own right, even with all the bad memories attached to it.

Sundays were as empty for Clementine as they were for the streets of Jackson. Kids - little kids - they played in the snow, yelling bad words, but not a soul more. Even Lee stayed home on weekends, usually. That's where the _'you should go out and play, too' _speech kept coming from. That's why _she _was there, lavender coat to shield from the cold, but falling to quiet sighs that turned to mist.

Clementine's hands, kept warm only by an old pair of gloves, leapt out of her pockets in a shift too quick and sudden not to be reflex. Her two amber eyes quaked.

An old dog - a Border collie, it sniffed the same frigid air as she did, lazily prowling toward the girl. Clem, gulping to hold in a whimper, took a single step back, breathing in and counting to four... only for the animal to follow. Before long, Clem lost her every sense of proper breathing, letting it all out in a string of huffed breaths. Her back slammed against a garage door, even when her feet begged to keep backing away. The dog approached, slowly, smelling the girl's trembling boots. _"Easy, boy... Eas- _" It let out a soft bark in response, promptly shutting Clementine's eyes while she cowered in fear. _Please don't bite. Don't bite. Don't bite. Don't-_

**Dot [Jenny]**

She'd been staring into the hood of that truck for what felt like _hours _, grumbling things under her breath that her parents would kill her for. Her fingers were covered in grease, a byproduct of the clogged engine she'd been trying to clean out. _God, they need to take better care of these things. It's not like engines grow on trees._

A metallic crash caught her off-guard, causing her to drop the metal tool in her hand into the engine. Cursing, she reached further in, pulling it back out before looking towards the closed garage door behind her. She could hear faint mutterings outside, and a soft bark to accompany it. _Dang it, Buckley, if you're chasing around the kids again…_

She grabbed a rag and began wiping off the grease from her fingers, opening the side door to the outside with her rag-wrapped hands. Outside, a girl had her back against her garage, looking towards Buckley with what could only be described as terror.

Jenny whistled, catching the dog's attention, her voice a sing-song scolding. "Buckley… can you stop terrorizing the neighborhood for like _five _minutes, boy?"

She bent her knees to squat next to the dog, giving his head a vigorous scratching before looking towards the girl he'd been chasing around. She wore an aging baseball cap on top of her head, and a pair of golden eyes met her own brown ones. She felt bad for her, being chased around without wanting to be. Maybe she had a thing for dogs… or, something.

She put on a wide smile nonetheless, pushing herself back to her feet. "Sorry about that, Buckley likes to play with the kids. Probably thought you were his next companion for the day." She let out an awkward chuckle, shaking her head towards the dog panting next to her. "He's a little menace, but he won't hurt you. Swear."

Her eyes returned to the girl, examining her. She looked familiar, but only just barely. "Hey… you're that new girl, right? The one that got here last month?" Her smile widened, becoming excited by the prospect of finally getting to talk to someone new. "Don't think we've actually gotten a chance to meet. I'm Jenny." She extended her hand out, though at the last second thinking better of it. "Actually… nevermind. Hands are still covered in grease. Damn stuff is _hard _to get off sometimes. It's nice to finally meet you!" Her words almost tumbled over each other, going nearly as fast as the cars she worked on.

**Art [Clementine]**

Sighing out in relief, Clementine clumsily put some distance between herself and that metal gate, watching cross-armed while this other girl subdued the dog with head scratches. Clem's puffed red cheeks may as well have been glowing against the white backdrop that was Jackson.

Jenny was the girl's name. Tall... ish. Taller than _her. _Really wired. Wearing a brown leather jacket on top of a white hoodie. Brownish black hair that went down to her shoulders. And smeared in car oil like you wouldn't believe.

"I got gloves on. You're cool," said Clem, a smirk and a head shake to boot. She grabbed Jenny's nasty hand and shook it twice: Up 'n down. Something _screaming_nervousness at the back of her head. "I'm Cle-"

Voice cracks. She'd had those before. Part of growing up. **Never** like this one.

Clementine screeched like a car.

Eyes larger than they should, she scrambled for a do-over, voice lacking in all of its confidence. "_ Clementine. _"

"Thanks for..." _Saving me...? Ugh, am I five? _"... help...ing."

Running back home sounded pretty cool all of a sudden.

**Dot [Jenny]**

The long-haired girl simply smiled wider at the baseball-capped girl's response. Most girls here were too preoccupied trying to keep clean, they'd often look at her in revulsion if she showed up with oil on her hands. Maybe she finally found someone that _got it _, that the world wasn't exactly what it was before, and a little grease never hurt anybody. She shook the girl's gloved hand excitedly, giving Buckley a disapproving shake of her head, nose scrunching, as he tried to squeeze his way between them.

She whistled, catching his attention. "Go on, boy. Go play!" She pointed towards the park across the street, and Buckley happily trotted away, off to find his next victim.

She turned back towards Clementine, who seemed to have calmed down a little, finally answering the girl's thanks from earlier. "No problem. If you ever need a dog whisperer, you know who to call!"

A sudden idea popped in her head then, animated on her face like a light turning on. "I actually do need some help on a project, if you're, y'know, not busy. Besides Tripp, no one else really wants to get their hands dirty, so fixing up cars is usually a slow as heck process. Promise it'll be simple, you don't have to know a thing!"

**Art [Clementine]**

The offer came and went before Clem could process a thing, zooming past her ears at hyperspeed. Her lips made way for a look of bemusement while a response still worked its way through a labyrinth of cogwheels. "I, _ah... _"

Furrowed eyebrows complementing her pout, Clementine thought to take the bait. What else was she going to do for the whole Saturday?

Against her better judgement, she yielded to a dumb smile and a nod. "Sure. Sounds... fun."

So, the garage wasn't very _clean. _Like someone smashed _it _and a workshop together for fun and forgot to pick up the pieces. It smelled of wax and gasoline, circled by cars she was pretty sure couldn't make it a mile. Like, ever. Clem, she ditched the coat near one of the engines. On top of whatever surface had the least black, inky spots. The gloves came out next, and finally, Clementine rolled the sleeves of her black christmas sweater. Jenny paced back and forth, doing a trillion things a minute, and looking crazy excited doing it. For the baseball-capped girl, woozy didn't quite cover it. It was hard enough to keep up with what she was saying. "Do you... fix cars all day?"

Another great quote lifted from 'Worst Ice-Breakers' by Clementine. Prized winner.

**Dot [Jenny]**

They were back inside that garage before they knew it, Jenny nearly beaming when Clementine agreed to help her out. Well, what better excuse to get to know her, right? School sucked for that kind of thing, and Clementine, at least as far as she could tell, never really hung out anywhere. People talked, as they usually do, but she always assumed they had the wrong idea.

Granted, she had a feeling a _lot _of those ideas were propagated by Lydia. The entire town knew about their feud, after all. Another point in the Clementine list, in her opinion. Decking the shittiest person in Jackson? Fuck yeah.

After she'd cleaned her hands enough, she quickly threw her hair into a ponytail, already heading over towards the car in an energetic jog. As Clementine looked into the hood of the truck with a confused gaze, she tried her best to direct her what to do.

"Alright, so I was just about to change the oil. Stuff's all icky now, so we just gotta drain it out. I'll get under the car and start that, and when I'm done, you can pour the new oil in. Cool?" The girl had simply nodded along, as if struggling to keep up, and she took that as a sign to go ahead and get started.

She'd snatched up a new oil filter from their supply a few hours earlier, so she set that down next to the truck's tire, grabbing one of those white plastic containers to let the oil pour into. With half her body underneath the vehicle, Clementine's question eventually reached her as the faint sound of heavy liquid splooshing into the container, along with its vile smell, invaded her senses.

With that draining, she slid herself back enough to sit on the ground, looking towards her. "A lotta the time, yeah. Keeps me busy, y'know? Besides, like… school… and friends, and stuff. I also mess around with old electronics when I can get my hands on 'em. I think half the radios that are still working in this place are _because _of me." She shifted in her spot, lowering herself to the ground to check on the oil's progress. Slowing down, a little. Shouldn't be too much longer.

"What about you?" She asked suddenly, glancing towards her as she rested against the side of the truck. "What gets you out of bed in the morning? Besides, y'know, punching blonde bitches like Lydia?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem may as well have been staring off into space, looking the best type of awestruck. Jenny's shop was so impressive all on its own, but watching her work, pick apart engines like they were toys... it was kind of super wicked.

So when Jenny shot the question back at _plain, introvert _Clementine, she felt understandably jittery.

Clem picked up an oil canister from one of the benches with both hands, overly cautious not to spill it over the floor. _It's heavy..._

And being reminded of _you-know-what _only made it worse.

The thought to say things like _'I didn't mean to start a fight. It was an accident...' _wound up stuck in her throat. Guess everyone knew about it by now. She forced a nervous smile, tilting her head to the side. "I like reading. Like, a _bunch. _Charlotte's Web, Wrinkle in Time... That sort of stuff."

She set it down next to Jenny, right beside where her self-esteem lay, eyeing the girl sheepishly. "It's not as cool as... you know, what you do."

**Dot [Jenny]**

When Clementine grew quieter in the moments following her answer to Jenny's question, the taller girl only smiled warmly, a chuckle barely escaping her as she spoke. "Nah, books are cool. I mean, where else are you gonna get to read about cool space dragons or something?"

Admittedly, she didn't read that often. Jackson had a cool library and all, but she found more purpose helping out _here _than laying on her bed reading. Always doing something, no matter what. It kept the tedium of life inside the walls at bay.

As the final drips of the oil reached her ears, she eagerly returned to the floor beneath the truck, spinning the cap back onto the bottle and pushing it towards the wheel by her leg. Grabbing the new oil filter, she screwed it in, finishing up in quick succession.

With that finished, she slipped back out from underneath the truck, looking towards Clem as she stood up. "Okay, time for the new oil. I'm gonna open up the tank in the engine and hold the funnel, you just pour it in."

While she held the funnel over the empty tank, she finally stopped to breathe for a second. Clementine seemed… well, like a loner. Not in a bad way, per se, but someone that just didn't have the push to do anything beyond what they're told to do. An outsider, trying to fit in but not quite there yet. Maybe she had a chance to change that. She was cool, after all, just needed a bit of a push.

"Y'know," she started, looking towards the girl as she prepared to pour the oil in. "If you ever get bored of reading, you could hang out with me. My friends get together every weekend to hang out and play video games. You're more than welcome to come. We could use a fourth player!" Her voice grew higher pitched with each sentence, an excitement too difficult to contain.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine, canister back within grasp, poured the new oil inside the engine's tank, just as Jenny had instructed. Making sure no drops spilled on her hat. It wasn't so hard, was it?

"I've never played a video game before," Clem answered with a half-chuckle, shoulders bouncing in a light shrug. "Is it fun?"

_More of an Ellie thing, right? _She couldn't help but entertain the idea.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny kinda figured that. Video games weren't exactly the easiest thing to find these days; they'd gotten lucky finding one that was still salvageable. The worst part was finding games that weren't scratched to hell, or finding them _at all _. Any chance she got, she'd scribble in a request for games on the scavenger list, hoping Carl would get lucky and find something, but no dice. Guess she'd keep dreaming.

"Oh yeah!" She exclaimed excitedly, pulling out the funnel as Clementine finished pouring in the oil, twisting the cap back on the tank. "We've only got like… two games, but they're both pretty fun. You'll love it, I promise!"

"You don't have to decide now, though. No pressure, and all! If you can't make it tomorrow, there's always next weekend." She continued through a smile, lowering the hood of the truck until it clicked shut. "And thanks for pouring the oil in. There's still more to do, but I think I'll just pick it back up tomorrow. Don't mean to keep you."

She didn't really need the help anyway, but it'd given her an excuse to try and get to know the elusive Clementine. Those newcomers had mostly kept to themselves the first time they were here, and with that one girl with the reddish hair gone, maybe this was the right thing to do. Better than letting her rot away in that house of hers.

"But yeah, just let me know. My place is right down the street. My dad has one of those silly Christmas snowmen inflatables out front. You can't miss it."

**Art [Clementine]**

Right around when the gas canister turned lighter, so had the aura around the nervous Clementine. Radiating with broad smiles and butterflies. "_Huh._"

She really kept waiting - for someone to pull the rug from under her boots, to tell her it was all just a mean prank. Who'd want to _hang out _with that weird girl with the baseball hat? The bad-tempered Clementine who couldn't stop picking fights with the other kids in class...?

Slowly, it did hit her. Way slower than it had any right to take. Seeing just how lively and... _genuine _that girl's smile was, aimed right at _her, _with so much modesty behind it. Clem knew right away that she'd found a new friend in that greasy brunette.

Clem went from mushy to stiff quicker than Jenny could say the words _'my' and 'place,' _pulling a noticeable double-take. It sounded just like... typical girl stuff. The type of crap she always fantasized about, back when Mom was like her only friend. She beamed like a dork, hands wrapped around each other near her waist. "Okay. I might... come by, later. If that's alright." Clementine sounded like timidness incarnate, but for once in her short life she projected confidence. Or tried to. Clem didn't want to screw this up no matter what. "Thank you," she quietly added, knowing to be polite about it.

**Dot [Jenny]**

That was probably the closest Jenny was going to get to a yes from her, and she was perfectly alright with that. Maybe she wasn't as bad as people made her out to be, just had to get to know her a bit. She'd barely scratched the surface so far, but there's time.

"Cool, see you there!" She beamed at the girl before crossing the garage and opening the door for Clementine to head back out, following her. She dug her hands deeper into her jacket's pockets as she waved goodbye to Clementine and headed home.


	61. Denial, II

_7:43 PM_

**Dot [Jenny]**

She'd been looking at that scar on her forearm for longer than she'd intended, in a mirror that was still wet with condensation from her earlier shower. The scar reminded her of the dark times, a younger her scared out of her mind beyond the walls of that university. After everything had fallen apart, and her parents dragged her across the country to survive.

A bandit had left that scar, slicing her open like a butter. She remembered screaming, crying, a flash of movement as her father rushed the bandit and buried his own weapon in the man's neck. Horrors burned into her memory for her to recall from time to time, each occasion being as sobering at the last. It was the little things she'd remember. How the man's face contorted when the blade pierced his throat. The way he fell to the floor, collapsing without any semblance of grace. How her father seethed over his body, only turning towards her when he was absolutely sure nothing else would harm his daughter. Her mother's terrified face as she tried to stop the bleeding. She was only eleven or twelve at the time.

Jenny knew the world was a bad place, even before they'd left Boston, but it was moments like those that made her realize that life could be cut short if they lowered their guard. It made living in Jackson so much harder, because as much as she loved it here, and felt safer than she'd ever been before, that fact still stayed at the edge of her mind.

Keeping busy helped push it away, though. Pretending that everything was alright for a second longer. Making jokes, or playing games, or talking with the friends she'd made, they all helped in their own way. Not to forget, but to live with it. To not let those nightmares of the past haunt her like she knew that they could, because living every day the best she could meant that she'd _lived _. To be excited about something so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but at least she could say that she did.

So she'd live with that ugly scar, that jagged cut through her arm that nearly caused her to bleed out. The future was going to be better, because the past wasn't.

Her black tank top clung to her frame, showing just how skinny she was underneath all those jackets she usually wore. She had all that physical labor to blame for what little muscle she had, but it wasn't enough to make her seem all that tough. Granted, she knew that she'd probably never be able to fool anyone in that regard. She enjoyed being herself too much.

She'd just begun brushing her hair when a knock on the door stopped her, causing her to set the brush down on the sink. When she told them to come in, she turned to see her father at the door.

His black hair was cropped short, close to being shaved, and his large nose held up a pair of thick-rimmed glasses with a small crack running diagonally across the lower right of his left lens. His beard was trimmed and neat, housing the small smile on his face.

"Dinner's ready. You coming?" His voice was warm, low. She answered it with a small nod, smiling back.

"Yeah, I'll be right down."

When he left, she looked back to the mirror, taking in a deep breath. The smell of seasoned venison wafted through the open door, practically dragging her downstairs.

**Art [Clementine]**

As the pale white moon hovered over the streets of Jackson, foregoing the commotion of its lanes and parkways, Clementine sighed out, waiting for her breath to echo in her ears. Beneath that old hat, the girl's hair flew unusually in the wind, loose from their pigtails and hovering just over her shoulders, her brown locks twirling in front of her eyes.

She looked out for fellow snowmen settled in the dark backyards, never once letting her hands face the brisk air. Jenny's house was _cute, _giving off that unfamiliar feeling of ordinariness. Bright yellow lights shining from within. Clem adjusted the cream-colored scarf hanging from her neck, zipping shut the jacket Lee had let her borrow for the night. In the end, her frantic breathing didn't really stop.

Clementine rung the doorbell, a single finger pushing the tiny button by the steps. Somehow, _this entire thing _felt its dire share of nerve-racking.

**Dot [Jenny]**

She'd just gotten downstairs when the doorbell chimed throughout the foyer, causing her to look towards the door with a quick jerk of her eyes. Calling out that she'd get it, she crossed through the foyer, twisting the knob to reveal a girl standing on the other side.

Clementine wore a jacket that seemed almost amusingly large for her, her hair let down in a way that seemed to frame her face well. Jenny grinned, her voice excited. "Cool, you came! Come in!" She moved out of the way, gesturing for Clementine to get out of the cold that had already begun to assault her bare arms. When the door clicked shut behind her, she rubbed them to generate some semblance of heat, looking towards Clementine with a warm smile.

"Dad just finished dinner, if you're hungry," she offered. "We can talk after."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem wasn't exactly sure _what _it was she was doing - Coming over for dinner at a stranger's place, hoping to... _make new friends. _Lee was so freaking supportive of the idea, saying no was basically out of the question. Even then, the whole prospect had Clementine more aloof than enthusiastic.

That all changed in what felt like the blink of an eye, when Jenny ushered her in with that prominent smile of hers, escorting the nervous girl toward the fireplace in the living room. Clem only waved meekly, and sort of stopped there. She was busier trying not to get caught staring over anything else. Jenny's house looked like just _the coolest:_Portraits hung on the walls, which lay painted in gaudy colors that matched the carpet and curtains. Sure wore the fact that they'd lived there for long on its sleeve. The dining room looked like the type of fancy stuff you'd find in one of _Grimms' Fairy Tales, _complete with candles and scents that rendered null her every other sense.

Clementine, as if trying to traverse a maze, circled the colossal dining table in order to introduce herself to Jenny's father, who looked pretty busy himself. _He's just a guy. Don't freak._

"Hello," she said, _definitely _freaking. "I'm Clementine."

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny kept close to Clementine as she showed her around, leading her towards the dining room where her father had already set himself down to eat. She gave him a weak smile as he looked up from his plate, towards Clementine as she introduced herself. Their conversation earlier that day surfaced in her mind, and she could see the same tentative expression on his face that he had then.

"_Clementine? Isn't she the one that punched that girl months ago?"_

"_Well, yeah, but…"_

"_That isn't the kind of person I want you 'hanging out' with, Jen. They're troublemakers."_

"_Yeah, well… Lydia deserved it. And she isn't like that. She seems nice. She helped me with my work earlier."_

_Her father sighed. "Sooner or later, you need to realize that not everyone's going to show you their __**true**__selves. All I want is for you to be careful. Okay?"_

Seeing his face now, she knew that he was still thinking about it, but it only lasted for an instant, his wrinkled face growing into a wane smile. _Guess he was right, after all._

"Hello, Clementine." The gravel in his voice was warm enough, she supposed, and his eyes eventually found Jenny, clearing his throat. "Jen, why don't you show your friend to the kitchen? Food's still on the stove." Jenny simply nodded before grabbing Clementine's wrist, directing her over to the door at the far side of the room. She looked back towards the girl apologetically, pushing the door open.

Their kitchen was rather quaint, or at least that was the word she thought described it. It had that rustic, country life feel to it, something she'd seen in those old magazines that they kept in the library in Jackson. An island separated them from the rest of the kitchen, where her mother seemed to be writing something on a piece of paper, piercing pieces of venison before stuffing them into her mouth absent-mindedly. When they entered, she turned back towards them.

Her dark brown hair was put up into a hair bun, and she still wore her hefty winter jacket, dotted with water droplets where snow had melted. Contrary to the look her father had before, her mother's face seemed to brighten up immediately.

"Oh, I didn't know you were bringing a friend over, dear," she said in a cheery voice. It was already obvious where Jenny got her own enthusiasm from. She set down her fork before approaching them.

"This's Clementine," Jenny did the introductions for the girl, smiling as she patted her back, as if trying to reassure her. "She's still new around here."

"Well, welcome to Jackson, Clementine," her mother continued through a wide smile, holding out a hand towards the girl. "I hope my husband hasn't scared you away yet. We don't get visitors often anymore, except for Jenny's rowdy friends."

Jenny rolled her eyes at that, chuckling under her breath.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Mm-mm," Clementine shook her head, trying to stamp out Jenny's mom's concern with a strong handshake. Not that she hadn't felt intimidated. Jenny's dad didn't look very happy to see her, and pinpointing why was as easy as recalling the one thing everyone in Jackson knew her for. "Thanks for inviting me over." It was blind hope that she could still make a good first impression. Though, now that all eyes were on her, Clem could only feel her heart pounding that much faster.

She grabbed a plate of food for herself, worry spelled in the gaze that bounced between Jenny and her mother. "I'll go... look for a seat."

Something told her she wouldn't last the night.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Her mother gave Jenny a reassuring smile. It was enough to know that she was on her side with this one, that Clementine wasn't as bad as her father was making her out to be. So, she smiled back, grabbing her own plate of food before following Clementine out into the dining room, sitting opposite her at the table, while her father remained at the far end.

At this point, her father would usually start praying, but that seemed to have been set aside for this evening. Thankfully. Having to hear it again, with a new friend present, would've been a grueling experience.

Instead, they dug into their own plates, Jenny savoring every bite of the venison. It wasn't exactly a five-star meal, but no meal these days were, were they? Her father picked at his food idly, reading over a book that's title had faded long ago, before setting it down, brown eyes falling onto Clementine across from her.

"So… Clementine? How're you finding Jackson?" His words hung in the air, his voice seeming almost neutral in tone. "I hear your dad, or… _caregiver _, got a job teaching at the school. About time we had someone teaching history."

_Here we go. _Jenny found herself thinking with an eyeroll. _Interrogation time. C'mon, Dad, it's not like she's a murderer. Don't have to grill her._

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine hadn't realized how rusty she'd gotten at cutting meat until it almost flew off her plate, grains of rice falling on her lap while she recovered from the question. "Ah, I..."

_Good one._

"He and I've been... _out there... _since I was little." _Caregiver. Yeah, I guess he is. _Mostly, Clem hoped it wouldn't come as too much of a shock. There was one important thing you learned when attending Jackson's school: Nobody who'd made it this far knew what it was like so many miles outside the walls. No one but people like her, and Lee, and...

Joel and Ellie.

"It's been pretty hard..." That much was obvious. Looking at Jenny's father - at least, looking at the way _he _looked at _her - _Clementine had a hunch he wasn't as oblivious to... _all of it. _Not like his daughter was.

He knew that kind of thing took a toll on anyone.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Hearing what Clementine answered with made her wince a little. She'd gotten lucky in the past. Most of the time she spent outside walls were… barely memories. Stuff pushed aside until her mind decided it was time to remember them, like how she ended up with that scar on her forearm. She was sure there were a dozen more moments she just couldn't remember, and seeing the look on Clementine's face told her that maybe that was for the best.

That maybe she hadn't moved on from it, like she'd been able to. It only made her want to help the girl more, to feel like she finally found a place where she could be normal again. To be a friend when she had none to turn to.

Maybe that meant she had too big of a heart, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Her father slowly nodded to that, seemingly mulling over the words Clementine had said. He shifted in his seat, into a more comfortable position. "Life beyond the walls is_never _easy. I'm glad you've found this place. Everyone deserves a chance at having a home, even in these… trying times."

Another short period of silence fell over them, and Jenny utilized it to ask a question of her own. At least, an attempt to lighten the mood a little.

"You met your friends out there, right? Tommy's brother and that other girl?" She'd been wondering what the heck happened to them since the last time they were here. It seemed that they were here and gone in the blink of an eye, and then just never came back. She'd always heard about the fact Tommy and his brother weren't on good terms from Carl, but she figured they'd get past that eventually. Family was important, after all.

Especially now.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem gave Jenny a somber nod, and not much else. Hard to, when she'd seriously given up on ever seeing them again. Her best thoughts were ones where they'd found someplace else to settle down - Safe and full of strong Fireflies. A place where Ellie could be happy and... forget all about _her, _maybe.

Her worst thoughts were about as obvious as they sounded.

She set the plate down next to the sink, minutes later, only to be dragged upstairs by a spunky Jenny. The silence after dinner must've made her jumpy to break it. Figures.

The worn wooden door burst open to uncover the least _girlish _room since back when she and Ellie used to share one. Dirty clothes covered the floor in a minefield-like pattern, giving off the smell of sweat and grease, just like the rest of Jenny's room. On the walls, colorful posters of all kinds. A lot of bands. Names she could barely pronounce, and some she thought she'd get in trouble for doing so. More importantly, it was covered from top to bottom with tech goobers; ancient laptops stripped apart to make other, tinier electronic junk. It was a fine mess.

And she loved it.

"Your room's so fucking awesome!" Clementine whispered so as to not alert the adults downstairs, eyes lost to the four walls feeding them with a thousand new things to see. Her parents would have never, _**ever**_let her be this grubby back on the farm. Clem fell on her butt, straight onto Jenny's tousled bed. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before.

**Dot [Jenny]**

She'd been intending to tidy up her room at _some point _, so she at least didn't look like a slob, but much like everything else, it usually took a backseat to something more important to her. Still, Clementine didn't seem to mind; she actually thought it was cool, which had her smiling a little.

"_Yeah _, it's a work in progress," she answered the girl's excited whisper with a hint of humor, plopping herself onto her bed as well. Her most recent project was strewn about her desk, electronic parts everywhere that she'd been using to try and fix up some old radios for the community. Never know when those'll come in handy.

She laid her back on her mattress, letting her feet dangle off the edge as she glanced towards the other girl near her. "Sorry about my dad, by the way. He can be a bit of a hardass. He means well, but being with the Fireflies hardened him or something."

"I hope you're still down for some games tomorrow," she finished with a hopeful smile.

**Art [Clementine]**

Somehow - listening to Jenny's offer all over again - it had Clem's small heart racing faster than it could take. She drew her own hands close, wrapping fingers together, five interlocked with a set of four. It still felt a special type of implausible, as had anything else in her life that stuck so close to the realm of typical. Strange and exciting, so far from what lay in her natural gloomy thoughts... but so much closer than she felt prepared to admit.

"Does that mean you want to be friends?" She shot the question without much in the way of thinking, sharing with Jenny the same hopeful smile that kept her hands from being still.

**Dot [Jenny]**

_She doesn't even think we're friends yet? _Sure, they'd only just met each other, and she was a bit of a loner, but that's fixable. Jenny wanted to be her friend, just as much as Clem needed one.

"Fuck yeah," she said quietly, mainly so her parents wouldn't hear her. "You're like… the coolest person I've met here." A goofy smile made a way onto her face as she turned to look towards Clementine. "So what do we do to seal the deal? Secret handshake?" She chuckled. "Is that too cliche?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Try as she may, Clem couldn't stop returning every smile Jenny sent her way, feeling closer to a nervous fit the longer she gawked back without a word. Both eyes mirroring optimism. The girl forced herself to snap out of it, and rushed to reply. "Here, just..." Clem scooched closer, raising one hand between Jenny's peering eyes.

"Pinky swear."

Hers aimed at the ceiling, Clem's cheeks blushed in a faint red. Her mind had wandered, looking for something else, but truth be told, _this _was the only way she knew how. The stump on her ring finger was... there, just under Jenny's nose. But for the first time, she thought not to shy away from it.

If they were friends, then... Clem didn't mind.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny looked at Clementine's hand with a sense of amusement, lips twitching into a smile that was more genuine than the last she'd had. Pinky swears weren't exactly secret handshakes, but… it was cute. Solid way to start a friendship, maybe. Granted, the last time she'd done a pinky swear was when she was like ten, but sometimes it was nice to go back to how things were before. Before, well… teenagehood started and everything changed.

With a hint of a giggle in her voice, she held up her own hand, showing off her scar along her forearm. Her eyes focused on Clementine's missing finger for a few seconds, and how fresh it still looked, but she wouldn't allow her smile to fall. It just meant that they both had something from the outside world they carried with them, even if Clementine's was… well… worse.

She interlaced her pinky with Clementine's, voice light and cheery. "Pinky swear."

When they let go, Jenny pushed herself into a sitting position, reaching for a bag underneath her bed. Fishing it out from behind some useless junk, she held it up for Clementine to see. "Friendship cookies. Can't be official without them."

She held the bag out for Clementine to grab a few.

**Art [Clementine]**

Glee in her eyes, Clem snagged a cookie from the bag and held it with both hands. Under her nose, a trembling smile. "Can't believe you have these...!" She uttered in surprise, taking a bite out of the sweet without a second thought. Quicker than lighting, her cheeks were full of peanut butter, bloated like a squirrel's, as she chewed with both eyes shut. _Oh my gosh!_

Where the hell did Jenny get such great snacks from?! Clementine was determined to find out. Mouth full, manners ever-lacking, she spoke up again. "You have any idea when was the last time I had cookies?"

_She probably did._

**Dot [Jenny]**

She couldn't help but snort with laughter as Clementine devoured the cookie, speaking with a mouth full of peanut butter. The lack of grace in it was endearing, reminding her of herself, because she'd rather stuff that whole cookie in her mouth than take small bites of it like a prissy princess.

"Have as many as you want," she said happily, setting the bag in between them as she grabbed a cookie of her own. To explain, she continued. "Mom likes to bake, and has connections, so… cookies for life, yo." She chuckled, obliterating the cookie in a few large bites.

And with that, her stash would probably deplete within twenty minutes, but she was having too much fun to care.


	62. Denial, III

_3:01 PM - January 10th, 2026 - Jenny's Porch_

**Art [Clementine]**

Even with Christmas now a close memory, snow wouldn't quit falling in piles right above Clementine's hat as she jogged across the nearby road. She nearly hid under Lee's jacket, scarf hanging just under her nose. Nowadays she missed those earmuffs more than anything. Carried by a pair of dirty gloves was an awfully large bottle of apple juice. Jenny'd said to bring snacks that day, which happened to be _extra trying _seeing as Lee never had _**any.**_Everyone did always say she was good at improvising, though!

Clementine stopped by Jenny's door in a slow halt, careful not to slip on any ice. The shaky girl leaned forward slightly, eyeing the frozen water under her boots. Lacking a real mirror, she made sure her reflection had its teeth clean, pigtails tidy, and sweat not too noticeable.

All she had to do next was ring the doorbell. _Be cool, be cool._

**Dot [Jenny]**

It was another cold Saturday morning, growing ever fiercer in its intensity as winter grew harsher; Jenny found the cold the perfect reason to stay indoors for the day. Usually, they'd all gather at her house for game night on Sundays, but today just seemed perfect for it. Especially since Clementine finally agreed to actually come to one of these get-togethers, after some intense coaxing by the older teen.

Not that she didn't enjoy hanging out with Clem alone; she'd gotten the girl out of her shell, for the most part, and had become a legitimate highlight of her week when she'd come over or help out with her work in the garage. Underneath that aging, dirty baseball cap was the noggin' of a smart, caring girl, and she found her refreshing to have around.

So when her doorbell rang, she quickly slid across her hardwood floor in her socks, opening up the door hastily. "Clem!" She practically cheered the girl's name before pulling the girl into a hug, dragging her indoors by her hand. "You're just in time. We already got everything set up in the living room. Parents are working for the next couple hours, so we get to chill in _peace."_

Smiling widely, she prepared herself to drag Clementine into the living room. "C'mon, I want you to meet the gang!"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine fell ill to a sloppy smile and a pair of bright, rosy cheeks, forcing the girl to further hide under the large scarf of hers.

Jenny was always a little much, but not in a way she really ever minded. She was totally fearless, vocal about everything, never too shy of getting physical. She just... felt like a normal person. With a mom and dad, and a house, and a room to trash... who never had to lose a friend, or kill someone who deserved it. Same way it made her feel prudent, to Clem there was something sort of attractive about it. Like this was her shot at being like other girls, just one time.

If that was even possible anymore...

Her bottle of apple juice left on the kitchen table, she was dragged straight into the lion's den. Clementine felt weak at the knees. The smile she forced lay behind a cream scarf, and her wave nearly obscured by sleeves longer than her arms.

She'd never had to talk to this many people her age.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny closed the door behind her friend, following her excitedly into the living room, where her two friends were already neck-and-neck on a game of Mario Kart. Jenny plopped herself down on the couch behind her two friends, patting a spot next to her for Clementine before pointing towards her friends with a gentle wave of her hand.

"These two idiots are Kevin and Nicky. Kevin's probably the biggest nerd here, besides me, and Nicky likes to think she can outrun a car." Jenny's smile widened then, turning into a smirk just as quickly. "She says she has before, but I don't believe her."

Kevin barely glanced towards Clementine as she entered the room, but just long enough to flash her a small smile. "Hey. Welcome." He returned his gaze back to the game, fully immersed in kicking Nicky's ass probably.

Looks like he was losing too.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine snuck past the TV screen so as not to get in the way, stepping through a minefield of cable chords and old cartridges. Like the flip of a switch, following Jenny's lead, Clem flung her behind at the couch, trying to shake away all those jitters by letting it a little loose. Bouncing up and down, she went right back into her own head, looking sideways at Jenny and her friends. _'Kay. We're having fun today. I can be fun._

She squinted at the tube television sitting atop a pile of books - lit and bright with sparks and colors. Engines roared, tires scraping against banana peels, karts sent flying by flashing turtle shells. Clementine felt enthralled like never before. The girl's eyes were wide as though nothing else ran through the space between them. And on top of all that, a dumb grin too hard to wipe off. The other girl with the gym shorts, the one Jenny called _Nicky, _she stood up on top of the couch, fast enough for Clem to miss it completely. Nicky looked intense, braided hair then resting over her brown eyes and dark skin. That tough grimace of hers quickly turned into a sneer. "Suck my _dick, _Kev!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, tumbling back down and bursting into laughter as her green dinosaur crossed the finish line in first place.

"Did you win?" Clementine asked, and Nicky returned a glance.

"I crushed him. Just the worst racer in the whole Mushroom Kingdom."

Clementine blinked once and pursed her lips.

"...That's the name of the-... Mm, Forget it."

**Dot [Jenny]**

"I'm _not _the worst racer," Kevin responded indignantly, his frown quickly turning into a smile as he chuckled. Jenny watched the display with a wide smile, shifting in her seat on the couch until she was comfortable.

And with a grin, she joined the fun. "He totally is."

"Don't you start, Jen," Kevin added, almost on the verge of pouting, before he pushed himself up, grabbing a pack of cigarettes from where he'd sat them down on the coffee table. "Beat her for me, will ya?" Jenny nodded enthusiastically before catching the remote that Nicky threw to her while Kevin slinked out of the room, quickly choosing her usual character – cause Toad was the cutest - before shifting in her seat to scoot closer to Clementine.

"Watch me while I play, I'll try and teach you the controls as we go," Jenny whispered, and with that, she cleared her throat, raising her voice so Nicky could hear. "Hey, bet you five ration cards I'll beat your ass."

**Art [Clementine]**

"Nah. You get to lose for free," Nicky joked and fired up another game. They selected their characters like they'd done so a thousand times before, at the speed of light, and landed on a race track called Rainbow Road. Clementine sat upright, eyes glued to the screen as if a single second missed would be too much. The numbers _**3, 2, 1**_flashed on the screen, and both racers dashed onward across an _actual _rainbow up in space.

Nicky kind of nailed it, actually. There were lots of tight curves and about twice as many turtle shells zig-zagging through the track, but not one of them stopped Nicky's dinosaur from winning another easy first place. Jenny's mushroom-boy wasn't as lucky. Both Clem _and _the loser sat in silence while Nicky's playful laugh warped into a snort.

"So, which one's the gas pedal?" Clementine asked, flashing a nervous smile.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Nicky always was the best player in their group, and Jenny absolutely _hated _her for it sometimes. Granted, that didn't stop Jenny from acting cocky the instant her hands were on the controller, but Nicky showed her up by claiming first place, though she still managed to nab second place. Screw you, AI drivers! Still, she accepted her defeat with poise, sighing before shifting in her seat, showing Clementine the controls while doing so.

When she'd explained everything she had to, she looked over to Nicky, holding out a hand. "Lemme play her real quick. Not fair to her to throw her in with the Mario Kart Sensei."

She winked towards Clem. "Unless you want the challenge."

**Art [Clementine]**

She shot Jenny a nervous smile, her eyes fleeing when the other girl's pair sought them out. "I wanna play _you."_ _And not... totally embarrass myself._

Clem kept changing which hand held each side of the controller, silently begging to know how you were supposed to do it with only two. One minute glancing away from the TV and they were already selecting their racers - Jenny picking her mushroom boy like how you'd pick the same clothes to school. Clementine leaned toward the big dragon with the big teeth and the big kart. He was gonna eat _'Toad' _for breakfast. Nicky, sitting comfortably and basking in her glory, quietly cheered the new girl on. "Clementine?" She waved at her. "Hey, you can do it. Just don't drive into the water."

But then... once the race started, Clem lagged behind the entire time. She'd run into walls, had wheels stuck in the sand, and crashed straight into the same pool of water every single lap. Her cheeks were flushed by the end of the third one, boiling in frustration as she forgot which button did what for the seventh time. The final lap tune kicked in and all hope was lost.

**Dot [Jenny]**

She honestly felt bad for Clem; that pond she kept driving into had always tripped her up when she first started playing, and it took countless hours of practice to nail the course without crashing. Clem would get there someday, she'd make sure of it.

The final lap came, and Jenny managed to secure a huge lead; then again, Clem was behind the rest of the bot players in the game, so it wasn't much of a competition anymore. She crossed the finish line without much fanfare, passing Clem an apologetic glance when she eventually made it to the end herself.

"Not bad for your first game, Clem," Jenny said through a small smile, glancing up just in time to see Kevin closing her front door, the acrid smell of cigarette smoke following him in. Jenny's nose flared, yet she ignored it. They'd had that fight enough, no need to have it in front of her new friend.

Kevin glanced towards the screen as it showed the list of racers and their placings in the race, scoffing. "Damn, Jen, you even give her a chance?"

Jenny rolled her eyes, looking towards Clem once more. "Ignore him, he's a dick sometimes." Brown eyes returning to Kevin, she indicated the other two controllers on the ground in front of the TV. "Alright gang, it's time. Let's fucking go."

Jenny once again chose her mushroom boy, watching as Kevin chose Luigi. This game was going to be _awesome _, she just had a feeling.

**Art [Clementine]**

The race kicked off to an awful start as Clem's dragon immediately went off the tracks and ran into a wall. Her kart's wheels spun helplessly on the grass as everyone else zipped right past. Nicky and her dinosaur, on the other hand, stuck real close to Kevin's mustachio-man up until the very end, when she got hit by two consecutive turtle shells.

Clementine's forehead was boiling with rage while the girl struggled her way to fourth place, smashing the break button at every turn. As the finish line approached, Nicky's kart slowed down to a halt because she 'ran out of gas,' allowing Clementine to snag third place at the last possible second. Clem didn't quite get it, but the other teen insisted it was a thing. "I won!" Clementine exclaimed. The fact that there were other racers other than Nicky, simply slipping through her mind.

"I love this game."

**Dot [Jenny]**

Seeing Clementine having fun made her feel better about the fact she and Kevin had practically lapped Nicky and Clem by the time they made it across the finish line. She gave her newfound friend a high five when she crossed the finish line herself, glancing towards Nicky with an amused expression. Looks like she wasn't unbeatable after all.

They played for a while longer, Clementine slowly getting better at the game. By the time they'd finished their last match, which they'd done tournament style, the sun had long since gone down, and her parents were probably on their way home. So, begrudgingly, they shut off the console, stashing away the controllers and heading back towards the foyer.

"You nearly had me there, N," she stated through a smile, exchanging fist bumps with Nicky and Kevin, who'd just came in from smoking. "Next week, same time. We'll pull out Smash."

With that, she turned towards Clementine, shrugging her shoulders. "You wanna hang out for a bit? Or do you gotta get home?"

She'd feel bad if she didn't get to talk to her friend alone today; she was probably overwhelmed from hanging out with her other friends all day.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine looked thoughtful - in a silly, aloof kind of way. She pulled at her scarf, staring at the blank empty white outside Jenny's window. The sun stooped behind the snowy mountains in the distance, letting them cast their wide shadows, like Jenny's enthusiasm cast one over Clem's stream of thoughts. She smiled, after, twirling a finger in between threads of yarn hanging from her neck. "Can we do a sleepover?"

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny would be lying if she said that Clem's proposition wasn't at all tempting, which is _exactly _why she grinned, letting the front door shut behind Nicky and Kevin as they each headed back home. "Dude, yes, I haven't had a sleepover in _**forever**__," _she practically exploded in delight, giddy at the thought. "Mom and Dad are making stew, and I can teach you how to play Smash so you can beat Nicky next week. Fuck yes, this is gonna be awesome!"

"Maybe I'll finally get to see you with your hair down," Jenny nudged the other girl playfully, giggling. "You always wear it up like that."

**Art [Clementine]**

The wisecrack from Jenny had her ears burning up. Clementine duly hid what she could under her scarf, not that it did much. At least, never enough to hide such a big and loud smile. "Yeah. For sure..." She said, and suddenly nothing else was in the girl's mind.

When night fell, Jenny's neighborhood returned to its conventional silence. Most kids were comfy in their beds by that hour. Actually... probably most adults, too. Snow still gathered in tiny mountains outside the window, but inside, it was warm enough to stay barefoot. Clem had gone back home to do the tried and tested _'warn Lee first' _routine; to grab a toothbrush while she was at it, and her comfiest pajamas: the plaid, violet ones. Clementine changed inside Jenny's bathroom in what had to be a rush. Sure wasn't any other name to call it, besides maybe panicked excitement. Her fluff of hair was all loose for the first time in a while, hanging off the top of her head in long, messy, brown tangles. For a second that didn't seem to end, the mirror there was her best friend. A brave ally only to be discharged when Clem was super sure she looked... _kinda cute._They had one comb there, looking a little on the old side, but she put it to good use. Clem brushed all her hair to one side, and once that reflection of hers had her attention again, she could swear it was a totally different person on the other side. She breathed in, smiled, and gave herself a confident nod.

It felt like the whole world was staring at her when Clementine opened the door, but somehow it was just _her. _Just Jenny. The most she could do was send a nervous shrug her way, and try not to look scared. This was _definitely _outside her comfort zone.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Electronic parts laid scattered across Jenny's bed as she fiddled with a handheld radio. This one had been giving her trouble for the past couple days, and with Clementine changing in her bathroom, she used this chance to try and figure it out. Turned out, it had a bad wire somewhere, which was an easy enough fix, but as Clementine opened the bathroom door, Jenny decided it would be best to leave that for the morning. Instead, she gathered up the parts, preparing to stash them on the desk sitting next to her bed, before looking towards Clementine with her usual smile, complete with a set of teeth that wasn't exactly perfect, but no one really was, so she just did her best to have the best hygiene she could.

Looking at Clementine then, honestly, she could barely recognize her.

"Damn, why don't you wear your hair like that all the time?" She let out a slight chuckle, relaxing onto her bed once more. "You'd turn heads all across town."

"Maybe get Carl to look at someone else other than Lydia for a change," she added with a hint of an eyeroll.

**Art [Clementine]**

_She _was the one about to roll her eyes, only an ugly laugh beat her to it. "Right. As if."

Part of her, though - a sneaky one; it kept tugging at the edge of her lips. Forcing smiles she just couldn't keep tucked away. It wasn't often other people told her she looked pretty. Pretty much never when you were on the road, right? Hearing it from Jenny, though... that was pretty cool.

Clementine swiped away the other girl's chords and transistors tossed around the floor, making space for a second mattress next to Jenny's bed. This was so cool! A proper sleepover, with snacks and PJ's, and no one to tell them what time to go to bed. It felt like they were holed up in a fortress where no one else could come in. A place just for them, where they made up all the rules. Some flock of bashfulness did come about, over being so pumped for a slumber party. But so long as no one else knew, no one could keep Clem from being the most giddy teen in all of Jackson. At least just for that night.

Clem only wished she was here, too.

Clementine glanced at Jenny's bed in an off-hand way, wishing the thought would go away on its own. It felt better to talk about it, instead of mulling over it until dawn. At least it felt that way, in the moment... "You know, I - don't remember if I ever told you..."

"When I met my friend Ellie, we were... all alone in this spooky suburb. Sort of like here in Jackson, only it was outside, and there was nobody else around. We were waiting for the rest of our group to find us... So, when it got dark, we did a sleepover. Sort of."

"And, uhm... It wasn't _on the spot _or anything like that, but we... we were best friends, after." The girl leaned her arms over Jenny's cushion, staring at her with the most hopeful pair of eyes she'd ever aimed at anyone. "So just think of it as a... a rite of passage. Right? We make it 'till morning and we're friends. Forever."

"Not - Not forever... If you don't want to... Maybe just for a while...?"

**Dot [Jenny]**

Looking at that hopeful gaze Clementine had on her face made it so obvious to her how much she really needed this: someone to talk to, to be their friend through thick and thin. It was something, honestly, Jenny had been hoping for since the day they met outside the garage. Because Clementine was probably the most _real _person she'd met since getting here, even more so than Kevin or Nicky, both of whom she adored like family.

And the thought that Clementine didn't think they were friends yet made this all the more necessary, because it was already true.

"About as forever as it gets in this world," Jenny stated through a smile of her own, lifting a fist and holding it out towards Clementine. "Bring it in."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine flashed her a grin, only to slip away from sight, right under her friend's nose. "You got it! One sec." She dug her hands into the mattress, searching. And before Jenny could get a second glance, a pillow flew right toward her face.

If nothing else, Clem seemed pretty amused. "How's that for bringing it in?"

It was a good throw.

**Dot [Jenny]**

The pillow had caught her off-guard, she was hesitant to admit, but she giggled all the same.

"You bitch!" She shrieked gleefully, grabbing the pillow and throwing it back at her. She was already moving to grab another before Clementine could even react.

It's on. It was so fucking on.

**Art [Clementine]**

Too busy laughing until her insides ached, Clem took a hard pillow to the head that sent her tumbling straight down. That, of course, meant war.

She used her pillow as a shield to Jenny's assault, and fired right back: one that flew right past Jenny's nose, colliding with the wall, and one precise shot that hit the other girl square in the forehead. The killing blow! "Yield!" Clementine cried as she charged toward the enemy camp, smacking her friend in the shoulder with a deadly pretend-axe. Now that she was hopping on Jenny's bed, Clem knew she was invincible.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Just as quickly as it had begun, Clementine had gained the upper hand. Weaponless – pillowless – Jenny tried to grab onto the girl's arm and knock her off of her, and safely onto the other side of her bed, but that was a fool's dream, it turned out. Instead, Clementine remained on her feet, poised for another blow with her pretend-axe, to which Jenny desperately held up her hand to stop her.

"I yield, O Knight of the Divine Axe!" She shouted. "Spare me, and I shall join ye on your quest!"

**Art [Clementine]**

"Denied!" Said the knight as she brought her pillow down to bonk Jenny in the head. The act ended right when Clem burst out laughing again, and dropped down on top of Jenny's cushion, belly facing up.

"Alright, I'm done." She wiped a tear from her eye with the palm of her hand and flashed a loud grin.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny was laughing alongside her, gasping for air as she tried to speak. "I – wow, you totally just executed me. That's cold. Real cold." The grin on her face almost hurt, yet she managed to hold it all the same.

"Plus ten XP to your deviousness level," she finished with a chuckle.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine laughed. "You're talking gibberish again." She hoped her parents weren't awake to hear it too, or no doubt they'd be hearing pleads to pipe the whole thing down all the way from the other room. Wasn't it way past midnight? The thought alone had adrenaline pumping through Clem's veins, even when her eyelids felt so darn heavy.

The lights turned dim, soon, and Jenny's room went pitch dark. All but her bedside corner that gleamed warmly with a candle. Clementine was wrapped in blankets to scare off the cold, sitting excitedly while she tossed whatever small talk she could to make that night just a little longer. She'd ran through an entire mental checklist, and could very well go on forever, if anyone cared to listen. "Now," she said, "tell me something about you that no one else knows. The bigger the secret, the better."

**Dot [Jenny]**

Like all the other times Jenny had been reminded that Clementine didn't get the chance to grow up behind these walls, her knowing nothing about video games kept coming back. Still, she managed to chuckle at what her friend said, rolling her eyes.

As they settled in for the night, Clementine piped up in the darkness, asking a question that she, for a while, was unsure of how to answer. Living in Jackson, there wasn't much you could keep secret. Small communities, and all that. Still, there was one thing that came to mind, and sharing it with Clementine just… made sense, given the baseball-capped girl's experience.

"I, uh…" She started, rubbing at her eyes as if it'd make the words easier to say. "I'm not really good, outside the walls. Like… I've been out there, plenty of times. Spent months on the road with my parents before we got here, but… I just never learned how to survive out there. How to handle the infected. Kinda makes me envious, of you." She paused. "You know what you're doing. Even if you had to go through so much just to get there."

She rolled over in her bed, glancing towards Clementine in the pitch-black room, smiling. "Your turn."

**Art [Clementine]**

She listened, more fondly than Jenny could imagine, and Clem sighed through her nose when words failed to come. Maybe the whole idea was a mistake. Would've been easier to keep playing all night and just ignore the white noise, rest of the world be damned. Never worked. They were both still kids - little dumb kids that played pretend, until real life sunk back in and dragged them through the mud. Clem thought if not her, someone else would have to do it. She'd rather it be her.

Clementine braced herself, arms around her knees. It felt like plunging down a cave, always. But there wasn't a whole lot waiting at the bottom. "Honestly...? There's nothing to envy."

"I hate killing walkers. I hate killing people, too.

"And I have," she added, as if her friend wouldn't believe her otherwise. "More than once, and not 'cause I had to. Before... Before here, I hadn't had a home in forever. I barely remember my Mom and Dad anymore."

"Kind of wish I stayed with them, sometimes..." She felt ashamed for admitting it. She knew Lee would, too, to hear her whisper it, but he wasn't here. It was just them. It was just them and no one else. "You're so lucky, Jenny. Don't waste that envying me."

**Dot [Jenny]**

Listening to her words then, Jenny regretted saying what she did. Digging up old feelings no doubt Clementine would rather wish stayed buried. Still, she tried her best to put on a disarming smile, in hopes that would make Clementine feel better.

Like her mother would always say, you never want to go to bed angry, or sad, or anything, well, negative.

"I'm sure they miss you too," she eventually stated quietly, rubbing her thumb against Clementine's shoulder as if trying to reassure her. "You wanna talk about something else?" She offered the question as a way out, unsure of how to steer them into more pleasant waters in this midnight conversation.

**Art [Clementine]**

Whether Jenny heard her - really heard her, Clem couldn't know. All that stuff Jackson's barrier kept away, hidden like a bad memory... for people like Jenny, maybe it was. Something you could close your eyes to and forget about. She struggled so much to figure out what it was, before, the thing that made her friend feel so normal. Now it stared her in the face with that weak, forgiving smile that she could only nod back to.

Clementine realized that she was never going to fit in with them.

It wasn't so bad to pretend. Her parents, and Luke, and Ellie, and all in-between. Tune it all out. "So, here's one. What's your favorite color?"

Just one night of pretending. One night would do her good.


	63. Watchtower, I

**Author's Notes: Four months late on this upload, but we're finally getting there! We've got a couple more scenes to work on for the next chapter or two, so hopefully we'll be all wrapped up either by January or February so things will finally get back on track for regular updates.**

**Once those are finished, this story will be going onto a weekly update basis until it's finished. The story's already written all the way through the ending, it just needs some finishing touches in this arc. I'm aiming to have this story completely uploaded by March or April, and will start posting stuff for the sequel soon after. Stay tuned!**

* * *

_4:47 PM – March 14, 2026 – Wyoming Bushlands_

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem could've spent all morning listing off the reasons her shoulders stiffened up the way they were, but nervousness easily made the top three.

By eight 'o'clock in the morning, Lee was next to her bed helping her up, dragging Clementine away from those awesome warm sheets she'd be missing for the rest of the day. Breakfast ended before it even started, and before she knew it, Clementine stood by the school gates, rifle strapped to her backpack. Andrea had scheduled some type of group outing. And by outing, she really meant outside the walls. Clem begged not to go, suspecting they had put her in the same group as that awful Lydia on purpose, but it fell on deaf ears. All of it.

Suffice to say that the only other alternative was what sounded like a whole week's worth of extra homework for whoever opted to stay home. It had to be some sort of fucked up joke! The first few hours were spent on long lessons and even longer drills. Clem kept her ears peeled when Andrea mentioned spores, and inwardly winced when she described what a Bloater was. _Is that what they call it?_

The trip itself wasn't special. Andrea called it 'basic training for scouting missions', but they were only ever walking down the trail leading out of Jackson, and Clem could swear she only ever saw a single walker. 'Course, it got dispatched by one of the instructors before anyone could get a second look. She and her class weren't allowed to do anything besides trudge through the snow. It was so stupid.

**Dot [Jenny]**

It was particularly cold that morning, enough so that Jenny's breath came out in voluminous clouds, dissipating into the air. She traveled alongside everyone else, albeit unenthusiastic about the whole ordeal. She should've been fine, given the amount of people Andrea had gathered for this thing, but nevertheless she felt terrified to be beyond those walls. Nothing good ever happened outside of them.

Keeping close to Clementine was the only thing that really made her feel comfortable. At least, if something bad happened, she knew that her friend could handle it.

Kevin and Nicky were nearby, making jokes about a few of the folks that went out with them, namely Lydia it seemed, who had been avoiding the whole lot of them like the plague. Guess she _really_ didn't like Clementine. Or, well, any of them, for that matter. Jenny was convinced that the only person she tolerated was Carl.

As Andrea was going on about patrol routes and what to look out for, Jenny shivered, wrapping her arms around herself before glancing towards Clementine. "Starting to wish we were back home," she mumbled. "I'd rather be working in the garage right now."

She wasn't usually one for complaining, but this was about the limit of what she could tolerate.

**Art [Clementine]**

It was a good thing - not trudging all alone. Felt good having that again. Clem mouthed an F-word that left her lips in a misty sigh, as she let her cold hands wobble sluggishly forward. "Me too."

She almost missed summer; all the heat and the sticky in your clothes. At least you could see where you were going. The blizzard formed a wall of mist as far as the eye could see, and the snow painted the surrounding forest with bright ashen. For all the bad it did, the Jackson woods looked breathtaking. You could almost forget the walkers, the strain in your knees, the wind that froze you to the bone... just to lose yourself to the sight. Eyes dancing around the funny shapes your boots made when they dug into the snow, while you went down the same trail that never quite seemed to end. She wondered if they'd get lost without it.

Clementine pulled the strap on her shoulder just an inch closer, to force her rifle to sit still. "You think we could use all that spare junk to make a go-kart? I bet you we could."

**Dot [Jenny]**

Clementine's idea had Jenny snorting, smiling despite herself. _Y'know what, that sounds fun._ "All we need is a junkyard to scavenge from, and we can have ourselves a real-life Mario Kart." She offered with a small laugh, gaining her several raised eyebrows from nearby kids walking near them. Joy-kills.

Kevin was the one to answer that, though, scoffing amusedly. "Why, so Nicky can kick our asses in real go-karts?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine had to smile and look away, lest she take him up on that. It didn't go unnoticed. "Uh-oh. Do I sense the new blood getting cocky...?" Nicky snickered where her ears nearly couldn't reach. As she leaned closer to Kevin far behind where their footprints lay, Clementine's smile only grew deeper. "You know she's been in a real car before, right? Not just in video-games." It only made sense to rub it in Kevin's face how she got to drive that muscle car back in Colorado, and how Lee had taught her what pedal did what, and which gear to shift to when the road got steep. But the hotshot felt happy enough keeping that to herself.

Clem huddled her arms together around her chest, hiding the number 88 on her jersey shirt. As she wondered how much colder it was going to get, the snow trailing down the trees left white marks on the light blue of her long flannel hoodie, making her shoulders look like a clouded sky. "You cold?" She asked suddenly, pointing her red nose at Jenny. "I brought an extra jacket... if you need it."

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny listened to her friends banter back and forth, interested in seeing how that whole thing would pan out. Clem had the advantage, obviously, but it couldn't be that hard, right?

When the baseball-capped girl eventually asked her if she wanted an extra jacket, Jenny was eager to nod. This brown windbreaker wasn't quite cutting it. "Please," she breathed, almost desperately.

As she waited for Clementine to fish out the extra jacket, Jenny's mind wandered, going back to what Nicky and Kevin were talking about earlier. She found herself asking the question without really thinking, genuinely curious. "So, what's it like? Driving?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem nabbed from the inside of her backpack a folded, white bubble jacket sprinkled with flower patterns. Time had faded it to dark, murky grey shades, and its sturdy elbow patches into strings of tattered gaps. She handed it bashfully to her friend, like Jenny'd bite her fingers off if she came any closer than an arm's length. Clem wondered if she'd like it, yellow blossoms and all. Hands settled back within balmy pockets, Clementine smiled.

"Like riding a bicycle?" She answered halfway confident, though the honest truth of it eluded her. Clem hadn't ever gotten near one. "I don't know." The girl smacked her lips and fell to knitted brows. "Almost can't reach the pedal, Jay."

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny graciously accepted the jacket, slipping it on. It was a little small but did the trick. She stuffed her hands back into pockets, hoping to maintain whatever small amount of warmth she still had left in them. Luckily, that jacket had some comfy pockets, so she could focus on what Clementine was saying. The girl's comment about driving nearly made her chuckle, but she held it back to simply smile instead.

Clementine wasn't short by any means, at least for her age, but compared to herself, she somehow didn't doubt that there was a bit of trouble there. Nevertheless, she continued on as if it didn't matter, 'cause it really didn't. "Well, maybe someday you'll get to teach me. We'll do a tour around the Jackson area."

"At least a car would have heat," she continued with mild aggravation.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Near the middle of the pack, a girl with a bright white hood slung over her head trudged along in a typically lazy manner. Lingering close to her one-eyed companion, Lydia's arms were crossed while she walked, in an effort to shield her hands from the ice-cold air that was mercilessly nipping away. Of all the seasons they could've picked to do this, of course they picked the worst one to travel in.

Contrary to most people's feelings about the walkers and infected, Lydia believed that there were a few things to be jealous about. The fact that they couldn't feel this fucking cold, for one. If it wasn't for the fact that this expedition was a compulsory event, then Lydia wouldn't have shown. She already tried to get out of it, but Andrea wasn't taking no for an answer this time. Being outside of the walls and back in nature was something the former Whisperer yearned for daily but having to share this with so many other people wasn't exactly her idea of a relaxing time. Which is why she just preferred to sneak out by herself.

Was Lydia really expected to look out for these idiots? She was pretty sure most of them would be dead out here within a day if they were left to their own devices. Hell, the girl bet most of them wouldn't even be able to find their way back to Jackson from here.

Occasionally, Lydia would glance over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of Nicky and Kevin and their poor attempts to quietly shit-talk her. Which she ignored, for the most part. She also noticed that Clementine was here too, and had found her place with them. It wasn't all that surprising that Jenny had taken a liking to Clementine, though part of her wondered if she was just hanging with her because of the rumors.

Not like she cared anyway, that Jenny girl never knew when to shut up and always managed to continuously bore Lydia by running her mouth off about the most annoying and nonsensical shit. All that girl did was spend time in that garage, probably jerking off to machine parts in there or something, like the weirdo she was; Lydia honestly wouldn't be surprised.

Walker food. That's all the girl really saw in these people, and at this point she'd be rooting for the walkers to get a free meal, since she didn't really like anyone here anyway. So pampered and snide, she couldn't stand it. Too bad today she had no choice but to.

**Art [Clementine]**

They came to another stop, slowly. Way ahead of the group stood a pair of walkers, watching with their empty eyes from behind trees sprinkled with white. It was the burlier guide, the one with the dirty-red beard, that stuck a knife through the both of them. She waited next to Jenny with a restless look about her, frowns that turned to smiles when they shared rapid glances. She didn't feel as cold, then.

What Clementine heard next was the sound of a bullet ripping through the air. It startled nearly everyone, though it went as far as to freeze her into a solid statue. No one knew where it'd come from besides the birds that flew opposite to the sound, far and away. The guides looked between each other; they stared first, talked after, and what they said was no good. Clem felt her good hand drift toward the holster on her thigh.

A kid younger than her let out a piercing scream - far behind, where it was hard to see - fumbling for their gun. Ahead, the guides shouted "Infected!" After that, not one person there could tell who fired first. But once gunfire opened from one side, it'd opened from them all. Before she got around to grabbing Jenny's hand, the burly guy with the knife was opened into two.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Chaos erupted as quickly as wildfire, teenagers and adults alike running for their lives, while those with the training to stand their ground attempted to hold back the horde as best they could, most ending their lives in the process.

For Jenny, her heart was in her throat, beating so fast it threatened to burst. The only thing that kept her from freezing in her spot in the snow was Clementine's hand pulling her away, just as one of the guides was ripped open by an infected. She watched in horror as it chomped on the man's neck, blood gushing out in a geyser that sprayed the runner, making it all the more terrifying.

Before she could see any more, Clementine had them diverting towards the woods, where a gap in the infected and other survivors gave them a way out. Jenny nearly stumbled over a root, but the force behind Clementine's tugging kept her moving forward.

Behind, all they could hear were screams and the gut-wrenching sound of clicking, screeches and skin tearing, spilling what lied beneath. She was lucky she didn't have to see it, her eyes focused ahead as Clementine dodged an infected lunging towards them.

As they kept moving forward, Jenny repeated the same two words under her breath, verging on hyperventilating. "Oh God, oh God, oh God…"

**Art [Clementine]**

"Don't!-" Clem felt a runner brush shoulders with her, reach for an arm or a sleeve. She fired twice at the thing, and suddenly what she meant to tell Jenny was gone with it. Nicky and Kevin were nowhere to be seen, though she searched as hard as one could. Whoever was left in the thick of it had been torn and eaten. Clementine didn't mean to stay and watch.

She shut her eyes, for just a split second, and she prayed to run into an adult. How many guides were left? Clem dragged Jenny to wherever the trees led and didn't stop. As the girl came to fire her gun less and less, it started feeling like they'd made it out. The panic led them to a huge tower in the center of the forest; the only thing that stood out in the dark green fields, still not painted in white. "Jay, I need you to climb. Understand? I need you to climb fast. More're gonna come!" Soon, they did.

Even out of breath, Clementine climbed the tower as fast as her arms and legs could carry the rest of her body, infected crawling at her feet. They reached for her, fighting each other for the chance to, and suddenly Clementine felt a grip on her ankle. She fought, fought and pulled, until her left boot went tumbling down and just the white-and-purple sock stayed. The girl collapsed on the wooden floor atop the tower, sweat running down her face as she huffed louder than any of the infected yelling for her...

... too exhausted to check if anyone else was there.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Her lungs felt like they were on fire, from exhaustion and the sheer cold surrounding them alike. Jenny's legs moved on their own accord, practically being dragged around by Clementine past dozens of infected before their one hope at salvation appeared in the way of a watch tower. Hearing Clementine's frantic voice was enough to force her up that ladder at the speed of sound, collapsing on the snowy floorboards surrounding the tower in a heaving heap.

Clementine was next. Infected surrounded them on all sides, so many that she couldn't even count them. So many that she'd never seen in one place. Her eyes were frozen on them, watching in horror as they tried to grab Clementine's ankle, the baseball-capped girl eventually managing to break free. When she made it to the observation deck next to her, Jenny allowed herself to fall back onto the floor, content to stay there for the rest of time.

Because she knew they were fucked. Inexperienced or not, that kind of horde that amassed below wasn't something they were just gonna… walk out of. They surrounded the tower at least twenty or thirty deep. More than enough to shake the tower nauseatingly.

Her voice barely a croak, she called out for the girl somewhere behind her.

"C – Clem…? You okay?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia couldn't help but mutter something inconsiderate under her breath as two exhausted bodies slumped down on the floor next to the ladder. If the girl wasn't somehow in a nightmare already, this definitely sealed the deal. The blonde's eyes glazed over the hellish landscape, a deranged mix of roamers and infected loomed beneath them, moaning and gurgling. It sounded… borderline psychotic, almost.

Trapped. That's what they were. Thanks to the dumbasses who attracted even more of them here. Clementine and Jenny had just flushed Lydia's already small chance of slipping away down the fucking toilet. The girl found no solace in sharing company up here, and that was about to become very apparent.

"Great... this is… great. Five out of five stars for whoever's idea it was to bring the herd here." Lydia huffed out, trying to speak in between small gasps for air. She was hunched over, still breathless herself, having only arrived a short time earlier. Before, the girl was confident enough that she'd be able to wait it out, since not too many of the roamers had noticed her. Now, there was a chance they weren't going to make it at all, the structure sounded just about ready to come crashing down because of these idiots.

"Have another star for trying to get me fucking killed, too!"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine caught herself pulling Jenny in for a hug and not letting go. "Mhm." It hadn't been five minutes... everything was normal until just five minutes ago. Clem kicked herself hard for whining like a little kid all day... whining over scout training being too fucking boring. She'd have done anything to take that back. "Not bitten," she answered. "...You?"

But as Clementine cast her eyes to the voice blaring opposite to her, both of them stretched as wide as pair could. Lydia...? Sudden as that, her grip on Jay was all but gone. Wasn't enough to march through snow all morning and get attacked by monsters, it wasn't... now it was this. This was happening now.

She'd have taken that entire pack of clickers instead.

Though exhausted the way she was, the teen was on her feet in a second's time, sneaking in glares aimed at the blonde while she coughed into a fist. Retorting came next, like instinct. "I didn't-" Clementine stopped to breathe, letting it out in an angry puff. All the while the infected threw themselves against the support below, sending small shockwaves in the form of echoing sounds, flesh colliding against metal. It had Clem's skin crawling, even more so than the sight of the girl she hated.

Not that it made any difference. They'd all jump at the chance to choke her to death.

"It's not our fault!"

**Dot [Jenny]**

God, she needed that hug at that moment. The sounds emanating below were sickening, nauseating her to the point of churning her stomach. She answered Clementine's question with a breathless "I'm okay," before another voice filled the air. Jenny turned to look at Lydia with wide eyes, eventually sitting against the wall of the watch tower, hugging her legs close to her chest.

That once cheery, bombastic girl was nothing more than a shivering, frightened mess.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia's brows furrowed together, emanating a vicious stare at the girl opposite her. The wails and moans of the herd echoed out for miles, almost deafening. It probably would've drowned out her voice, had she not been screaming.

"Look around!" She sent a finger in the direction of the fields below them, highlighting the second half of the herd they'd brought along with them. Yes, she needed someone to blame, and Clementine was the easiest target. Lydia was already pissed off about the news of her return, which made it easier to let loose.

"Do you guys see anywhere to go now?!" Another hard thud soon followed, rattling the watchtower. Sending a sudden wash of anxiety over her. Lydia felt the platform they were standing on vibrate underneath her. Instinctively, she grabbed onto the railing beside her as dread soon washed over her face. _Please, please, please. Don't break._

"We're screwed!"

**Art [Clementine]**

With her cheeks flaring red in rage, Clem's grimace gave way to a shout she couldn't hope to hold back. Hands curled into fists and arms more rigid than her glower, the girl's brows were pointed straight down, twisting her eyes' gentle amber into a fiery yellow. Clementine was so pissed, the rest became blurry past the point of clarity.

"How about you shut up, so you don't draw more of them!"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Right then and there, Lydia felt like driving a fist straight through her annoying face. Nothing about her had changed at all. Clementine was still just as infuriating to talk to as the first time. Straight away, she opened her mouth to yell back. However, at the last moment, Lydia gnashed her teeth together, withholding her remarks before casting off an aggravated glance to the infected in the fields. As much as she hated to admit it, the girl had a point about all the screaming.

A moment of silent tension passed between them, before Lydia made her way off the scaffolding, bumping shoulders with the other girl before stomping through the door that led inside. They were alone, surrounded by a herd, with little hope for help… and barely any food. There was no way to know how long it would take for things to clear out.

The frazzled teen wasn't bothered to do much else. Straight away, she situated herself into the corner of the room; trying to calm down proved futile. Pressing her back up against the wall, she gradually slid down against it until she was seated, gently hugging her knees. There was no point in doing anything. It was going to be dark soon, with nothing but a girl greener than a newborn baby, and Clementine to accompany her.

At this rate, she would have preferred the corpses…

**Dot [Jenny]**

Staring off into the distance, it was almost easy to imagine that the horde below didn't exist. The trees swayed their usual to and fro, blown by heavy winds and battered with pellets of snow that were beginning to fall from the sky. Of course, the rocking of the tower, and the noise deafening her, all culminated into a feeling of dread that she could not shake off. What might've been a serene view would forever be haunted by the reality mere dozens of feet below them.

Of course, the tension in the air kept ramping up, especially with how vitriol the words being thrown between Clementine and Lydia were. She knew they didn't get along, of course, but seeing them argue now was putting her into a state of shock far worse than the one already plaguing her.

So, when Lydia made her way inside, Jenny was more than happy to follow suit. The weather was turning colder, and her ass felt frozen solid, and any warmth that little room could provide would be a fucking godsend.

Setting herself down in a corner of the room after brushing herself off, she waved Clementine over, in desperate hope for some meager amount of warmth they could manage to share. Anything to fucking forget about outside, and the things she'd witnessed on the way here.

That guide's bloody guts as they were ripped out of him decided to pierce her mind, forcing her to clench her eyes shut, fists following suit. It'd been so long since she'd seen anything like that, it almost brought her back to being a kid again. Of seeing it firsthand as her last home was torn apart.

She desperately needed another hug.

**Art [Clementine]**

So, that was that.

Clem sighed out a heavy breath, letting her gaze tumble back to the floorboards below. The toes on her right foot were already curling to stay warm, and the sight alone had bashfulness hitting her hard. _Bet you look real dumb, Clementine._ Well, great. That whole conundrum still felt hours away from sinking in for real - what with being stranded with Lydia in the middle of nowhere with a clique of infected waiting for dinner below. Clementine, more dumbfounded than pensive, leaned against the railing to both scan the area and kill some time. And maybe, hopefully, calm down a little.

They looked pretty boned. Over a dozen deadheads kept stumbling their way to the ladder, running into it until they got bored and moved onto something else. And that's only the ones they could see. What would Lee think? He'd probably start worrying sick soon. At least Clem knew for sure someone was coming to help. Eventually.

Her lips twisted and quivered, until they formed another grimace. A softer one, at least, if there was even such a thing. She was gonna have to head inside sooner or later before her foot froze into a popsicle. Wouldn't be worth it. Even if she seriously preferred it.

The door swung open to expose the bashful teen with the baseball cap and the rifle strapped to her shoulder. Nevermind how crooked the girl looked, with one foot taller than the other, it didn't seem to faze her at all anymore. Clementine sat opposed to Lydia, letting go a long exhale through her nose in order to break the thickest ice in all of Wyoming. "They're not letting up until morning, I think. Can't shoot our way out. And I doubt the radio works anymore." Accessing all of it was important. Just this once, they had to work as a team. Just this once.

Clementine's hand slid through the floor as slow as it could, until it found Jay's. Hers was cold and jittery, and Clem had to fight hard to keep it still. It must've been horrible for her... After all this, what hope did she even have to make it better? "It's - It's not so bad. Okay? Andrea and the others, they'll come look for us. Might have to wait a couple of days tops." A poor attempt at sounding positive, even Clementine knew. The teen dragged Jenny's hand inside her front pockets the way you tucked someone under a blanket, not letting go. Then she turned to Lydia, in too much of a tizzy to hold a glance for too long. "I got... food. If you get hungry."

"Just a little."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The four walls managed to provide some warmth, giving some shelter against the ice-cold air that so desperately wanted to nibble away at her. Lydia was beginning to dread the inevitable temperature drop that was soon to come. Still scowling, she could see Clementine leaning over the railing through the window, was she actually trying to look for a way out? Or did she just want to look busy? Stupid. That's what this whole thing was.

God, she hoped Carl had made it out. Maybe he was out there right now, looking for them with the others. Or perhaps he wasn't. Not knowing killed her, and having to wait did not help one bit. Now that the screams coming from the living had ceased, all she could hear were the dead ones. It'd been a while since it felt like she was alone with them. Seeing so many huddled together, it always gave her this sense of comfort, relief in the fact that they would protect her. Back with the Whisperers, it used to mean everything. That time where they made her feel so safe, where their soft gurgles were calming. Now that she'd grown accustomed to being inside these massive walls, it was harder to feel that way. She didn't want to anymore, but the girl couldn't deny it, the sounds still did bring her solace... sometimes.

Just when it felt as though her nerves were beginning to settle, in came Clementine, lumping herself down next to Jenny. All she did was yap away about crap Lydia already knew. _Yeah, a couple of days… if we're not dead by then._

Lydia's gaze settled on Clementine from across the room, frowning at her offer. To that, she faced away, resting her cheek on the top of her knees. "I have my own food." Lydia responded in the driest way possible, her tone almost as cold as the snow outside.

She was kidding herself if a couple of candy bars in her backpack were considered a decent meal. One thing was certain though, she'd rather become a popsicle stick than receive any help from Clementine, let alone be in the general vicinity of her.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Feeling the warmth in Clementine's hand was enough to begin to calm her down, though it'd prove to not be enough. Her heart was still racing, things she wished she could forget continuing to nag her, screaming at her.

The sight of runners pouring into the University of Eastern Colorado, attacking anyone that moved; her dad having to kill them to make a path for their escape; her mom being grabbed by one, nearly brought down to the ground, until her dad managed to save her; hundreds of other people, soldiers and families alike, all being devoured or forced on the run. That day had terrified her, so badly that going outside the walls of Jackson had never been appealing, save for the hopeful musings of a teenager. Now, she wished that she'd listened to her gut and stayed home. Though, knowing that Clementine would've been out here, and her in there, that soured the whole thought.

She wouldn't want to not know if her friend had survived.

So, in response, she clutched Clementine's hand tighter, hoping that'd make everything okay. In reality, she knew it wouldn't, but what else could she do?

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

It was then that Lydia caught sight of something rather unkempt. The teen's eyes couldn't help but drift downwards. They zeroed in on Clementine's hand. It was easy to notice what was missing. She remembered it wasn't like that the first time, unless she wasn't paying attention. No, she was sure of it. Clementine had come back missing a finger this time.

Lydia's eyes were fixated on it for a split-second, almost being enough to wipe the glare off her face, but she held strong. Before trying to pretend as though she hadn't noticed, turning her head, she quickly averted her gaze from the girl. The silence was uncomfortable on so many levels. What were they supposed to even say to each other? Not to mention this type of stuff wasn't something she liked to do with people she barely knew. As much as Lydia _hated_ the fact that Clementine was back, she was hopelessly curious about why since her return. Gathering that whatever happened out there after they left couldn't have been good.

Finally, the torturous silence between the three became all too much to bear. Even for Lydia.

"So. _You're_ back." Lydia spoke rather bluntly, still looking away from the baseball-capped girl, a frown smeared across her face. "I thought Ellie would be with you."

**Art [Clementine]**

Tried, she did, but when Lydia said she had her own food, Clem backed out almost immediately, feeling the words land on her head like they weighed the world. "Y - Yeah. Sure," Clementine blurted out before falling into silence, rubbing one arm to ward off the discomfort. "Suit yourself..."

This wasn't going to work. Minutes kept ticking by and the silence wouldn't stop. It was suffocating. And Lydia was such a jerk...! Clementine would've taken it all back if she could, _everything_ that happened that night, just to... _try_ and be friends again. But no matter what she did to fix it, it wouldn't go away. It just wouldn't! And she fucking hated that feeling more than... _**anything!**_ It kept the girl crushed and equally quiet, even more so when she noticed the stares directed at her missing finger. She hid it behind her like always. Ashamed of it.

When Ellie turned into a topic, her frown turned permanent and obvious in equal measure. Clem tried - and tried _really_ hard at that - to give Lydia a non-answer. Fight fire with fire. It didn't work. Things with Ellie, they were... rough, to put it lightly. She could barely figure out what to say.

"Me too."

The subject was dropped just as soon as it was brought up, and... even if she liked it that way, Clem did _not_ want it to go quiet again. She couldn't freaking cope with another half hour of silence. If this is what it took to get Lydia to talk, then so be it. "If you... I mean-"

"If you really wanna know..." The girl shrugged her shoulders, forced to swallow a whimper. "The place Tommy told us about was a total bust. So... Joel and she left to keep looking for the Fireflies."

"We didn't."

The wind wouldn't quit. It snuck through the cracks in the walls, even through the windows and the empty spaces between the door. It had Clementine leaning into Jenny more, looking for more warmth when she knew neither of them had any more to spare. "Bet you're happy." She said, holding in a scoff, teeth chattering from the cold. "I doubt she's coming back."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The details were a lot to swallow at once. Information that Lydia didn't quite know how to digest, or in other words… feel about. Not like it mattered anyway. At this point, being separated was probably for the best. She never really understood that girl's obsession with that rebel group, or how Tommy had put Ellie and her friends on a pedestal; let them waltz in like they owned the place, just because they knew his brother. When they first arrived, Tommy granted them more privileges than people who were already there for _years._ Lydia had to work long and _hard_ to earn her keep, while people like _them_ had everything handed over on a silver platter. Not one person questioned how _unfair_ it was. Her frown hardened at Clementine's brash remarks, though she couldn't say it wasn't expected.

"Bet I'm happy?" She mimicked, speaking dismissively as a scoff was returned, sarcasm evident in her voice. Lydia brought her knees closer to her chest in an effort to fight the cold. It didn't help much.

"Well, considering that she called me an _arrogant bitch..._"

Lydia trailed off, twisting her head to the side a little, her eyes squinted a tad as they locked with Clementine's again. "Before _you_ punched me. Remember?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Her blood was boiling again. A trail of fire running through her veins to feed a heart that couldn't and wouldn't stop pounding. Clem had to be the world's biggest idiot to think she could make this work. It pissed her off beyond words, hearing Lydia say those things after she tried to _choke_ her. She was so damned sick of her. The girl forced her eyes shut to try and push that anger away, pulling her hand away from Jenny's and violently clinging onto her upper arms. Still, Clementine's lips, they practically moved on their own.

"What. You want another one?!"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia didn't know why she was expecting an explanation. Like hell she expected an apology, but the threat… which she assumed to be empty… was fucking stupid. Was she serious right now? It hadn't even been more than twenty minutes, and the blonde already felt like wringing her neck. Just how was Lydia expected to survive up here for more than a day with her?

"Really? After what happened to you last time?" The girl was beginning to get riled up, so much so that she was starting to contemplate sleeping outside. "Carl isn't here."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's cheeks fumed and turned crimson, later crumbling into a softer, less menacing pink. The fierce look in her eyes, it fell and turned to dust, running off in a hurry to avoid the blonde's.

Clem hadn't felt that humiliated in... _ever._

A half-dozen retorts sat by the edge of her tongue, not one lacking a swear word. Yet the girl had the courage to voice neither of them. The girl's mouth hung open for less than a second before it shut itself into a sulk, while Clem dropped her head abashedly. Flustered the way she was over losing, it only took reminding Clementine of how badly she needed saving from Carl to shut her up for good.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

And with that, the room once again fell into a prolonged deadly silence. Clementine had essentially shrunk into a little ball, embarrassed at the mention of their last fight. Lydia gnawed on her tongue momentarily, sighing out in frustration as she weighed her options, before settling on one. She reached over to her backpack, which she had set down next to her. Laying down on her side, the girl swiveled the other way, purposely avoiding facing her embarrassed roommate. She dragged her backpack and set it under her head, using it as a pillow. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. But it would do. Lydia just wished she was tired… just a smidge. Even if it meant listening to nothing but the wails of the dead all night, it would still be more peaceful than trying to have a conversation with Clementine.

At least Jenny had the brains to stop talking.


	64. Watchtower, II

_7:15 PM_

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine had since drifted to sleep. Face lying against the floor, where no semblance of comfort could be found. Her whole body felt weak, only a light push away from falling apart. Besides the aches and bruises from before, every finger had gone numb, namely her toes in the foot left exposed. Clem's biker jacket was like a napkin to the gusts of wind verging on turning into ice. And by nightfall, the cold had become too much to bear.

The teen's eyes shot open next to the wooden tiles, followed by the rest of her body, all jolting awake in a flash. It was **freezing.** Clem's stomach rumbled hard, and no matter how much she tried to roll over on the floor, that evening appetite wouldn't let her fall back asleep. From her backpack, the girl pulled a sandwich a couple hours away from becoming spoiled; still, somehow, making her mouth water. Halfway through her lunch, in the midst of the darkness outside, the window flashed twice in quick succession, before turning dim again. Clementine's head swung in its direction, surprise overtaking her expression. On her knees, she stared out the window for minutes until the trees flickered again, light reflecting on the glass.

"_Wake up!_" The girl whispered as loudly as she could, eyes glued to the window. She waited for Lydia and Jenny to open their eyes, a mixture of worry and joy in Clementine's.

"Flashlights."

She looked back at the blonde, Clem's hands rested on her tighs. "What do we do?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

It felt as though she had had been drifting in and out of consciousness all night. Cold daggers pierced her whole body every time she started to nod off, prohibiting her from falling asleep for too long. The teen held her arms in her hands, teeth literally beginning to chatter. How long had it been? Lydia's sense of time was disoriented. At this point, she was begging for the sun to rise, and that didn't look like it was happening anytime soon.

After hours of silence, Clementine's voice came as a sudden shock, causing the girl to jolt slightly. Still drowsy, she rolled over, rubbing her eyes. "What now?" She spoke softly, her voice quite dozy from the pounding headache derived from lack of sleep. Whatever reason she had for nagging her. It better have been good.

"_Flashlights._"

Lydia's eyes shot all the way open, feeling a surge of energy run through her core. The news was energizing, to say the least. "_Where?!_" She whispered back curiously as Clementine directed her to the source of the light.

Without haste, the girl peeked through the window. Indeed, far off into the distance, there were lights. _Carl… Andrea? Is that you?_ Lydia pondered, the thought of getting their attention was swiftly shut down by the horde still prevalent below, barely having moved an inch. What if it wasn't them? Only a few months back, they'd run into that group Carl had always warned them about, coupled with the fact that any noise they made would have the infected below start banging against the watchtower again. Did they really want to deal with that for the rest of the night?

She sighed out, slinking back down in a sitting position. Not at all liking what she was about to propose, but there was little choice.

"Nothing." She spoke after letting the silence linger, much less excitedly now as she stared down at her feet. The carrot that was dangling over her nose, Lydia refused to bite. Knowing the risks, it just wasn't worth it.

"Same plan. Wait it out until the morning."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine frowned with a brow raised and forming an arc, locking eyes with the blonde. A shrug had her shoulders jumping before her back met the wall, confusion written in the girl's gaze.

"You'd rather sit around and wait?" Clem asked through a sneer, looking discouraged by the suggestion.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Did Clementine have an 'off' switch? God, she was really starting to doubt that she did. Lydia was huddled in the corner with her arms wrapped around her knees yet again. This time, she hadn't been bothered to even cast the other girl a glance. Her eyes bolted to her feet like glue. She was exhausted… not to mention cold, hungry, and fed up. The dead already wanted them gone, she didn't want to add the living to that list, especially if the owners of those flashlights weren't friendly.

"And what would _you_ rather do, huh? Get us killed?" She bit back.

**Art [Clementine]**

She had to fight hard not to roll her eyes. Though as hard as she tried, they still felt all too close to the ceiling. You'd think slowly turning into human ice-cream all night long would make staying cool easier. Whoever thought that, hadn't met Lydia.

"Me and you. We can come up with a distraction. Right?" Clementine proposed, forcing a spew of confidence that she didn't truly have. "... Shoot our way out if we have to. I'm good with a gun." Jenny wasn't. _Lest we forget._ Oh, and Lydia? That one didn't trust her to tie her own shoelaces, much less hold her own in a fight. Not that the feeling wasn't mutual. The whole idea put a fright on her. Clem fought to voice the rest, knowing what answer to expect. Eventually she quieted down altogether.

"I mean, we can't just wait. Can we? Just wait around?" She sighed. "What if no one comes?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

At this point, Lydia was lost. Her eyes were glazed over with a doe-eyed and spaced out expression. Not unlike the ones groaning outside, it was almost as though she was lifeless in the face… sapped of all spirit. The girl had been holding out hope that the cluster of roamers would just leave by morning, but she was kidding herself. Lydia had been around these types of things for most of her life, and judging by how it was still looking out there, she was highly doubtful anything would be clearing out soon. In fact, the noise this horde was generating would probably attract more by then.

Her main concern was the cold. It already felt like she was a literal human ice block up here, enough to make the girl question herself in regard to if they could even make it through the night. If the cold didn't get them, then hunger soon would. Their food situation wasn't exactly bright either…

Sitting up here and waiting to die… this display of weakness would've gotten her a harsh beating back then. It'd be considered pitiful. Death would be deserved if one was afraid of the infected, for a hopeless fool that couldn't adjust to the 'harsh reality of nature', as they used to put it. Maybe in this case, they were right.

Silence filled the room as Lydia considered Clementine's words, letting them linger in the air. She didn't move from the corner, rubbing her face as she sighed out into both of her palms.

"If you two wanna go down into that clusterfuck together, then be my guest! I'd love to see how that turns out." The last thing Lydia needed was to get bogged down out there and put at risk. Charging headfirst towards a herd and being expected to watch out for Jenny? Fuck. That. The idea was a death sentence in of itself.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Hours dragged by at a snail's pace, and Jenny found herself slowly calming down. The cold had become the biggest concern, and the light rumble in her stomach made it hard to concentrate on anything else, so when Clementine spoke up about trying to escape, Jenny found herself both hesitant and desperate to leave this place.

As the other two girls argued, once more, Jenny thought about something Clementine had said earlier, about a radio. That might've been their only chance.

She found the radio in question sitting on some observer's desk lined up with a window, overlooking the forest beyond. From here, you could just about see the mountaintops surrounding the valley, and a trail that led back towards Jackson. Of course, that trail didn't really matter, given they were… trapped. But the radio was the most important thing there.

Definitely busted, but if it had a few key components still working, she might be able to get it functioning again. Maybe. The idea of, at least, trying to do something instead of continuing to sit there and allow herself to sink further into those horrible memories plaguing her was worth the effort.

"I, uhm, might be able to fix this," Jenny spoke quietly, mainly towards Clementine near her. "If they have any–" She rummaged through the contents on the desk, only managing to find one measly screwdriver. Not exactly a repair kit. "Okay… might be difficult, but worth a shot."

"At least, we might be able to send out a S.O.S. Or... make a distraction to get the infected away." Though even she knew that was probably overachieving. Without spare sets of components to work with, this was like repairing a plastic doll and expecting it to sing.

She glanced towards Clem, her hands shaking. "Hand me your flashlight?"

**Art [Clementine]**

It hadn't even crossed her mind, not for Clem. Tinkering with that radio all night, that'd get them nowhere if she had anything to do with it. But Jenny was different.

Clementine didn't hesitate to do as asked. In one of her backpack pockets, it stuck out in all its rusty glory. Clem's flashlight was so old she couldn't remember who it was that got it for her. "Go nuts." _Just hope it doesn't melt on the table..._ That settled, Clem would've been happy go back to her nap. But still, her eyes trailed, and before long she was peeking behind Jenny's shoulder. "Does that work?"

"You didn't just see that in a movie, right?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia sat firm, reluctant on moving an inch from her huddled position in the corner. Quiet she remained, yet in bewilderment at how pointless this all seemed right now. _We're fucked. As if false hope can help us now…_

"Ugh…" A harsh grunt pushed through her lips; the girl quite frankly annoyed at all the talking. If they were going to freeze up here, then the least they could do was give her some peace and quiet to freak out alone.

"A S.O.S?" Lydia chuckled, mostly in amusement at the lunacy. "Seriously?" She deadpanned, starting to think these people were denser than they were letting on. "Even if it does work, there's no way they're gonna clear all of the dead in time before we starve." The girl pointed out, although Lydia suspected she was wasting her breath.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's jaw twitched, but her frown was hidden well away. For the first time in her stupid life, she felt too tired to be mad. "Don't listen to her."

Jay was running on reserves. Her fingers kept twitching, hard... the sloppy hands and the shallow breaths; she looked paler than the snow. It was hard to watch, crossed arms and all. Clem couldn't stop wondering if Jenny got any sleep. _I've got to get us home._ "Do you need help? Anything... I'm your gal." It wasn't the forced smile that did it... everything about Clementine spelled concern. And all she did - all she could do, was sit still and watch.

How right was Lydia, really...?

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny didn't really bother answering Lydia's comment, knowing that the blonde was probably - definitely - right. But they didn't have the luxury of falling into hopelessness, right? They needed to get out of there, somehow. If she managed to fix this radio, then that would be a solid first step.

As Clementine offered to help, she held out the flashlight for Clementine to hold, at least until Jenny could pry the radio open. She took the screwdriver and took out whatever screws she could find before placing the end of it into the radio, prying the back off. Inside, the green circuit boards glistened in the light. With how cold it was, she'd be surprised if the thing wasn't destroyed from ice and moisture.

"I do this all the time," she replied finally, quietly. "Usually with more… stuff, to work with."

As she began to pry the circuit board out, she glanced towards her friend. "What do you think our odds are? Of getting out, I mean."

"I mean- you… and Lydia, are the experts. Given, y'know…" She scratched at her arm idly, forcing herself back to work.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem didn't give Jenny an inch. "We promised, didn't we?" The girl asked, sliding close until only Jay could hear. "Best friends forever? That ring a bell?"

What were the odds of cracking a smile in their situation? Honestly. Clementine thought she had to be going crazy, leaning her backside against the table and grinning like a tool. "If we get mauled down there, then that's totally a breach in contract."

For the one second she could afford to, Clem's voice had turned stern. As if willpower could make it real. "I'd never let that happen."

**Dot [Jenny]**

Being somewhere between reassured and terrified had to be the weirdest feeling she'd ever felt. Hearing it from Clementine, though, she had to put some merit to it. They'd be smart, right? Figure this out. Even if the radio idea didn't work.

So, Jenny gave the shorter girl a lopsided smile, returning to working on the radio. "For once, a legally binding contract is actually a good thing."

The radio was in really bad shape. The antenna was still in good shape, at least, but that didn't mean they'd be able to send or receive anything. After a few minutes had gone by, she gave Clementine a sideways glance, frowning. "Any other ideas? Just… so we're not banking everything on this piece of plastic?"

_So much for being useful…_

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The radio was a piece of junk, the result being what most would expect. Lydia didn't feel the need to say much, but the incessant rattling on about best friends and contracts made her want to laugh, mainly because it was starting to get on her nerves. Spite, in regard to how soon Clementine had been able to make friends after just getting back, she couldn't stop herself from feeling it along with just a tad of envy no matter how hard she tried. If it was anyone else then Lydia was certain she wouldn't have given a shit, which only frustrated her more.

It was obvious that Jenny was clueless about anything else that didn't involve mechanical jargon or whatever, and now she was trusting the 'experts', as she called them. All Lydia had to do was imagine the three of them trying to escape in the massive herd below to realize their already slim chances of survival. Every scenario she ran in her head didn't end well.

"Expert advice," Lydia intervened. "'Sitting down, shutting the fuck up, and not trying to get yourself killed' is a thing." Lydia was getting pissed off now, growing tired of their persistence. "Unless you wanna ruin your contract." She mocked, biting back the urge to say more.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem didn't waste a moment to glower at the girl. But more important: against Lydia's wishes, her mouth kept running. "What if we get the ones down near the ladder? Just those." Four or five, then. They kept coming and going as sounds grew louder and distant. Now felt as good a time as any. "If we're quick, we can outrun the rest, or whoever else shows. I cover Jay, and... you cover us."

"Or you can stay and starve on your own. That's just my expert advice," Clementine hissed, flashing her fangs.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

It never failed to amaze Lydia at how quickly she felt like punching Clementine within mere seconds of talking to her. It didn't take much for Lydia to light up like a fuse, which seemed imminent at this point.

"Do you guys even know what it takes to get through a fucking herd?" She growled, eyes razor sharp as her brow furrowed. "I don't wanna get myself chomped just because your daddies are expecting you home soon." Lydia bit back, still unconvinced that they'd be able to handle what was down there.

**Dot [Jenny]**

"Well, we have to do something," Jenny said, glancing towards the blonde across the room. The very idea of going out into that herd had her terrified, but it was better than dying here, right? Her dad would want her to fight, to find a way to survive. This had to be it.

Finally giving up on the radio, she turned towards the other two girls, letting out a frustrated, stressed sigh. "What about burning something? Fire should get their attention, right?"

"Get them distracted, make a beeline for the woods." She looked towards Clementine for confirmation, the flicker in her eyes giving away the terror she felt.

**Art [Clementine]**

She nodded back, boasting assurance. "Just leave it to me, okay? I'll get us home."

Her eyes bounced between each of the four solid walls, every tile above and below. Burning something sounded promising, only Clem couldn't put a finger on what. Abandoned might've been wishful thinking; that place looked untouched since before she was a babe in arms. Screeching rust and all, it couldn't but feed into her fears... stuff like the thought of infected wearing it down with enough force. That wasn't a thing, was it? Bringing down a whole tower... _Please don't bring any Bloaters..._

Clem felt stuck like she hadn't too often. It was that cell all over again - waiting idly to get killed by something. Jenny's looks, the anxious and hopeful ones, begged for a plan to take shape, and Clementine would have been damned not to answer. Lydia might've been too proud to say it, but she and Jay were both counting on her. Same way Lee was, somewhere, hoping she'd come back home safe.

And Ellie'd be pissed if she died like this.

The baseball-capped one had her match box in hand, straight out of her backpack - and short of a smoking habit, dustier than a good book abandoned in an attic. Clem lit a match on her first try, testing the flame's strength against the wind that wouldn't halt. This had to work. It had before.

"Give me that jacket back?"

**Dot [Jenny]**

Clementine looked towards her with expecting eyes, holding out a hand. Jenny, shivering, begrudgingly unzipped the jacket, handing it over. At least she still had another one underneath it.

Would this really work? It _was_ her idea, sure, but, as she looked out that window again, seeing crowds of infected beneath the tower, she found herself terrified of even trying. One slip-up, one outstretching hand she didn't see in time, and it'd all be over. She'd end up just like that guy back on the trail.

She exchanged glances with Lydia, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she leaned against the wall, silently coaxing herself to prepare for the mess they were about to jump into. She'd need to be strong for this, as strong as she pretended to be, back behind walls.

"_It's gonna be okay_," she whispered to herself, a hand falling to the knife attached to her belt, as if trying to remember where it would be when she needed it. An eye trailed to the window again, darting back in an instant. "_**Fuck.**_"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The continuous disregard of Lydia's comments wasn't in short supply from the duo. At this point, she was just about ready to give up, sit there, and let them concoct whatever screwed up plan they had in mind. So that's exactly what she did, realizing that what the 'aggressive' kid said clearly didn't matter anymore... Not to Jenny, a girl she barely hung out with, and who Lydia suspected of actively talking crap about her when she wasn't nearby. Then there was Clementine, the entitled outsider she almost tore apart once, and given the opportunity, wanted to again. Fact of the matter was… these were people that would never take her side. _Hoping_ they would was foolish.

Then again, so was hoping they wouldn't starve or freeze up here. As both girls discussed an escape, a realization slowly began to sink in. Soon she would actually be alone up here. Was that a situation she really wanted to risk because of pride?

She tried hard to seem as disinterested as possible, given how opposed she was to all of this. However, curious eyes couldn't help but fan over towards the match Clementine held in her hand. It didn't take long to guess what she had in mind.

Fire as a distraction wasn't the worst idea, Lydia had to admit. More so, she was surprised that Clementine could even think to come up with something like that. The blonde would've reluctantly been on board with the plan, had it not been for one thing…

"W- Wait." The anxious girl broke her silence, hauling herself up from the ground in a hurry. Standing now, the wary girl's gaze swapped between both of the trapped survivors. _Too late to back out now._

"**If** I come with…" Lydia made sure not to commit just yet, because there were still a few things she wasn't sure of. Someone here was obviously freaking out the most, and that was the person she sent a finger flying towards. "First, Jenny tells us she's one hundred percent ready to do this." Lydia stated, deeming that if anything fucked up happened, then at least she wouldn't have to feel responsible.

"Because it doesn't look like it to me."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine tapped her tongue before stuffing out the match with humid fingers. After that song and dance, the fire could wait.

"Knock it off," she spat. Jay's flower jacket felt bound under her arm, held tight by a fist. "She doesn't have to do anything."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia's head snapped towards the ball-capped kid in an instant, amazed at the gall on that girl, and not in a good way. Everything she proposed for their own safety, the bitch had _some_ kind of rebuttal for. Lydia honestly figured she was starting to do it on purpose now, just to spite her. Clementine was one more smart comment away from getting throttled, because the blonde had just about had it with her.

"Fuck you, Clementine." She growled, squinting her eyes. "You've only been here for like, what? Two months? So don't _even think_ that gives you the right to spout orders at me."

**Art [Clementine]**

The three words widened her eyes. Clem's chest burned hot like it was loaded with something volatile. Before long, the girl's gaze had turned narrow, and her voice loud and high-pitched. "I said knock it **off!"**

**Dot [Jenny]**

And just like that, the atmosphere in that watchtower was heated once more, and not in the way Jenny would've liked. Instead, as Lydia made it clear she didn't trust her to tie her own shoes at that moment, let alone do what they were about to do, her and Clementine began shouting at each other. The fighting was uncomfortably familiar, but she had to stop it. Whoever was out there, with those flashlights, they wouldn't be there for long. They had to act, scared out of their minds or not.

"Hey!" She snapped, throwing a glare their way that'd _maybe_ rival Clementine's. "I know you two hate each other and all, but _**Jesus**_. If we're getting out of here, we need to work together, okay?" _Now's not the time to freak out, Jen._ "We can do this," she breathed. "_**I**_ can do this." Her voice grew stronger, strained. She focused on Lydia finally, adding, "So, are you coming with us or not?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia's teeth ground against each other as feral ideas flushed through her mind, most involved lunging across the room and grabbing hold of the shrieking girl's throat. Now infuriated, she took a step forward, only to be halted by Jenny's sharp intervention, practically getting in between the two before she could advance. _I'm gonna cave her face in one day, I swear it._

Nostrils flared, Lydia had to control her breathing as Jenny tried to get her attention. The inexperienced teen maintained a degree of confidence, which the former Whisperer still called bullshit on. But what other choice was there?

"Just try to keep up, and don't get in my way." The blonde finally spoke, still riled up, she brushed shoulders with the machinist. Lydia stopped just short of the door which led outside towards the scaffolding, turning to face the two girls for one final comment.

"Because if one of you fucks up out there, don't expect me to come running." Lydia was blunt, making direct eye contact with Clementine when she said it. Obviously it went double, probably triple, for _her._ Finally, she made her way towards the ladder, intent on waiting until the all-clear was given.

**Art [Clementine]**

"I don't," Clementine answered, and left it at that.

Both the girl's arms dug inside the backpack she had since forever, flowery stickers and all, before they pulled from it every little thing she could find until the pack turned weightless. It didn't seem fair to Clem that she had to burn her _own_ stuff to get Lydia out of there, but by the time her pursed lips made way for a sigh, Clem reckoned it wasn't worth starting a third argument over. A gas mask lay next to her alongside a book almost too ravaged to be readable. She glanced at Lydia with a pained look in her eyes. "Hold this for me, okay?" _And you better not lose any of it._

Another match she lit, and there it stayed between two fingers as she mulled over all the things she could light on fire, and all the more, the things she really wasn't cool with burning into a pile of ashes - which happened to be most of them. Not that she'd have much choice in the end, anyway. _Screw it._

Clem held Jenny's jacket on one hand, away from all her things, so she could light it on fire with the other. A final glance she shot at the two girls, with its smidge of confidence restored. "When I say go, we go. Alright?" Once she was sure Jenny was ready to hussle, Clem shoved the jacket inside the purple backpack. It glowed into a small orange ball of fire, and when Clementine crawled to where the ladder was, she held it over the swarm of infected until her fingers couldn't stand the heat anymore. _Burn, you jerks...!_

The flaming backpack fell on top of them and did what it could. A walker stumbled to the ground, caught ablaze, while the Runners around him scattered in what had to be confusion. This was their opening. "Go!"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia teetered on the edge of the scaffold as she waited for the flaming object to be dropped. Without haste, Clementine sent it spiralling right down to the horde below.

A roamer was caught by the falling object as its clothes caught afire, which managed to elicit some semblance of a hopeful gaze from the blonde. The infected below writhed and screeched in confusion. That source of light being the perfect distraction they needed to slip away.

It was do or die now. Pure adrenaline overrode everything as the three of them scrambled down the ladder. Breaking out into a sprint for the tree line, it was almost like a race… who won was just dependent on stamina. Them. Or the infected. Their only source of light was the moon… and the fire they were aiming to leave behind.

The teen was only just able to make it out of the clearing, the trees acting as a defense from the line of sight of the infected back on the open field. Lydia pushed into the treeline as fast as her legs would allow her to. Her calves burned, feet perilously grappling for traction on the ground. Her breath left her in short bursts, lungs screaming for more oxygen.

Lydia checked behind her, expecting to see Clementine as the culprit to the footsteps she was hearing, gaining on her. To her dismay, the gurgling became all too apparent, clearly the distraction hadn't been enough for one of the Runners, who had caught on and followed her into the brush. It was dark, but she could make out its twisted figure and movements.

The panicked girl turned her head to look in front of her again, only to be met with a loud **thwack** as a tree branch jutting out smacked her right in the mouth. The girl cried out in pain, eyes squeezing shut and already beginning to water. Cold iron was the first thing she tasted in her mouth before being sent off balance from the collision. She tumbled to the ground like a sack of potatoes, landing on her stomach. Lydia only had time to roll over on her back before the Runner pounced on top of her. Teeth gritted, she held it by the throat as it clawed and gnashed its teeth at her. A powerless struggle as the injured teen tried to push and kick at it, to no avail.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Terrifying. That summed up every single thought and feeling Jenny had as she followed Clementine and Lydia into the fray, her heart thump-thump-thumping at a speed liable to kill her. Yet, underneath all that terror, exhilaration rose to the surface. They were _**fucking doing it!**_ The three of them, making their own escape, and just barely getting out of the crowd without getting grabbed on the way.

Trees filled her sight, and piles of snow that proved difficult to circumvent as they grew larger. The trail wasn't too far, they just had to keep running, and hope that entire horde doesn't follow them all the way back home.

Jenny kept close to Clementine, as much as she could given the ballcapped girl's insane speed, and as Lydia let out a cry in the distance, ahead of them, that concentration was suddenly broken. Jenny's heels skidding in the snow, she tried to pinpoint where the girl's voice was coming from.

She turned towards Clem, nearby, calling out. "Clem…?!" A part of her wanted to run after Lydia's voice, but she knew better. If Lydia was in trouble, as amusing as it'd be, she'd need someone who can actually do something.

**Art [Clementine]**

Behind Lydia she'd followed, covering the older girl's back with her revolver in hand - rifle strapped to her shoulder, leaping behind her as she sprinted. Infected growled louder and louder as the fire consumed what was left of them, attracting twice as many. The light grew wilder and uncontrollable. Dark as it were, Jay was the one thing Clem could keep from being blind to.

Walkers circled the long dark ahead in packs, fire reflecting in their empty eyes. Clementine swiveled past one after the other, avoiding lunges and grabs. Whichever dared to get too close to her and Jenny had its brains scattered through the grass. Clem made sure of it. "We're close. Almost there!"

"...Lydia!" She shouted at the void.

Clem's sock dug into the mud to halt her momentum. The girl's eyes, looking over the pitch-black fields, they stretched wide, and her head whirled around as fast as a spinning top on ice.

Sometimes it sneaks up on you, but it always comes: Your one chance to prove you're not as bad as everyone says. Just the one. For once in her life, Clem thought it wasn't worth taking it. She would've loved to see Lydia get chomped like bacon.

But her hand moved, like it or not. And when it did, the gun came with it. Clementine pulled the trigger only to hear the gun click and feel her belly go cold. "Shit. Oh shit!" The shorter, younger girl with the missing shoe only had the benefit of freezing for a second. One more and she wouldn't make it in time. Clem ran back, tossing the revolver back to its holster. Her arms felt the weight, even in the heat of it, but she raised it over her head and smacked the runner across the head with the stock of her rifle. The thing got up, ignoring the nasty hole in its skull. Clementine bashed it again, and a third time. Scarlet goo ran down her chin and trickled down her hair. Clem had to hold a whimper. Her head was still spinning, but she reached for Lydia with her free hand. "Get up! I got you!"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

She could barely see. Darkness swallowed her eyes, the hot breath of the infected brushed against her ear, about to seal the deal with a timely chomp. Lydia was already breathless from running, and could feel her grip on the aggressor slowly but surely faltering, her vision still blurry from the water in her eyes. In her final moments, at the very least, she could tell herself that she tried to get away… she tried.

That was when the Runner, the same one that had been violently gnashing its teeth, threatening to sink those rotten fangs into her neck at any moment, was promptly dispatched. Blood shooting down her chin, Lydia scurried backwards, eyes widening to see the culprit behind the stock of the gun… standing over her.

_Clementine?_

"_Get up, I got you!_" The baseball capped girl yelled, coercing her to get back on her feet. The olive branch of opportunity had been extended to her, and a stunned Lydia sat there with wide eyes, staring at that hand much longer than she really should've been. Another grumble from a nearby roamer snapped her out of her frozen disbelief. In that split second, nothing else mattered but getting out; self-preservation. So Lydia quickly accepted Clementine's help, using the last bit of energy she had to reach up and take her hand, pushing onward.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Jenny watched as Clementine sprinted through the snow, narrowly saving Lydia from the runner that had her pinned, while the more inexperienced girl kept her distance, in case the runner managed to break out of Clementine's grip and run straight for _her_. That was, however, not the case, as the infected found the butt of Clementine's rifle bashing against its head.

In the midst of the runner's screams and Clementine and Lydia's panicked shouts, something snagged on Jenny's jacket sleeve, pulling her hand towards it. With a shriek, her eyes found a walker grabbing her hand, and she tried shoving it away. The undead asshole didn't care, though, biting its teeth into her sleeve with enough force to send shockwaves of pain throughout her arm. Out of desperation, she kicked its leg, sending it falling backwards, and nearly taking her with it. It let go of her hand, growling viciously as it tried to push itself back up.

"Clem!" She screamed out the girl's name, stepping away from the walker before breaking out into a full sprint towards the other two girls. Anything to get something between her and it.

Through the pain in her wrist, and the anxiety seizing her breath, she didn't notice the blood trail she was leaving behind.

**Art [Clementine]**

Her heart was beating hard, just short of taking an upswing out of her chest. Clementine pushed forward with Lydia and they never looked back.

The trees made for a maze with no exit. She didn't see the trail anymore. Clem had a moment's rest once the walkers grew quiet and the ache of her knees caught up to her. The lack of breath only made her head jerk faster when Jenny called for her.

Clementine's fingers stumbled toward the flashlight strapped to her thigh, flubbing every motion. Snow lit up ahead, and more trees, but there was nothing else. "Jay!?" Marching in the direction of the sound, she let Lydia out of sight. When that thought arrived - when Clem knew she'd left her friend alone, her jaw quivered and her pace grew. "**Jenny!**"

Two sets of steps matched her speed, opposite to Clem. They grew closer in a panic... and one of them wasn't Jenny. Clementine still clutched at the rifle with one arm, and her clasp only became harder. She set down the flashlight and waited. It only took a second for Clem to spot the shoes highlighted above the white, through one passageway of light. The girl raised her rifle, held her breath, and hovered her finger over a trigger sticky with blood. Clementine fired when another pair of feet limped past the flashlight in front of her. The sound of a cushioned fall brought out the silence.

Breathing had never felt so easy after that.

She felt Jenny's exhales next to her, and when more footsteps flared up in her ears, Clementine pulled the lever and aimed a second shot at the violent roars of an infected. The runner collapsed so close it made the girl leap... its cold, limp hand grasped at her sock and left damp marks, tinging it the same color that bathed the snow. More were coming, and she knew _more_ were well on their way. She only had time to pick up her flashlight and grab Jenny by the arm.

Lydia waited by a pond that split the forest into two. Clementine's boot left craters behind in the snow, and when it finally settled still, she knew what relief felt like. "We're okay," Clem uttered in awe - or shock, as it were. Drenched in blood and sweat, she'd never looked so scared and agitated. Not in front of Lydia or anyone else. Clementine hadn't even let Jenny go, though they'd stopped running so long ago.

When Clem pulled her hand away from hers, it was the first thing she felt: the pouring. Her palm drowned in a red so dark, she couldn't make out any other color. Drops trickled down her fingers only just long enough for Clementine to know it wasn't from any infected she'd killed. She stared at it with glossy eyes, too afraid to move them elsewhere.

The hand covered her mouth, before long. When she saw it, Clem only saw fit to cry.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia's chest wound up like a knot, her dry throat gasping for stupid amounts of air. The exhausted girl took a few wobbly steps forward, before tumbling into the ground. Knees breaking her fall, they violently scraped against whatever muck and grime was under the snow. Everything above the neck throbbed, and the taste of blood was still fresh in her mouth, gushing out of the young teen's lip and down her chin like an out of control tap.

Immediately, the blonde scrambled over to the nearest water source she spotted, which happened to be an undisturbed pond. Noticing it was only lightly frozen on the top, Lydia slammed her fist into the brittle ice, hard enough for it to break and open way to the fresh liquid below. She scooped it up into her hands, the ice-cold water burning her palms as she used it to rinse out her mouth, quenching what seemed to be an unquenchable thirst.

How the actual fuck they had managed to get out of there... Lydia had no clue. To even be sitting here, still alive. It baffled, _and_ embarrassed her, all the same. So much that she couldn't bear to pass a second glance towards the ball-capped girl. Not like Lydia would even _know_ what to say to her at this point.

She hoisted herself up, using a nearby tree as support. Lumbering over to where both girls were, stopping just short behind Clementine, who seemed to be flipping out over something.

Her eyes drifted down towards Jenny's wrist… which was mangled, and littered with blood. She'd seen enough of them to know exactly what this was. As Clementine sobbed next to her, Lydia stood, silent. Eyes barely widening as she realized.

_No way..._

"Oh..." Lydia's hands fell to her hips, averting her gaze to the ground in disappointment. She was bit, and this was not an ideal situation at all. Not to mention horrible timing.

"For fuck sakes, Jenny..." She quietly huffed out, disbelief written all over her face, absolutely stunned at how she'd managed to let herself get snapped like that. Still, there was time that remained to do something about it, a tactic Jenny would've known from what they taught in school, and something Lydia had learned long before that. Now the question was... did Jenny have the guts to do it?

**Art [Clementine]**

"**Don't fucking say anything...!"**

Clementine couldn't hold a word back. The tears running down her eyes didn't let up, though it was all but anger welled in them.

"I'll - This is _your_ fault," she cried, smearing Lydia's collar with Jay's blood. "It's your fault!"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"My fault."

Lydia couldn't believe what she was hearing, the comment left her stunned, wide-eyed as she glared down at the shorter girl who'd grabbed her by the collar. However, the initial confusion was soon to fade, frown lines appearing on her brow.

"**My fault?!**" She screamed this time, shoving Clementine back, _hard._ "I didn't _ask_ for you to jump in back there. I _told_ you she wasn't ready!" Lydia argued, she had enough shit to carry every day, and she _definitely_ didn't need this either.

"She got bit because of a plan _you_ supported, you stupid bitch."

**Dot [Jenny]**

For what felt like an eternity, everything that was happening around her ceased to exist. Clementine's stare, amidst the tears staining her cheeks in thick rivers, led Jenny to look at her hand. The blood had soaked through her jacket, making a dark patch that was almost black in the dead of night. Instinctively, she pulled back her sleeve, watching with distant eyes as blood flowed down her wrist and dripped in thick clumps into the snow in front of her feet. She rubbed at it, wiping away the blood, but more and more kept coming. Eventually, through panicked breaths, she managed to see it. The indentation marks of teeth, and the ripped skin left behind.

Her heart had stopped, or at least, it felt like it. All those years she'd spent terrified of the outside world, terrified of ending up like everyone else she'd seen die, terrified of leaving her parents and friends behind, terrified of the monster she knew she'd become when she died. Terror had a way of keeping you smart, of hiding behind the thickest walls you could find until a time comes when even they couldn't protect you. Yet, all it took was a single second, a single lapse in her concentration, and it was over. Just like that. Boom, you're dead.

Maybe it wasn't all that smart, after all.

She couldn't bring herself to cry, or scream in agony as the pain she'd felt earlier made itself known in ways she'd never experienced before. The world spun, faster than she could keep up with, and keeping herself upright proved to be as difficult as walking on the sun. She stumbled, her uninjured hand reaching out to stop her, colliding with the trunk of a tree nearby. Her eyes never left her wrist, though, mesmerized in horror.

Words failed her, half mumblings that were nothing more than a syllable here, and a stuttered breath there. It took the other two girls's screaming to bring her back, like a boomerang that went out too far, and landed right back in the thick of it.

Whatever they'd been saying, though, was overshadowed by what came next: a flashlight clicked on, basking them in its glow from behind. She quickly slid up her sleeve, pressing her hand into a pocket as tightly as she could muster, trying to stop the bleeding. Anything to keep it from being discovered yet. _What the fuck are we going to do…?_ The voice that reached her ears was deep, one that clearly didn't belong to anyone in jackson. The smile on his face was evident even without seeing him.

"Well, hello there."


	65. Shitshow, I

**Author's Notes:**

**Sorry for how long this took to come out! Things have been busy as of late, and the RP itself had become the priority for a while. Now, we're one scene away from finishing the rest of this story, so things will start ramping up here very soon. We plan to have the last scene finished by the time TLOU Part II comes out, with weekly releases until it's finally finished. There'll be seven more releases after this, so the story should be all wrapped up by the beginning of August, and we can move on into the next story.**

**For now, please enjoy these two chapters. We'll have more up soon!**

* * *

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan had been searching through the mountainous regions of Wyoming for hours, trying to find any sign of the group that they'd lost a while ago. No one important other than Dwight, one of his top men. Negan couldn't believe how it happened, on a fucking _scouting mission_ of all fucking things. Either way, it prompted a search party, one that Negan was keen to lead himself. This kinda shit doesn't happen, so there must've been people nearby, and he wanted to see them personally. Lucille was always thirsty.

The dark didn't stop him from searching; his team had enough flashlights, which would keep them going into the night. As they traveled through the forest, a loud rumbling was heard, one of groans and moans. Looking around, one of the members with binoculars spotted a large watchtower in the distance, surrounded by infected. _That's gotta be them_, Negan thought, but how were they gonna get down?

Negan had decided to use less light, in the hope that the people in the tower didn't spot them, and he and his group of ten made their way towards the tower. They hugged the treeline, spying on the tower, and trying to see who was inside. There'd been no signs of anyone, and Negan was a few minutes from calling the operation a failure. Maybe it was just a coincidence.

Almost out of nowhere, a burning object fell from the tower, followed by three figures who advanced rapidly down the ladder, and barged their way through the infected. _Damn, that was badass._ Then, he noticed that the figures were making a break for the same treeline they were hugging, and he quickly ordered them to hide, retreating deeper into the forest. Gunshots filled the air, and soon after Negan saw those same three figures sprint right past him. Negan followed quietly, spotting them taking a breather in the clearing. One was leaned up against a tree, breathless.

He got closer, their backs to him. He had Lucille in one hand, dotted with a few splashes of blood from his earlier roamer kills, and a flashlight in the other. He turned it on, lighting up the survivors. Three girls. New people, not _his _group. Behind him, his party was closing in, but he'd have to make the engagement alone at first. He crushed a branch under his foot, a charming smile across his face.

"Well hello there."

**Art [Clementine]**

Light burst through the foliage around them in a flash, blinding Clementine as though it were dawn coming to greet her. Soon it got harder to draw in air, more so than before. Every breath falling to a frightened gasp.

It wasn't Lee. And it sure as hell wasn't anyone from Jackson. Lydia's eyes said it all. Clementine hugged her rifle tightly. She lifted her chin to face the one smiling down on her, not doing much in the way of returning one of her own. She couldn't force a smile even if she tried to. "Hello..."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

In contrast to the dingy atmosphere surrounding them, a blinding white light pierced her eye sockets, causing her to squint in response. Lydia felt like a deer that had been caught in headlights. Paralyzed for a moment, cold shivers ran up her spine at the sight of who was holding that flashlight. The split second reaction was to immediately think it was either Andrea or Carl. That hope was soon crushed, because this guy was no one she recognized.

First thing she noticed was just how bulky his figure was, then that creepy fucking smile etched across his face; it had Lydia feeling all sorts of uncomfortable. Staying out of trouble today was hopelessly futile, it seemed. Clementine was the first to respond, followed by Lydia slowly reaching towards the holster at her hip. Not taking her eyes off the man as she did so, she held her weapon in her hand, keeping it lowered by her side, and deliberately making sure the weapon was in his view, ready to be fired at any moment. That was all Lydia had to say.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan rested the bat on his shoulders, gaging the reactions of the strangers. They all seemed to be teens, barely tall enough to reach his chest. The one with the hat seemed the most active, standing up to him immediately, rifle in hand. Behind her, another girl, a bit more out of breath, he noticed she'd gone for the pistol in her holster, but Negan carried his smile on. He felt like he wasn't in any real danger. The third girl, the tallest, had her hand in her pocket, petrified beyond words. Something told him that she'd be the one to look out for, aside from the one with the ballcap. Fear made people do stupid shit.

"Jeez kid, at least try to smile," Negan said to the girl with the ballcap. "You just met someone new!" He raised his arms, excitement showing as he tried to get the girl to at least show some semblance of happiness. It was a bit of a bummer. As he did, his own pistol showed, tucked into his jeans.

"So try and not give off the wrong fucking first impression, alright?" Negan winked, and pointed at the blonde-haired girl. "I see your gun. I see what you're trying to do. Threaten me, huh? That's cute." Negan chuckled. He stood straight, emphasizing the obvious size difference. He turned towards the girl in the back, adding, "you, too. Don't think I didn't notice you holding that gun in your pocket."

**Dot [Jenny]**

Her hand was _on fire_, shaking violently within the confines of her jacket pocket. She could feel the blood covering her arm, smothering the fabric. The feeling itself made her want to hurl. Though, as this man's attention diverted to her, she wouldn't have time to dwell on it anymore.

"I-"

He gave her a sharp look, which had her pulling her arm out of her pocket as quickly as she could, the blood coming out with it, soaking the ground at her feet. She knew it was fucking stupid to do what he said, but what else was she supposed to do? She was terrified, shaken to the core, and dying.

**Basil [Negan]**

The taller girl did as she was told, and Negan took a moment to stare at what he saw, dumbfounded. _What the fuck kinda shit is this?_ It didn't take long to figure out where the bleeding was coming from, and what it was. "Shit," he drawled out the word, shaking his head. "You went out and got yourself fucking chomped?"

Negan took a few steps forward, eyes locked on the girl who seemed to talk, even if it was just one puny 'hello'. He leaned forward, face a few inches from her, holding his bat with two hands behind him. He wanted to see their body language; you could tell a lot by that, especially under these circumstances.

"I can help your friend out, if you want. Free of charge. That arm's gotta go, if you don't want her eating you later." He shrugged. "Unless it's already too late, but how should I fucking know?" He paused, staring her down. He didn't like the way she was looking at him. "So, what's your name, little girl? Introductions are important, you know."

**Art [Clementine]**

Lydia looked just about ready to shoot the guy. And at least then, they'd reached a consensus. While her back still faced the tree, Clem was anything but relaxed, finger scraping at the trigger while the rest of her body tried to quell its shaking. Even while on her feet, he looked twice her size, grinning as wide as the eyes He loomed over her.

It was when he got close to Jenny, when he _opened his mouth,_ that Clementine snapped, challenging him with a glower. Not that she wasn't terrified. Even cold bravado couldn't keep your heart from pounding like a set of drums.

The girl raised her rifle, poking the man's gut with the barrel of her gun. Clem put her every slice of courage behind her voice — a threat of which she stood by every word, though _threatening_ she did not look. "Start walking or you'll get hurt."

"I'm not kidding."

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan looked over the girl's shoulder. The blonde-haired one didn't move, instead she just kept her gun to her side. But that wasn't what he was most interested by. He'll admit, he'd underestimated these girls a bit, as the one with the hat didn't falter at all to his intimidation; in fact, she actually matched him, staring him right in the eyes. He could tell she must've been scared, but that just made it seem all the more badass to him. Negan admired her bravery; most men cowered under his intimidation, but here was this little girl, standing up to him and staring him down. It made him smile.

However, that smile faded slightly when the girl placed her gun right to his gut. He'd heard shots as they ran, so they must've had ammo; this couldn't have been a bluff. He thought them brave, but this girl just made one of the stupidest mistakes possible. He didn't get angry, instead his smile only got bigger. He heard rustling all around him, his men had surrounded the clearing slightly, and their guns were pointed right at this stubborn girl's head.

Negan looked down, not intimidated by the girl's threat.

"Kid, you gotta be smarter than that." He chuckled. "You didn't think I'd be here alone, did you? Nah, I think I'll be just fucking fine."

He let his words sink in, before following it up with his own threat.

"Now, I'm gonna count to three, and when I finish, I want that gun outta my fucking gut, and on the floor." He smiled again, knowing he had control.

"Or else, you'll have your head fucking blown off from a **fuck ton** of directions, and I really don't want that. Your brains and shit would get all over me, and you seem like a nice girl. And your friend over there, she doesn't got much time left. Clock's ticking."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The same smug expression didn't leave the man's face, even directly in front of Clementine's rifle. He simply refused to back down. In fact, he even smiled at the threat. This guy either had a death wish, or was super darn crazy.

Suddenly, a plethora of footsteps reached Lydia's ears, coming from every direction. More boots crunching against the leaves, snapping twigs like no tomorrow; almost like the forest itself had sprung to life.

This was bad. This was really fucking bad. Lydia turned around in a wide-eyed panic and raised her pistol at the trees, only to witness what looked to be many more figures lined up in a circle all around them, enclosing the three of them inside. It was hard to make out at first, but she could definitely see various guns pointed towards their heads, ready to fire on command. To the girl's horror, it was now very obvious that they weren't dealing with a simple lonesome looney in the woods.

One.

The countdown started, by this point Lydia was running all possible scenarios through her head if they were to fight back. None of them ended well. Still, she reluctantly kept her gun raised. Terror written all over her face.

Two.

Was she really going to gamble with her own life here? It didn't take a genius to know that this whole situation was fucking hopeless. Finally, the teenager made up her mind, deciding that she was going to speak for both her and Clementine.

It seemed like the word 'three' was just on the tip of his tongue. Lydia promptly intervened. Survival by any means necessary. That was her hardwired instinct.

"Wait!" She yelled out to the man in the leather jacket, the one who seemed to be in charge. He'd placed overwhelming pressure on them… there was no other choice here.

"Just—stop. We're doing it, alright?" She gave in, hoping that compliance would strike a cord with him. Soon after, the girl lowered her gun. Slowly but hesitantly, she threw the weapon to the snow below her, before nudging it away with her foot. Whether Clementine was going to follow suit was a different story.

_Just do it, Clementine._

**Art [Clementine]**

As if her heart hadn't been racing enough, seeing Lydia's gun fade with the snow sent Clementine's eyes wide in terror. _Idiot! Idiot!_ What would they do now?

The forest had grown still and quiet. All Clem could hear were Lee's screams — her back facing a cold cell. And they played the same tune as Jenny's breath. What good would running again do? How many more of her friends had to die because she kept acting like the scared little Clementine everyone knew she was? All because she rolled over like a dog… The girl's gaze returned to resentment, unwavering to the last moment. She promised herself she'd take Jenny home.

Clementine lifted the rifle in her arms until it stood taller than her, poking under Negan's chin, and aimed straight toward his head. "So we both die," the girl bluffed, undeterred by the crack of her voice. The rest could only leave through a set of gritted teeth.

"Say the fucking word."

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan raised his eyebrows, focused on the girl waving the pistol around. He looked relieved as she dropped the gun, and moved it away. He really didn't want anyone to die here… but that didn't mean he was afraid to put a bullet in both these girls's brains if need be. However, instead of hearing the sweet sound of the girl with the gun to his gut dropping the weapon, and it hitting the ground, instead he felt the cold metal press right against his chin.

_This kid's got no chill._

She issued another threat. Negan stayed silent for a moment, pondering how exactly he should approach this, he didn't falter though, he stood still and tall. He heard the other girl speak up, begging the girl with the **massive** balls to just drop the gun, Negan thought again for a moment, and spoke.

"Alright, kid, I get it. I do." He raised both his hands up, trying to show he was no threat. "You just met some strangers, they played the everliving fuck out of you, and now you feel scared for your life. But listen, and listen close."

"We aren't bad people." Negan looked at the kid, trying to appeal to her kind side. "We just want to talk, and once we're finished, we'll send you on your way. In fact, we have some supplies if you need any. Just drop the gun and everything'll be fine. Surely you got some group, with people you care about, and people that care about you. They wouldn't want their girl dying in such a stupid fucking way."

Negan smiled again, hoping that his manipulation tactics worked. He locked eyes with the girl once again, hoping she had some resemblance of a brain. "So listen to what your friend said, and drop the fucking gun."

"Two and a half."

**Art [Clementine]**

Against all odds, Clementine shot him back a smirk. A daring smile filled with spite.

_Just wanna talk?_

It was like the venom from that asshole Henry's mouth was dripping from someone else's. He really thought she'd never heard that one before. Never trusted some stranger with a sharp tongue and a promise of food. "I'm not a moron..." Scoffed the girl, returning a vicious glare. "Call your friends off." It served as a last warning. Clem, she couldn't tell how long they could keep this up for.

**Dot [Bud]**

He'll admit, this wasn't what he was expecting when he saw some teenagers out in the woods. While the blonde seemed capable, and _smart_, the one with the baseball cap must've had a death wish. At least the taller one of the bunch had the smarts to look _scared_.

When the blonde dropped her pistol, Bud carefully entered the clearing, stepping towards her before picking up her discarded weapon, saying a polite "thank you," before turning his attention towards the other girl.

He came within five feet of her, his own pistol held towards her head. This was going to end, _now_. "Look, darling, we can play this game all night until one of us gets trigger-happy, but I'd rather not splatter your brains all over my jacket, so how about you drop that rifle and talk like a _civilized_ human being."

**Art [Clementine]**

They were closing in on her. Slowly, one by one. And it made her fidgety. Clementine was getting careless. "I said back off!" She shouted, jabbing Negan's chin with the end of her rifle, her finger hovering over the trigger.

**Dot [Bud]**

Wow. He'd never seen someone so stubborn in his life, _especially_ a little girl. Bud remained in place, looking towards Negan for direction, though the boss's expression wasn't exactly readable right then. He just had to have faith that Negan had something in mind to get out of this, and he took a single step back.

That was when Negan reached out for the rifle, twisting it upwards. The girl panicked, pulling the trigger, sending a bullet straight into the air. The noise sent a surge of adrenaline through Bud's body, sending him charging forward. He tackled her to the ground, wrestling the weapon out of her hands and tossing it to the side. He placed his knee into her chest, aiming his pistol in her face.

"You had your fun, now calm down."

He looked up towards the others surrounding them, who swarmed in to grab onto the blonde's arm and collect the discarded rifle. This was over.

**Art [Clementine]**

One second was all it took, and her back was tossed against the ground, meeting a painful impact. Before long, Clem's chest ached with pain, stopping her breathing and muffling her screams. Everything else took no effort at all, like the rifle literally slipped right through her fingers. It wasn't over…! _It wasn't fucking over!_ One arm, she swung toward the man's face in some desperate attempt to break free, feeling it stop in its tracks as it fell into the man's grip. Clem's other hand crawled toward the holster tied to her pants until it latched onto something solid. She didn't think twice.

Clementine jabbed the knife into her assailant's arm, digging it deep, twisting it, and jamming it out just as fast. The steel was smeared with blood, and if she had her way, the next swing would go straight through Bud's neck.

**Dot [Bud]**

He was caught by surprise, letting out a pained scream as the girl twisted her knife into his arm. He dug his knee deeper into her chest, bashing his pistol into her face, hoping to stun her enough to drop his weapon to the ground and yank the blade out of her hand.

Once the blade was free, he tossed it across the clearing, standing up to allow the others to move in and hold her down, and take any other weapons she might've had left on her. Bud's arm was bleeding profusely, and he placed his hand over it to try and stop the flow.

He directed his next words towards the girl on the ground, bitterness seeping into his tone. "Now that wasn't very _civilized_."

**Art [Clementine]**

Running low on air, knee scraping against her ribcage - Clem didn't figure it could get any worse. Not until that guy's pistol came down on her nose, hard. It rumbled with a loud crunch, spilling blood all the way down to her chin. It wasn't a pretty sight, and it hurt just as bad as it looked.

Tears covered her eyes against her will, ones which the girl ignored. Pain numbed by sheer force of will. Sadly, being angry wouldn't get Clementine anywhere. **"Fuck you!** **_GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"_** Her yells sounded more like vicious barks, barely comprehensible. They held her arms and legs, forced her face down on the snow.

She'd keep struggling forever, it seemed.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan had been dazed for several seconds as the gun rattled from the shot, the bullet flying right over his head. He had a hard time hearing, and the ringing in his ears wouldn't go away. He leaned against a tree nearby, and waited for it to subside.

As the feeling passed, he looked over his shoulder, that girl was screaming and kicking on the ground, blood all over her face. He marched over there, his face carrying a frown.

He pushed one of his men aside, who was holding one of her arms down.

"Jesus fucking Christ kid, do you ever fucking shut up?"

He gestured for the one holding her down to ease up; this wasn't going anywhere and keeping her so cornered would only mean she would fight harder.

"Calm the fuck down kid, we _really_ don't want to hurt you." He said, trying to get the girl to just stop screaming.

However, he did make sure to grab the rifle, looking back, Lucille was leaning against the tree, he couldn't leave her lying on the floor like that.

Having let some pressure off her, he hoped it would get her to calm down a little.

**Art [Clementine]**

They'd knocked the wind out of her. Even with one arm free, those fucks still made it their goal to keep her from moving, waiting to hit back twice as hard if she tried anything. But at least she could breathe again. It was a start.

Clementine's fist grazed the trail of blood under her nose, using a sleeve to wipe away what she could. It kept going from burning to throbbing, like it couldn't make up its mind. It felt and tasted _broken._ The creep with the bat kept up his nice guy routine, even at the risk of sounding stupid. She glared in silence, on her knees, eyes trailing downward before facing him again. Her cheeks burned hot.

Clem spat the blood collected in her lips, drops landing on Negan's boot. It wasn't the same as shooting him in the head, but it made her feel better.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan watched as the girl tried to smear the blood on the sleeve of her jacket, waiting to see what she'd do next, and hoping she'd finally see some sense. As soon as that happened, he'd tell his guys to lay off her and get her up. That wasn't what he got. Instead, she spat blood directly at him, covering his boot, intentionally. He was trying to be kind, and he was rewarded with _this_?

He had enough. This was getting him nowhere, and she clearly wasn't going to play nice any time soon.

"Has she got any shit? Find her bag," he shouted to his men before kneeling down, next to the girl's face. "Don't do that shit again, or next time it'll be worse."

While his men went to collect the girl's bag, Negan shifted his focus towards the tallest one, so frightened of him that she shifted her gaze towards the ground the instant his eyes found her. Pissed off or not, he still needed to help her, before it was too late. Wouldn't go very well if she turned because of this little 'encounter'. Not much to gain that way.

"Come here," he said, though he expected the girl to not listen. Turning to one of his men, he indicated for them to grab her arm and bring her over, while he took a machete from another one. Turning his attention to the girl, who jerked and screamed in their grip, he put a finger to his lips, getting her to eventually shut up.

"I'm gonna cut your arm off now. It'll save you from turning. Scream all you want, my men can take care of the dead." With that, they dropped her to her knees, then laid her out, arm outstretched. The bite was on her wrist, which meant that he'd need to take off just above her elbow. _You better not fucking die on me now._

He slammed the machete down.

**Dot [Jenny]**

Her whole body was fighting against her, screaming for her to break free of her captors and sprint into the forest. Her efforts proved fruitless, as her face met snow, and the cold substance seeped through her jacket and jeans. Her arm outstretched, she struggled against the man holding it down, pleading for them to stop, but no one listened.

The machete came down, and at first, for that first second, she felt nothing. Looking at the gash in her arm, and that split-second it took to blink, was all it took for it to hit. She let out a blood-curdling scream, so loud that her throat went raw. The man holding her arm pressed more weight into her hand, keeping her still.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine blanked.

The static in her ears snuffed out all the rest. She yanked her arms forward, squirmed, tossed dirt and snow away with the back of her boot. Her limbs gained momentum and so did she. When Bud lunged to hold her still, Clem's jaw shut violently between his fingers, and her teeth sunk into his hand.

Water streamed from her eyes, nose and mouth, mixing together with the blood. She howled, wailed, crawling toward her friend like an animal. Clem lifted her hands as far as they could reach and dove for Negan's arm, pulling it away from Jenny. Pulling it away so he wouldn't drive that thing into her elbow again.

**Basil [Negan]**

It took more than one hit, which Negan unfortunately saw coming. A machete wasn't exactly the best tool for this, but it's what they had at their disposal. He prepared for another swing, his ears ringing from the girl's screaming, before a hand gripped his wrist, stopping him. Jerking his hand free, he knocked the girl with the baseball cap to the ground, using that last second to line up the machete, and letting it drop.

He knew that the girl didn't know he was trying to help her friend, but it was what had to be done. The second swing detached the arm, blood spattering the snow in thick crimson layers. Next to him, another one of his men was wrapping a shirt around a stick and lighting it on fire with a match he'd found in the kid's backpack. The girl was already passed out, head lying in the snow. He turned her head slightly to allow her to breathe, pushing himself to his feet.

Bud held Ballcap down once more, who looked ready to shove anything she could get her hands on into him if it meant killing him. He let out a scoff.

"I'm offended by the lack of trust here. You think I just _wanted_ to cut her arm off? I'm doing you a fucking favor, kid. She'll get to live now, 'cause of me. Hopefully. You didn't exactly tell me when she got bit while you were throwing your temper fucking tantrum there with the rifle."

**Art [Clementine]**

Her cries devolved into whimpers soon enough, and with Bud holding her down, the rest of Negan's thugs didn't bother to chase after. The tears, they came back. Quiet and noticeable. Her bruised fingers wriggling around, unable to move, just like the rest of her body. _"No,"_ she whispered, weak as she looked. And so her features fell into the snow, just as Jenny's had.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"For fuck sakes, Cle-" The cries of one of the men being stabbed in the arm drowned her pleas out. A tussle ensued, one which Lydia didn't really want to get involved in, not like she could anyway. In a situation like this. She knew her place.

So, the blonde watched in anticipation, hoping they'd get the best of her quickly. It was over just as fast as it had begun. Giving lip and fighting back at a time like this, it just resulted in a worse beating… Always did. Finally, the other girl was out of commission, much to Lydia's relief. Clementine wasn't going to get them both shot while under his boot, at least; even if that looked like it hurt… a lot.

She figured the leader of the posse genuinely did want to talk, for now… If he truly wanted them dead he had all the reason to after what Clementine had just pulled; but, for some reason, he still didn't give the order to shoot. That had to be a good sign, right? Nonetheless, they were fucked. That was the reality. One that had her nearly sweating bullets, more so than she already was. Whatever happened to them now… it just had to happen.

_"Has she got any shit? Find her bag." _The leader barked to his underlings.

If he wanted their supplies, then he wasn't going to find much. There was barely anything in there as it was, so it really wasn't a loss for her. Not a moment later, some people came marching over to her. Cautiously, like they were expecting her to pull the same stunt as Clementine. The girl responded by putting her hands up, waiting for them to rip the bag from her. She tilted her head down at her feet as a woman at the front of the trio approached her with her gun raised. Lydia avoided eye contact with her aggressor. A poisonous scowl was smeared across her face, although she kept it directed at her feet and not at the _them_, in fear of getting similar treatment to the one who was on the ground.

The bag was effectively yanked off her shoulders, so forcefully that it made her wobble. She winced slightly, though to her relief, they hadn't decided to beat her. With her bag now in the woman's hand, she quietly observed as—

_He fucking cut her arm off!_

It wasn't like she didn't see it coming. He'd said it a hundred times, though Clementine would never listen, and yet watching it happen in front of her had her blanching. All she could do was stare in horror, waiting to see the next thing this deranged piece of shit did to them.

**Basil [Negan]**

She'd devolved into tears, which didn't bother him much. Meant she wasn't fighting back for the time being. Sighing, he shook his head, wiping away a speck of blood that found its way onto his chin, and turning to his men.

The blonde had given up her bag, and he took it, looking inside. Not too interesting, just the standard gas mask, some ruined book — which he tossed to the side, falling into the snow — and a chocolate bar, which he put back in. He wasn't prepared to steal any food from the girls. He noticed something else at the bottom, though. When he pulled it out, he frowned. It was a sheriff's hat, with a bullet hole in it.

He stared at it for what felt like a minute, recognizing it immediately. The same hat that Carl used to wear, back before Rick went all gung-ho and got his people killed fighting back. He looked up, towards the blonde, his blood starting to boil as he marched right up to the girl.

"Where'd you get this hat?" He demanded, trying to stay calm, though anger laced his words like venom. Seeing Carl's hat in this random girl's bag was starting to make him worry about what happened to the kid, and if she took it from him… well…

He was going to beat the shit out of her.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The question had thrown her off significantly, yet all Lydia could really do was stand there, frozen solid as Clementine's whimpers filled her ears. She unwillingly glanced over towards the hacked off arm lying in the snow, before directing her gaze back at Negan. She desperately tried to find an answer he'd tolerate, without giving away the fact that they knew more people in the area. Though, he already seemed suspicious.

"W - Why does it matter? I - It's just a hat I found..." She stammered out in terror, not able to look the man in the eye. It was hard to keep her composure when he was this close. The girl was nothing short of petrified for her life.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan's eyes bulged as he waited for a proper response, only to hear her stumble through an obvious lie. He clenched his fist, staring right into the girl's eyes.

"You _found_ it? **YOU FUCKING FOUND IT!** What, off a dead kid's corpse?!" He threw his right hand at her, connecting with her jaw, sending her to the floor. He looked over the girl, her and the other one seemed like they could hold someone up for something; that girl behind him looked like she had some screws loose, definitely capable of killing someone innocent.

Negan grabbed the girl harshly by the arm, and picked her up so she was on her feet, he didn't let go of her arm though.

"Now, I'm going to ask one more fucking time, and you better say the truth, or I'm gonna beat the flying fuck out of you. Where did you get the fucking hat?!" He stared into the eyes of the girl, meaning every word.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

She saw it coming from a mile away, even without a clue on why he was so riled up over the hat. The girl could tell he was fuming, absolutely livid. All she heard was him screaming, something about a corpse. Even though she saw it coming, it still didn't stop her eyes from widening a split second before his fist struck her jaw with the force of what felt like a freight train. Her head whipped at the collision, sending her spiraling down into the snow. The first thing she felt was immediate pain shoot up her cheek. Although getting beaten was nothing she wasn't used to, and certainly not worse than what happened to Jenny, but Lydia hadn't felt something like this… in a _long_ time.

Blood spurted out of her lip, eyes watery from the stinging pain. She gritted her teeth. He saw right through the whole 'innocent girl' thing she was putting on. Lydia had used it as a last ditch effort due to how much she feared for her life. She hoped he'd take the cake and think her more oblivious than she actually was. It wasn't working.

Lydia was wrenched up to her feet yet again, watching as the man continued to scream in her face. She looked at him... expressionless; almost freakishly unfazed by the punch she received. The girl still didn't understand why, but if the asshole wanted to know so fucking much. So be it.

"The truth?! I didn't take it off anyone's **fucking** corpse. A friend gave it to me." In juxtaposition to the facade she was putting on before, she was shockingly more composed in the way she spoke this time, almost monotone. Looking at him dead in the eye as blood trickled down her lip. That was all he was getting from her. Lydia prayed he'd spare her now, but if he was going to hit her again, then that was just how it'd have to be. She'd endured far worse beatings before, almost to the point of being desensitized. She could take it.

**Basil [Negan]**

He looked into her eyes as she spoke to him, this time with a lot more seriousness to it. Negan was taken aback by the sudden change in character; he had expected the girl to be crying her eyes out at such a hit, and tell him anything he wanted, but not this time. Negan's eyes widened in shock as she gave a monotone and seemingly truthful answer. Maybe she and Carl were friends at one point.

His anger slowly subsided, and gave way to excitement, Carl wasn't the kind of person to just die of something stupid like infected, and he'd bet that he'd have better survival chances than creepy girl and Four Fingers behind him. So maybe they did have a camp somewhere near, and that's where Carl was.

Negan smiled. If that was true, then he'd be a very happy man.

"Well, okay then!" He said happily. A total mood swing compared to the one that caused the girl's bleeding lip. As for the hat, he looked back down at it, before handing it to the girl.

He took a few steps back to the tree, away from the girl who honestly freaked the shit out of him after she took that punch. He grabbed Lucille, and turned back to the girl with the smashed nose, who was still lying on the ground. He stood over her, and extended his hand, trying to lift her up.

"Would it be rude of me to ask your name again?"

He had a plan, and it involved these girls leaving safe and sound. Mostly.

**Art [Clementine]**

She'd been seeing red this entire time, even when crying on the floor. Clem found a way to get on her knees, blood spilled everywhere by then. Forming small puddles on the snow. Tainting her chest and thighs in the darkest crimson.

When that bastard came near, her body moved on its own.

Clem tried to charge forward, bite his fucking head off, only to be held back by one of his men. He twisted her arm behind her, forcing the teen back to her knees. She wanted to rip that smile off of him, whoever the hell he was. Break his nose and then the rest of his ugly face. Her amber eyes said so, and so much more. But nothing came of it. She'd done wrong by everyone — Jenny _and_ Lydia. It tore down her spirits and made struggling further all the more difficult.

Weakly, she did say her name. To some extent, she almost felt compelled to. "C...Clementine."

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan knelt down lightly, so he could be nearly at head level with Clementine, He used his bat as a support, digging it into the snow. "Clementine, huh? Like the song?" Negan smiled, face a few inches from Clementine's own bloody face.

"Well, Clementine. I'm sorry we had to meet in such shitty circumstances. I'm sure we could've been **great** friends in a different context. But you see, I'm in a bit of a fucking predicament." He looked up in the air, trying to find the words.

"See, I recently lost a group of men in this area, and I come across three well fed, well taken-care-of girls. No injur-..." He paused for a moment, looking towards the blonde and the unconscious girl. "**Had** no injuries. So, I'm gonna be suspicious." He stared at the girl. "You probably know where I'm going with this." He was referencing any other survivors that are in the area. "If you know any groups in the area, it'd be a great chance for us to find those men. Some of them had families." He said, smile fading slightly.

**Art [Clementine]**

_Yeah... of course._

This is what'd kept her on edge. From the moment strangers with _guns_ showed up from behind a bunch of trees. This friendly _shtick,_ all that bullshit about _'families,'_ and... _stupid fucking_ apologies. She knew exactly what it was they wanted. What those jerks _really_ wanted. And now, with that adrenaline fading... her face seriously pulsing like it was on fire; Clem really felt scared. Not... Not _worried,_ or _nervous._

It was fear.

She swallowed blood, breaking eye contact with Negan for what felt like the first time since they'd met. "If I don't tell you, then... what? You're gonna hit me too?"

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan looked down, feeling slightly sorry for her, it looked like her confidence broke slightly as she broke eye contact. He knelt back down. "Kid, you've already had one hell of a beating, and you took it like a badass."

He looked to the floor,where the blood pool was obvious.

"I'm not gonna hit you, I just want to see if you can help us."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem could tell she must've looked really pathetic. Down on her knees, with... trails of water sliding down her cheeks. Not that the bloody nose did her any favors either. She was cornered like a dumb puppy, and they already had her on a leash.

Even if that guy meant what he said, she just—… "I - I can't."

Andrea'd told them to avoid other groups at all costs. Never make a deal, no matter who they were, or what they said. It was common sense for anyone who'd made a go of it on the outside, and it rang true for no one more than it did for Clementine. "I can't," she echoed through a sob, eyes shut and facing the snow under her.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan rubbed his chin, very much feeling sympathy for the girl. He regretted going so hard on her. But, he couldn't ignore her answer. 'I can't' said a lot; it said that there were groups in this area, just that she didn't, or couldn't say. This was good news, new communities to bring under the Savior yolk, and maybe those men he had lost had found themselves at that community. There were a lot of questions he had to ask to them.

"I understand, I do. Don't worry, I ain't gonna force you." He once again stood up, holding out his hand. "You kids can leave, I don't know how comfortable I feel leaving you three out here in the cold, especially with *her* in the condition that she is. So, if you want any help, we can escort you to… where you need to be. That supply offer is still available. But if not, we'll be on our way." Negan, of course, wasn't telling the whole truth, these girls were from a community, and he'd make sure that he found out _where_ this place was.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia's eyes followed the now much happier man as he extended his hand, Carl's hat in it. His expression cheerful now… for some fucked up reason she was sure. She looked at it for a brief moment, a hint of confusion; before she took it from him. He then turned his attention to a much more 'softened up' Clementine… achieved through harsh physical conditioning, courtesy of the asshole and his posse.

The girl stood there, trying not to look apprehensive as he pushed Clementine for answers.

_"See, I recently lost a group of men in this area."_

Her eyes darted around in their sockets, shooting between the man while his back was turned to her, and all of his people. _Oh… shit._ **Shit, shit.**

Pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together now. That was when it clicked. These missing people… they were the one's Dwight was trying to get away from three months back. The very same people that Dwight, herself and Carl had killed. **Negan's** people. Carl's hat… he'd recognized it, that's why—

_Stupid, stupid!_ Lydia was mentally kicking herself for not figuring it out sooner. With how unexpected and sudden they'd rolled up on them, the girl was too frazzled to put two and two. She was certain now. The man with the barbed-wired baseball bat was Negan. The way he presented himself… it was just as ruthless as Carl used to describe. Her mind went to one person, and one person alone. That fucking Dwight. He was responsible for pulling Carl into this. If they just hadn't gotten involved, then Negan might not have caught wind anyone else was up here. She knew it. She warned Carl of this months back. Now it was happening right in front of her.

Negan was prodding for other communities up here. Lydia just hoped Clementine wouldn't break and give them up... with the condition she was in, it looked like she might… Lydia waited for it, but it didn't happen. Nonetheless, now that he'd gotten a whiff of Carl... they were all at risk.

"We're fine." Lydia intervened, attempting to keep her tone somewhat respectful as she declined his escort 'idea'.

"We'd like to go now."

**Basil [Negan]**

He waited patiently for Clementine to think of a response, which must've been hard considering the condition she was in. However, he didn't have to wait too long as he was calmly interrupted by the girl behind him. He turned around, nodding, with his smile gone. "You sure you two are gonna be uh… capable, of surviving out there? And hauling her around?" He doubted their ability, considering the condition they were in and, if they were in a group, they probably hadn't had to live alone like this for too long. He looked back at the girl, who was sobbing and on her knees, they wouldn't survive long out there.

That, and the other girl needed medical attention. Real medical attention. He almost wanted to insist, but that'd just spook them. He needed them to believe he was leaving.

"But I can't stop you from leaving. Well, I can, but I'm feeling nice today."

He pointed back at the blonde haired girl. "And I don't think I caught your name either." Negan said, smiling at the girl who he had just punched in the face.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

_Feeling nice today…?_

Her left cheek was probably going to be swollen for a good day or two, a pulsating throb continually shot through the side of her face, aching like hell. _Yeah… right._ If Negan's definition of 'nice' was threatening them behind the safety of his pack, acting like an asshole, cutting Jenny's arm off, and punching her in the face, then Negan would just have to forgive her for thinking he was spouting complete bullshit. One thing was for certain, she sure as hell didn't want to see this man on a day where he wasn't feeling so nice.

Lydia was trying the best she could to maintain her composure. She could see Clementine on her knees, that look of scorn in her eyes had dissipated, replaced with sobs. At the very back of the girl's mind, she couldn't help but somehow find it… _weird,_ to see her in tears like that.

Her mildly worried gaze shot to that of Negan, whom she gave a simple nod to after being asked if they would be able to survive out there. A brief moment of silence passed between the two, before he finally asked her name.. She crossed her arms, awkwardly shifting her weight onto one foot, nervously looking at the ground with a soft yet reluctant expression before she spoke. Lydia couldn't help but avoid eye contact to combat the horrid tension. The teen gave him what he wanted to hear, it's what seemed to be working so far. _I.. I need to get away… to warn the rest._

"Lydia..."

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan eyed Lydia as she gave her answer, his eyes examining her body language; she was nervous. He looked around jokingly, trying to find the source of her worry "You worried about something?" He said, trying to lay more pressure on the girl. He got closer and closer, till he was a few inches from the girl, no smile on his face. "It's not me, is it?" He continued, pausing for a moment, before breaking and laughing at his own words. "I'm joking, you don't have to piss your pants."

Looking around at his men, he held up his hand. "Alright guys, mission to find those missing bitches was a total fucking failure, let's haul ass, I'm freezing my ass off out here and Lucille don't like it when it's cold. Neither does my dick. So lets leave this fucking shithole and I don't want to come back." That last bit was a lie, a little attempt to throw them off, if they decided to warn whatever friends they had.

"And make sure these two little shits get their shit back. Wouldn't want to take anything from them, would we?" Negan shouted, as his men collected the rifle, pistol, and bag that they had taken from the girls, placing it on the floor in between them. "Now you two... fuck off." Not the nicest way of telling them to leave, but what were you going to do.

Negan walked towards the tree line, looking out, it seemed it was only getting colder, so he'd make his way back to their base, and return here later, _after our little scouting mission of course._

If they were part of a group, and Carl was in it, when he found out Negan was in the area; they'd start preparing for the Saviors' arrival, so Negan would have to make sure it's the right moment when they strike.

He hadn't seen Carl in a while, and was excited for their possible reunion, meeting that badass was an opportunity he didn't want to let pass.

He'd wait for the girls to start leaving, and then send two guys to see where they're going, as long as they don't fuck it up, everything should be _just fine._

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Negan finally granted them their leave, by pretty much telling them to get lost. Lydia was, of course, more than happy to. In fact, the girl didn't think she could _'fuck off'_ any faster than she already was. Straight away, she knelt down and grabbed the objects on the ground, fumbling with them as she rushed to place them in her bag. It was only when she pinched the zipper to open it, was when Lydia realized that her hands were shaking. Not from the cold.

Once that was done, she slung the backpack over her shoulders, holstered her weapon, and then made her way to where a bloodstained Clementine knelt. Any second now, she was expecting to hear that booming voice call out again, command them to stay. She wanted to get the fuck out of here before that happened.

"Get your gun and let's go, b - before he changes his mind…" Lydia spoke at a soft enough level for only the other girl to hear, urging Clementine to get on her feet, a tinge of desperation in her voice.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine scrambled to her feet, energy draining and dripping from her chin — life drained with it. "Yeah," she groaned from under her breath, her rifle safely wrapped around her shoulder as she reached for her flashlight. With Lydia carrying Jenny, they trudged onward.

They had to go back and find the others.


	66. Shitshow, II

_8:06 PM_

**Dot [Andrea]**

"Y'really think it's them?" Dwight's voice pulled Andrea's eyes away from the faintly illuminated trees surrounding them. The air was frozen stiff, and the snow crunched loudly beneath their feet, but otherwise the trip had been spent in near silence. Nearby, Lee swept his flashlight across their right flank, looking for any sign of the three girls.

The only three kids that hadn't made it back, besides the ones that…

_Don't think about it._

She adjusted the hat on her head, enough so that she could see the man's scarred face without having to look up at him. There was concern there, not only for their own safety, but that of Clementine and Lydia's. She let out a breath, watching as it floated away in a cloud of steam.

"Clementine had a rifle," she reminded him quietly, her fingers clutching her own rifle tighter. "Those gunshots line up, at least." She briefly glanced towards the other man traveling with them, lips tugging into a frown as she lowered her voice. "We can't afford to start doubting. Not right now."

Dwight calmly nodded at that, letting out a sigh of his own. He picked up the pace, leading the group onward, while Andrea swept her flashlight across the forest to their left. Still nothing.

She'd be lying if she'd said she wasn't worried.

Her gaze fell onto the one-armed man. He'd probably tear this entire place apart to find that girl, one hand or not. She drifted towards him as they approached a clearing, clearing her throat.

"She knows what to do in these kinds of situations, right?" The question hung in the air for a second, almost as if it lived in the steam emanating from her mouth. "Hunker down and wait for rescue?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee wanted to scream her name as loud as he could, with the hopes that his voice would reach her; all he wanted was to hear hers, then his heart could finally settle, knowing she was found. However, the scattered clusters of infected lingering around made that impossible without putting people at risk. He had to stay calm and collected, trust that Clementine knew what she was doing out there. The man gripped the flashlight tightly in his hand, and as Andrea spoke, he kept his head straight, anxiety smeared across his face as he scanned the clearing.

"She knows." He nodded confidently, knowing that he'd be stupid to doubt her capabilities. After she'd proved herself time and time again. Though, it still didn't stop him from being worried to the point of feeling sick to his stomach.

When he gave Clem the 'okay' to go out on this run, he did so under the impression that there would be competent people watching out for her. Even with the knowledge that there were no guarantees of safety, he wasn't just worried… he was pissed off.

"I was told these runs were relatively safe," he spoke, mild annoyance in his voice.

**Dot [Andrea]**

She'd seen that coming. Heard it a hundred times already from other parents in Jackson, but she didn't have an answer that would satisfy any of them. The herd was meant to be monitored, herded out of Jackson County, but that gunshot had diverted them, straight into the expedition group.

Andrea was pissed, too. Beyond pissed. She'd advocated time and again to have these expeditions because the older kids in the community _needed_ to learn how to survive out there… on what to expect and what to do. Without experience, situations like these occur, and now they were back at square one.

And a couple dead kids on top of it.

It was unacceptable, a tragedy far too horrible to play off as anything else. If they were ever able to organize one of these again, gun safety training would be an absolute priority, focused on far more than they've had a chance to in the past. It was either that, or risk repeating history.

But right now, what mattered was finding those girls, safe and sound.

Andrea's voice was cold, having said this more than enough times today for it to become a habit. "Everything was under control, until it wasn't. We can't prevent everything." She took in a deep breath, her tone warming. "We'll find her, Lee."

"I promise."

* * *

**Art [Clementine]**

The thing that hurt the most was her pride, really.

Now that drawing breath felt like drowning in her own blood, she could barely manage to keep up with Lydia. Clem couldn't even keep up with her own constant paranoia. Her stupid eyes were all bruised and _wonky,_ nighttime and snow notwithstanding. She knew the other girl was keeping a close eye on the trail behind them… Lydia _had_ to be looking out for three. Clementine, she felt… so… **tired.**

They were pretty much lost. Maybe Lydia would've fought her on that, but it was true. It was dark, and they were out in the open, and every tree looked the exact same, and... "My nose hurts..." It came out more as a mutter than a statement, and just about as weak as she looked. They were getting _nowhere_ faster than Clem's feet could trudge through the snow. "_I gotta stop._"

She didn't get to see if Lydia did too.

The pain in her nose came and went, but it was getting worse sooner than it was getting better. She soaked the damage with gritted teeth until the girl couldn't take it anymore. Clementine leaned a shoulder against a nearby tree, hoping it'd help, only to have her lips drenched in red the moment her head fell an inch. If her nose could just stop pouring out blood for one second—

The forest ahead blinded her again. Flashlights coming from all directions. That time, Clementine's heart leapt out of her chest. She couldn't have looked more frightened even if it were a pack of rottweilers coming out of the bushes.

In any case, she felt just another minute short of falling to her knees again.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia knew this area, or at least, she kept telling herself that she did. Yet, they were lost all the same. The events that just transpired had left the blonde nothing short of disorientated. Warm crimson that stained her chin was beginning to dry, leaving an irritating, pulsating sensation that ached through her entire face. Lydia was still shaking from the earlier encounter; it'd happened… but she was still in disbelief. What hurt more than the cuts and bruises? It was knowing that Jackson wasn't safe… not by a long shot, now. Not knowing when Negan could decide to roll up to their front gates, it gave her more anxiety than she could fathom. Destructive thoughts plagued her mind, and they all involved something akin to ripping off the good half of Dwight's face. He was nothing but trouble, a man that used Carl to try and save his _own_ skin, and as a result… a shitstorm was making its way up here.

Her legs felt frozen stiff, yet like jelly at the same time, like they were going to give in at any second. She was forcing herself to push on, and it was taking everything she had not to just keel over and let the snow consume her. An occasional glance or two was sent behind them, scanning for anyone who may have decided to follow. Lydia saw nothing…

Nothing except the girl behind her, who could barely stand.

Clementine was clearly in a shitty condition, and had received a nasty hit on the nose that _still_ had her face leaking. Obviously, it was too much for Clementine as she came to a halt next to a tree. "Okay…" Lydia sighed out, coming to a stop, shifting the weight of the unconscious girl and breathing heavily as she reluctantly waited. The girl was still paranoid about being followed, or running into another herd. Lydia's eyes glazed over the other girl. It didn't look like she was getting back on her feet… in fact, it didn't look like it was getting better at all, really. _Shit… what am I gonna-_

Flashlights… again.

Lydia's head shot in their direction. This time the girl didn't bother to even reach for her gun. Her breath felt trapped in her throat, a sunken and fearful expression on her face. She fully expected it to be Negan, probably coming back to offer them some more 'help'. The girl wasn't sure if she was ready for another encounter with them again... if she could take it or not.

As multiple figures approached, Lydia's eyes widened. She recognized one of them… she thought she did, anyway. Were her eyes playing tricks?

"Andrea…?" She mumbled under her breath. They came closer, Lydia growing more and more certain by the second. "A—Andrea!" The girl yelled this time, waving them over.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Relief was the first thing to wash over the man when he and Andrea heard the voices, that signature hat he'd grown so accustomed to finally coming into his view. Lee ran up to them with a smile on his face, one that soon faded. He stood there for a split moment, flashlight in hand, mouth agape, and left nearly speechless at the shocking sight in front of him. Clementine and the other girl, Lydia… their wide eyes shone in the light, looking as frightened as ever. And the girl slumped against the blonde, arm around her neck. However, the initial shock of seeing them so scared was nothing compared to how he felt when he saw Clementine's condition. Bloody nose, bruised face… barely even able to stand. _Oh God… God, no!_

"Clementine!"

He dropped the flashlight right as her knees buckled. Lee rushed forward, managing to catch her before she stumbled over. If she could still stand, he'd let her use him for support.

"You're okay…! You're gonna be okay." She wasn't, and Lee didn't quite know just _who_ he was trying to calm down more. Was it her… or himself?

"Jesus, Clem! Wha—what the hell happened?!" He begged for an answer, in full panic mode now.

**Art [Clementine]**

She couldn't help but fall right into his arms—the concept of looking _'tough'_ going out the window faster than she could cry out Lee's name. It helped, like it always did. But now more than ever, it wouldn't be enough. Even held close, doing anything but quiver in fear felt so very beyond her. When he hit her with questions, Clem's throat clamped shut, blocking out sounds. She didn't know where to start. "We got lost, and—"

Her voice lowered down to a mutter, discernible only to the one smeared in her blood. "...W—We ran into another group." Clem, with her trembling voice and large eyes; she figured anything else was self-explanatory.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Everything seemed to be fine—or, well, as fine as they could be… they were alive, after all—until Clementine mentioned the one phrase that brought a cold chill to shiver down Andrea's spine. When the three had appeared out of the forest, Andrea checked up on Lydia to make sure she was okay. That was when she'd noticed the unconscious girl wrapped around her, and her missing hand.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Andrea only hoped that it worked, but knowing that Jenny had to go through something so horrible only further cemented how terrible she felt about this entire thing. She should've listened to her parents and not allowed her to go out. Helping Lydia set the girl against the tree, she approached Lee and Clementine with a wary gaze.

One that eventually rested on Dwight nearby, before returning to the two newcomers.

"What group?" Her voice was terse, professional. There hadn't been any sightings of other groups out here in a _very long time_, besides that of Lee, Joel, and the kids months ago.

The last time before that had been the Whisperers.

Before Clementine or Lydia could reply, Andrea was already firing off another question, hands on her hips. "Where are they now?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"D—Did Carl…?" Lydia mumbled out, feeling as though she was about to have a nervous breakdown. The paranoia had been scraping away at her mind ever so slowly since the herd separated them. Her mind was put at ease as Andrea confirmed he'd made it out alive; it was like she could finally breathe again. Lydia wanted to be happier, she really did, but knowing what was looming in those woods… it was hard for the girl to be in good spirits.

As Andrea turned to the rest and began asking where they were, Lydia slowly walked up behind the woman, wiping away some of the blood on her chin with her sleeve as she spoke. "We don't know… it was dark and—" Lydia stopped, the most important thing right now was just getting it over and done with.

"Andrea." Her voice was low, as if she was already regretting her coming words. "Their leader, a—at least I _think_ it was. He had a baseball bat." Lydia paused, looking down at her feet before mustering up enough courage to look at her in the eyes. _It was just like Carl used to say…_

"Wrapped in barbed wire..."

**Dot [Dwight]**

As those words left Lydia's mouth, Dwight had gone from standing near the edge of the group to nearing the center, anxiety pulsing through his veins like adrenaline. The mere mention of Negan was like a catalyst, practically freezing the air around them, and the shocked expression on Andrea's face indicated that she felt the same.

Yet Dwight was the first one to speak, his voice low and quick. "We need to get back behind walls. _Now_. If Negan's pushing out this far, he'll find Jackson soon." He turned his attention towards Lydia, his eyebrows lowering into a hardened stare. "How many were with him? Enough to cause problems if they attacked us?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

_Dwight._ He was here, that little leech.

Carl should've listened to her when she suggested cutting him loose. All the man did was hop from group to group when it suited him, and now Negan was up here, presumably looking for this asshole. She recalled right after they killed those Savior boys, Dwight's words rung in her mind yet again.

_"If you're lucky, the Saviors will think it's too dangerous out here once these guys don't make it back."_

_Fucking liar…_ Lydia's attention turned to the man, glaring at him with disdain. So help her if Carl actually died out there because they came looking for _Dwight..._ she would've gotten her gun and splattered his fucking brains out _right now._ The fact that Carl was thankfully safe… that was the only thing stopping her.

"What do _you_ think? Obviously enough for _big_ problems." The girl stepped forward, right in front of him now as she looked up into his ugly face. Was it some kind of fucked up ploy this whole time? Was Dwight still with Negan? Lydia's tired brain couldn't rule anything out. The only thing she was certain of right now… was that she trusted the guy even less. "I thought you said they weren't coming up this far." He probably knew what she was accusing him of, but she didn't give a rat's ass.

"Guess that was total bullshit..."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

That nagging voice that always cried out in his mind not to leave her alone. To at least be nearby to watch over her, it warned him of things like this happening. Today, he should've listened to his conscience. They were roughed up _bad_; some nasty son of a bitch made sure of it.

Lee knelt there like a fish out of water, his head darting towards the mouthy back and forth, mainly confused at what the hell they were talking about. He didn't care right now… to be frank. A couple of kids were _dead_. Just like that, any one of them could've been Clem. He only had luck to thank that it wasn't. That aside, they were still out here in the open.

"Listen." The ex-teacher interjected in the hopes of bringing their focus back on the task at hand, ultimately agreeing with Dwight. Lee's worried eyes drifted between the three, still cradling Clementine in his arms. "_Who, where and what_ needs to wait. I gotta get Clem to the infirmary."

**Dot [Andrea]**

Dwight looked ready to retort, but Andrea stopped him by raising her hand, shaking her head. This wasn't time to start throwing around accusations, even if she wanted to pin Dwight against the ground herself. There'd be time to point fingers when they were safe behind walls.

Before anyone could speak, Andrea began to bark out orders. "Alright… Dwight, can you carry Clem back?" The man simply nodded before looking towards Lee and Clementine, the former eventually giving up the teenager to allow Dwight to lift her into his arms. Andrea focused her sight on Lee, hands on her hips. "Lee, keep your eyes on the trees. If you see anything... movement, lights… **_anything_**, you call it out. Lydia, help me with Jenny."

While they began to prepare for the trek back to Jackson, Andrea fiddled with the radio clipped to her belt, holding it to her lips. "All parties, we found the girls. Get back to Jackson _immediately_. Keep your eyes peeled, the Saviors are active in the area. I repeat, Saviors are in the area."

She lowered the radio, clipping it back onto her belt before clutching her rifle tightly, her knuckles turning white.

This day had just gone from a shitshow to an _even bigger_ shitshow in the matter of minutes.


	67. Aftermath, I

**Author's Notes: ****And so, with the release of The Last of Us Part II, and me being hyped beyond belief about 9 hours into the game, I have come here to post one of the few chapters we've done for the next release. We're still working on the next chapter, but hopefully that'll be finished it right quick once we've all finished TLOU 2 ^^**

* * *

_9:32 PM - Infirmary in Jackson_

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Clementine was okay… or as well as she could be, given the circumstances. Still a little shaken up, but the girl was getting some much needed rest. There was a doctor there — _Eleanor, was it?_ — who practically begged Lee to finally leave Clementine's bedside and get some air, and assuring him one hundred times over that his girl was going to be fine. Lee reluctantly caved in, deciding to use this time to find Andrea.

He slowly made his way through the grim hallways of the infirmary. Blood smeared the ground he walked on, and he quickly stepped aside as he noticed a man's limp body on a stretcher. Two people who looked like paramedics, a man and a woman, they rushed to wheel the poor soul down the hallway, eventually disappearing around the corner.

The one-handed man passed another room as he continued to walk, hearing what could be best described as someone screaming their guts out, like they were in pain. Lee couldn't help but glance into the room as he passed it. He could make out a small figure lying on the hospital bed, a blanket covering their body… and their face. There was a small puddle of blood that soaked the fabric on the child's left temple. A woman, who he presumed to be the mother, was on her knees and sobbing uncontrollably with the still bloodied knife in her hand. The husband cradled her, trying to calm her all while attempting to keep it together himself.

They'd lost their child… and it looked like the doctors gave them the choice to be the ones that made sure the kid _didn__'t_ come back. Upon the realization, Lee turned his head away and quickly sped his walk up, not being able to bear the sight. _That_ type of loss wasn't something he really wanted to try and fathom. The whole infirmary was chaotic, wounded and dead everywhere…

He found Andrea, eventually. Near the entrance to the infirmary… she'd quietened down. Now that the damage had time to soak in, she looked nothing short of devastated. Lee almost pitied her position… once those parents had time to stop grieving, there was going to be backlash over this. Lee could feel it coming.

"Hey…"

The man cautiously approached her, wary of his words; he didn't want to upset things with her. She looked at him, maybe expecting a complaint. Or to be grilled with questions, he guessed.

"I know it wasn't easy to keep searching with the herd out there…" He had Andrea and Dwight to owe for allowing the search to happen, and even helping with it. Enough was on their plate already, yet they still dropped it aside and helped.

"Thank you."

**Dot [Andrea]**

All it took was one step inside the hospital for the reality of the situation to find its way back onto her shoulders, weighing her down. For a while, she sat in reception, her head resting in her hands as she massaged her temples. They'd lost too much today.

And gained _so much more_ to worry about.

When a voice eventually caused her to sit up straight, she met Lee's gaze with eyes ready to water. She forced them back, fidgeting in her spot in her seat.

"Carl would've gone out there alone if we didn't try," she stated evenly, almost too flat to be anything other than a poor attempt at keeping calm. She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm glad they made it back okay." She pursed her lips. "Well, _relatively._"

"I'm sorry, Lee." She eventually breathed after a pause, looking towards him with remorseful eyes. "I know that might not be enough, but… right now, it's all we got. Until the Saviors situation is taken care of."

She didn't even want to think about how on edge Negan's presence was making her, without ever actually seeing his face. She had every able body manning the wall that night. They couldn't take chances… not this time.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

It was a mistake. An unforeseen one at that, but Lee knew that Andrea genuinely regretted it. Not like much of this was in her control anyway, no one had a magic crystal ball that predicts the future. Even though Lee was still wary of letting Clem go out there again, he was willing to put aside his complaints… for now.

Dwight mentioned a name before, and they all spoke and acted like they already knew who it was. Lee still felt clueless, and if he was going to keep Clementine here... he needed answers.

"This Negan." Lee's brow furrowed, eyes locking with Andrea. "Who is he?"

**Dot [Andrea]**

And just like that, that _monster_ was on her mind again. She inhaled sharply, back straightening even further. Talking about Negan and the Saviors had always been a sore point for her, a topic that brought back a slew of memories that threatened to overwhelm her.

Glenn's death, along with everyone else she'd lost to that maniac, was a harsh reminder of the evil this world allowed to fester. An evil that would never go away until the day Negan was finally killed.

For a while, she hoped it happened already, but that would've been too much to ask for.

Finally, she opened her mouth to speak, her voice going back to that monotone that kept her from losing her shit. "He's the leader of the Saviors. You ran into them before, I think?" She vaguely recalled Lee mentioning the Saviors before, when they'd first come to Jackson. "He's…" She trailed off, looking towards the ground. "...a maniac. He killed my friend, Glenn… beat his head in with a baseball bat. The one covered in barbed wire. His group took over my old community, used us to get shit for him. He did the same for others. Eventually, we all united against him, tried to fight back." She choked back a wave of emotions, clenching her fists.

"The Saviors won. Blew up my community with grenades, and forced us on the run. I don't think a lot of us made it out alive." She looked back towards him, taking in a deep breath. "For a while, I was on my own. Found Carl again a year or two after. We'd been trying to avoid the Saviors ever since."

"And now he's back... He can't find Jackson, Lee. If he does…"

Her words hung in the air, like a cloud of mustard gas.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

_Shit__…_

Memories took him straight back to Pittsburgh, running for their lives from a van with a goddamn turret attached to the top. They'd _barely_ made it out of that death hole… and now Andrea was saying these were the same people from then? Why couldn't they catch a break with these assholes?

"We've had our own run-ins with 'em, yeah… God, I— never thought they'd end up reaching _this_ far out." His stern demeanor turned to concern yet again. It seemed like some places were safer than others, but the same risk was unavoidable. Thugs that wanted what others had… by force, and this Negan seemed to be the one calling the shots. Lee hadn't ever seen their leader, but going off the run-ins they've had with his people. Then he must've been a real nasty piece of work.

A hand went to his forehead as he leaned up against the wall behind him, honestly just trying to _absorb_ what he was hearing. To be blunt, it was some fucked up shit. Clementine was unlucky to get caught out there, something that he wasn't going to let happen again.

"If he knew where we were, he'd be here by now, right?" Lee asked, trying his best to think positively in a most negative situation. Andrea knew the Saviors, a few people here knew how they operated too. Lee hoped they could work something out, for everyone's sake.

"We're gonna need to be more careful out there, that's about all we can do."

* * *

**Art [Clementine]**

She was numb. It tasted horrible, the blood, and her nose stung whenever it flinched. Clem saw it fit to cry then, while everyone else yelled in the other room.

They were all in the infirmary with her, and she knew it wasn't just to visit. The words that got thrown around the most were pretty nasty; all except for one. Clementine leaned closer to the curtain beside the bed she was sitting on, feet just too short to touch the floor. Negan, that's all she kept hearing. Over and over, between cries and curses. From Dwight, from Andrea... from Tommy, sometimes, and Lee, once a time too many. She wanted to go home now, though it wasn't easy to admit. Part of her hadn't.

Clem thought back to every single thing she'd done wrong. How she'd stood her ground instead of running. How she'd let that guy disarm her when she wasn't looking. How she'd swung for and missed the neck, when it seemed so easy before. She decided they would have hurt her worse had she not.

But what kept her tears warm and running wasn't the pain. Those guys knew they were from a group—they knew and it was all her fault. She'd fallen right for it.

The curtains opened and Lee's shadow covered her top to bottom. She didn't miss a beat. "What's going on...?" Clementine asked meekly and coughed as her voice shattered like glass. When had she last drank anything but crimson? "Lee... please! Tell me...!"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

After what had seemed like a goddamn eternity of back and forth between everyone, Lee decided it was his time to check out of the conversation in favor of seeing how Clementine was doing. It infuriated him to see her like that, bruised and bloodied in the face. Did the son of a bitch who did it really have no shame at all? Doing something like this to a kid for God's sake?

Tommy and Andrea's primary concern seemed to be the Saviors; Lee had a hunch he should be more worried about them than he was, but his primary goal right now was to make sure that Clementine was going to be alright. After consulting with the doctor, it seemed like that was going to be the case… physically at least.

He pushed open the curtain, only to regretfully see her wide awake. Had she heard all of the recent commotion?

"Clem!" Lee rushed to her bedside, obvious concern smeared across his face. "Don't worry about all of that now. You need to rest." He pleaded with the girl, before gently placing his hand on her shoulder. It sounded like a piece of sandpaper was stuck at the back of her throat. "Do you want me to get you some water?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine shivered in place, fighting back the water in her eyes. She shook her head, and she pleaded. "Don't do that..." Her fists cupped around the bedsheets. Clem, sapped of all her courage, couldn't even face Lee's gaze. "Don't—"

Every sniff that came about made her wince in pain. Lee didn't want to say; he swerved and deflected, but she had to know. Resting would never come so easy. "What did Andrea say?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Clem..." Frustratingly so, no amount of 'coddling' on his end was helping. Maybe it would have worked five years ago… but not now. It was inevitable, he supposed. Clementine wasn't going to let up on him until she got her answer. Lee didn't know why he expected anything less. Bed-ridden and beaten, she still refused to back down.

His gaze fell towards the pale tiled floor, a deep sigh left his breath, followed by a dull silence, one which he eventually had to break. "You remember the people that chased us through Pittsburgh?" Most likely, she might've. Which made what he had to say next all the more difficult.

"Andrea's saying you might've ran into their leader."

**Art [Clementine]**

"_Oh my god,_" she cried under her breath, and so her fear had taken shape. She could still see the bright lights; the arrows and rifles and pistols drawn at them. She could hear the beating of her chest ring in her ears. There were so many, **so many.** The thought of dying came back faster than she could process. And the thought of dying made her throat clasp and lock her voice away. Clementine was crying again.

"I brought them right here." She thought they knew already. That's why they all sounded so angry. They were right.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"You can't say that…" Lee spoke, firm and in clear refute. Instantly, he regretted telling her such news. The things he had seen in the hallways of this infirmary, it wasn't anything he cared to mention... let alone think about. At the end of the day, Lee _saw_ that other children hadn't been so lucky.

"For all we know, they already had tabs on us, you were just an excuse for those people to introduce themselves early." Lee didn't know if he was right, but he'd present that statement as a fact if it meant getting her to relax. It didn't change that Lee himself still had some calming down to do after the 'conversation' he just had with the 'leaders'. Hearing Clem blame herself just fueled his frustration more. Lee scowled, gritting his teeth in an attempt to suppress himself.

"Listen, if it's anyone's fault, it damn well isn't yours. I've already made that pretty fucking clear to Tommy and Andrea. Okay?" Nothing excused the mistakes that had been made under their leadership, and what it cost the other families. Deep down, he figured he should thank Andrea later for helping him find Clementine, but her actions still didn't stop him from feeling like his criticism was unwarranted.

"You were almost killed out there... that's on the both of them." Lee steadied his breath, averting his gaze from Clementine's eyes, which were dampened in tears. "And me... " He spoke again, softer now. "For thinking it was safe to send you out."

**Art [Clementine]**

She didn't buy any of it. Couldn't. Wouldn't. Nothing Lee said would ever absolve her from the shouting match on the other side of the infirmary; from Mr. and Mrs. Moretti. All Clementine could think of… was how badly she didn't want to think. How badly she wanted to take what happened and change it. Erase the memory. The look on Jenny's face.

And what Lydia had said to her.

Had she not been so afraid, Clem would have shouted where she stood. For help, for her friend… for something to keep reality from happening. But she only asked, "can I see her?"


	68. Aftermath, II

_6:46 PM - Jackson Motel_

**Art [Clementine]**

Nightfall had calmed her down.

Clementine walked through those same dark streets again, feeling the wind brush up against her skin, and not a lot else. Her head was still heavier than a boulder, gaze amiss, surrounded by swelling. But she was okay. There was more worry than hurt. Something more that kept her up at night, other than not getting to breathe through her nose. And it had Clem wrapping both arms around herself, to warm her chest and keep her shoulders still. Else she'd still be shaking in her room.

Days passed and everyone moved on. Now, she worked up the courage to check up on Lydia. The older, taller girl's backpack was still filled with Clem's stuff. There were lots of fears whirling at the back of her head; ones like the thought that Lydia would poke around her things if she left them there for too long... that she might steal something to get back at her. But Clementine ignored the twisting in her stomach. They weren't friends, but... she _wanted_ them to be. If getting there took a little trusting, then maybe it'd be worth getting made fun of for reading bedtime stories.

Lydia lived in an apartment down at the old motel, Andrea told her. Clem didn't understand why. You could pick wherever you wanted to live, any of the big houses. Why pick somewhere so small? She took shy steps up the stairs leading to door number five. A nervous gulp came and went before she knocked on the door with the hand dressed in gauze, waiting for someone to answer. When the door opened, she shrunk in an instant. "Hey..."

The pursuing silence, only she could break. "I came by to... pick up my things. Is that cool?" Clem couldn't force a smile, nor afford to give a pretty one with the nasty bandage on her face. She just hoped Lydia wouldn't tell her to fuck off.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

A quaint buzz echoed throughout the tiny room, Lydia sat there on the carpet, cross-legged in front of the warm breeze provided by a mini portable heater. The girl had plugged it up in the corner, with the hopes of cozying up against this fucking freezing night. Even inside, with a little source of heat, she still had to wear her hood up to combat the chill.

Everything still stung like shit, though bandages helped to nurse the various cuts and bruises on her face from the _incident._ Nonetheless, staying inside for the next few days felt like a great idea. Getting asked a million and one fucking questions about it from the other kids, _just… no._ It was already too much for her.

The injuries would heal, but not the paranoia that still plagued her mind, about the asshole with the bat. Carl was already freaking out from the news, which didn't help put her at ease at all. Had they screwed up by running into him? Or would it have happened sooner or later anyway?

Lydia's thoughts were abruptly put to a halt at the sound of several soft knocks on the door.

_Ah fuck, go away._ Her head swung back with a groan.

She could usually work herself up to a day of social shit, but when it came to getting caught off guard in moments like these, she loathed it. Lydia sat there for a good moment, considering if she should answer it. With a small sigh, the girl forced herself to her feet, taking her sweet time as she made her way across the room before arriving at the door. Perks of living here meant that she could see her visitors first, the girl squeezed one eye shut and used the other to stare through the small peephole.

The image on the other side had her frowning, perplexed at the sight of Clementine, who was standing there... looking all weird. _Great, what the hell could she want?_ Lydia pondered, now considering leaving her there until she walked away. It'd be easy for her to tell that the girl was home though. After all, her lights _were_ on.

_Fuck it._ Her curiosity gave in, chains rattling as she unhooked the locking mechanism before opening the door halfway, sticking her head out to greet Clementine with a confused stare. The shorter girl was the first to speak, nervously inquiring about picking up her stuff, which the blonde had honestly forgot all about.

_Where did I even put it…?_

She let out a huff of air, exhaustion evident on her face. Her tired mind just told her to slam the door in the younger girl's face and go back to bed. It dawned on her that it wouldn't be a very effective method to get her to leave as soon as possible. Still holding the door halfway open, Lydia looked behind her briefly, trying to remember what she did with it.

"It's here somewhere. I'm gonna have to go and find it now…" Lydia's dry tone emanated off her like a bright light. She turned to face Clementine yet again, who was still standing there like a lost school girl without direction. Did she really have to invite her inside now? The preferable alternative was making her wait outside in the cold. It was a dick move, but ultimately… Lydia somehow didn't have it in her today. Right now, she was just too worn out for anything really.

She gave in, before stepping aside and letting the door swing all the way open. Revealing a rather compact interior. Most notably, there was one bed, a television mounted on the wall opposite the bed, a sofa in the corner, and a small kitchen area off to the side. The layout was rather simple, but the condition of the room…? Not so great. It wasn't the most messiest thing in the world, but certainly not tidy. In light of recent events; and... not really expecting visitors, the teen hadn't been the most mindful of cleanup these past few days.

Lydia turned around and made her way inside. "Close the door behind you," she called out while her back was still turned to the other girl, not wanting to allow one more second's worth of cold air back into the room than she had to.

**Art [Clementine]**

Being _actually_ invited in was already more than she was hoping for, so there _was_ that.

Clementine left both shoes at the entrance, folding her jacket between one of her arms and showing off the sweater that lay underneath. It was so warm there...! She could feel her toes flinching at a foreign heat welling up from under them, and the walls had enough glow in them to heat up her fingers. She smiled gently, even if Lydia couldn't see it. "Your place is nice." Clem found it hard to know where to settle, so she only stood stiffly in what she figured was the living space, shifting weight between her feet. "Do you live here on your own?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Loud, excessive sharp sounds could be heard as pieces of objects knocked together inside the drawer. Down on one knee, the girl dug through the nightstand next to her bed. She remembered dumping Clementine's stuff out because it was taking too much space up inside of her bag. It was thrown _somewhere_ in here. _Which drawer was it?_

Lydia kept her gaze downward, focused on finding this crap while Clementine talked, and figuring that the bruised up girl was just being nice with her comments about this place. "Yeah, I do." She responded, tone still rather lifeless. "Figured you'd think this place was a piece of crap compared to the monster mansion _you_ live in." She hadn't intended for it to come off as offensive, but who knew how it sounded to the other girl. Those big places were more for small families anyway, and from what she knew, Clementine seemed to fit that bill.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine frowned and ripped her gaze away from Lydia. It was hard enough before... By then, she was feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. The girl waited, and asked something else, her tone seeping with curiosity. "Why don't _you_ live in one? In one of the houses." Clem approached, after, in careful steps. Closing the gap between them. _You could if you wanted to._

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"I guess they prefer to give 'em out to the families, ones that need them more." It may have sounded like she was bitter over it, but in reality, Lydia knew it was fair enough. There were only a limited amount of those larger houses, and it'd be a waste to put just one person inside. Lydia tried the whole shared space thing with Carl and Andrea way back, but decided it just wasn't for her. After the whole breakup thing, she was more comfortable here anyway.

"Besides…" She found what she was looking for, the most notable items being a gas mask, and… some story book that looked way too screwed up to read, but she could make out a few parts. The teen kicked the drawer shut, holding the stack of items in her arms. "I like it here." She spoke whilst walking past Clementine, stopping at the kitchen before she plonked the items down on the counter top.

"So, did you come here for your gas mask, or…" She trailed off, looking towards Clementine with an eyebrow raised, fighting back a smirk. "Your copy of _Where The Wild Things Are?"_ Even she had to admit, as babyish as the book was, it was kinda funny how desperate she was to get it back.

**Art [Clementine]**

She didn't press, albeit she wanted to. Sounded like Lydia liked being all on her own. Clem always figured she and Carl lived together, like a... like a _couple._ Wasn't ever that simple, it felt like.

Clementine followed Lydia to the kitchen after the other girl zipped past her. Her shocked little eyes trailed directly to her things, all laying on a neat pile. Of course Lydia looked...

Before she could reach for Mom's book, something froze her stiff. Lydia spewed acid like a viper, fighting back a smirk so loud, it mocked her without a word said. Clem returned a pout, a lower lip that wouldn't sit still. As vulnerable as glass. "Just give my stuff back."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia hadn't meant to poke fun, only lightly joke that she found it amusing, which the other girl didn't seem to take very well. _Whatever, then. Don't get why she's so sensitive over a stupid book._

Though, she guessed the both of them had been through hell this week, it was easy to tell that Clementine was probably just as shaken up over what happened. Regardless, Lydia sighed out, hoping that the battered girl wouldn't bring it up... She crossed her arms and lazily stepped aside so Clementine could check it out.

"Should all be there… take it."

The silent tension in the room, it was almost palpable, even more so than a few minutes ago. Without another word, Clementine shambled over to the kitchen counter, scooping up her things and hugging them in both of her arms like it was treasure or something.

Everything that happened after the watchtower, it was all continuously spinning around in her mind like a fucking nightmare ever since the other teen came through the front door. The whole ordeal was beyond humiliating for her, the girl she actively fought with and went out of her way to despise _daily,_ well...

Apparently she'd be Runner food if it wasn't for _that girl._

The taller one desperately tried to tell herself otherwise, but there was no denying. It'd been the source of her bitterness towards the girl for the past few days.

Lydia stood firm as Clementine turned her back on her and headed for the door. Arms still crossed, the blonde pursed her lips, swinging her head down and sending frustrated eyes to her own feet.

The mere thought of even saying it had her feeling all types of weird. A tired puff of air escaped her mouth, whining in her own mind. _I don't wanna…_

In that moment, she considered letting her leave, but then, almost as if the cursed muscles in her mouth moved on their own, something accidentally slipped out.

"Clementine." Lydia reluctantly spoke up before the girl reached the door, calling out so she'd stop.

**Instant regret.**

The girl couldn't help but look just as frozen as Clementine, unsure of how to say it, just knowing that it needed to be said. Still, she couldn't find it in her to directly look at the shorter girl, preferring to keep her gaze downward as she spoke, unwilling to let the silence linger for a moment longer.

"After the watchtower… when I got pinned by that Runner in the woods." Her tone was meek, every word a constant struggle to get out, all she wanted to do was get it over with already.

"I— might not have gotten out if you hadn't… done what you did." She finally admitted, hoping the girl wouldn't take it the wrong way and think that she liked her more because of it or anything like that.

Though, at the very most… Clementine _did_ deserve to hear this much from her.

"So, yeah…"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine stopped, dragging one sock against Lydia's wooden flooring. She kept her things in a tight embrace, glued to her chest, as her lips twisted to form an uneven frown. "Hey, look..." The girl forced herself to turn around and face the blonde, to stare her in the eye even when she was too afraid to. This whole thing was long overdue.

"... I'm really sorry I hit you. I get angry sometimes, and—... That was so wrong. And I acted like a baby. _I'm sorry._"

It came out, just like that. And it was true. Clementine breathed loudly, one little push from going into panic. "If you... If you want to be friends..." She struggled to hold her things in one arm while extending the other, only to give in part way through, and close a fist next to her thigh. "Or... not. Just..."

Pursed lips and a hesitant gaze, Clem forced herself to keep talking. "I'm thinking... we almost died a few days ago... and, I wouldn't've wanted to leave things like that."

"Life's too short."

She shrugged her shoulders, and gave Lydia an uncertain look; drowned in fear.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

And with that, the stand-offish demeanor Lydia adopted since the shorter girl walked in gradually began to falter. She uncrossed her arms, staring at the girl before her in bewilderment. There were still some things that Lydia was holding onto from that night, really _stupid_ things now that she looked back on it. The real reason behind her bitter attitude towards them wasn't something Lydia was ever going to admit.

Clementine had been the first one to step forward in an effort to patch things up. Lydia had remained the complete opposite, reluctant to reach out, unsure if she wanted to take that same step.

"That night… I—" She almost stopped herself, but somehow found it in her to trudge onward with her words. "Wasn't acting all that great either…"

That much she had to admit… to herself… and to Clementine. She still wasn't sure about the whole 'being friends' thing, but at the very least… maybe they _didn't_ have to be so awkward around each other every time they crossed paths. At first, the blonde had been deliberately making things harder... to get back at her… but even Lydia was starting to get tired of it too.

The girl crossed her other hand over to hold her forearm. "I just… get like that sometimes." She spoke with a tinge of embarrassment, trying to explain it to her would be like Miss Booker trying to explain maths in that stupid class. No one would get it.

"Maybe we _can_ hang out one of these days… _without_ Carl having to rip us off each other."

A half smile, genuine. Was the most she could muster.

**Art [Clementine]**

The worry in her disappeared, making way for a smile much wider than Lydia's. Grief still welling behind it, though no one else could see it. "Thanks, Lyd."

It was a good thing, _this._ There hadn't been that many, not for a while. But this was one. Jenny wouldn't believe a word if she told her. "I gotta go now, before Lee starts worrying."

And with that, Clementine took off. She planted her feet in her shoes, slid one arm in each sleeve of her jacket, and said goodbye to Lydia's awesome mini heater with a loud sigh. Clem felt refreshed, and for the short while her mind wandered someplace other than the two friends she'd never get to see again. Clementine found a little happiness.

"See you in class."


	69. Aftermath, III

_3:01 PM - Nearly three weeks later - Abandoned Elementary School near Jackson_

**Dot [Dwight]**

It blew in before Dwight could make the final checkpoint. A blizzard strong enough to announce its presence through its howling gales before the snow ever reached him. Yet, despite that, he was miles away from home, taking refuge inside what remained of an elementary school.

The interior hadn't been touched in at least a decade, left to rot and collect cobwebs until the building eventually was reclaimed by nature. The evidence of grass and roots near the edges of the building indicated that process had already begun long ago.

His footsteps echoed in the silent hallways, the arc of his flashlight revealing tiny blue paw prints pockmarking the tiled floor in a deliberate manner, as if leading him somewhere. They eventually stopped at a large door that opened into a cafeteria, massive in size. Rows of benches were pushed in every direction haphazardly, cutting off every other entrance into the expansive room.

Near the middle, only bones remained of what he imagined had been a couple of survivors holding out. There were scratch marks on the door, deep and repeating over and over. A horde of infected. They'd broken through, it seemed, and… he stepped into the cafeteria, looking over the bones near the center of the room. The holes in their heads told the whole story.

He closed his eyes, sighing, before setting himself down on one of the benches. The wind howled, whistling in an eerie tone that set him on edge. Like it triggered memories from long ago.

Memories he so desperately wanted to forget.

As he fiddled with his knife, preparing to stand up once more, a faint _click_ reached his ears, followed by half a dozen more. His head whipped towards the source, hand clenched around the hilt of the knife as he stared down the barrels of rifles and pistols.

It didn't take long for him to realize that the whistling sound he'd been hearing before hadn't been the wind.

And the face that towered over the men pushing towards him from the kitchen struck an insurmountable amount of fear into his heart.

**Basil [Negan]**

The footprints in the snow were obvious. Easy to follow. A series of footsteps followed those as Negan followed them, being led to a nearby school. He entered the school a few minutes after their prey, each track becoming more fresh. He walked, flanked on both sides with his men.

Ever since the encounter with those girls, Negan had been sending in multiple groups to scout the area further, with Negan close behind. They had a pretty good idea of where the group was, but didn't want to announce their presence yet. Let them relax a little more before he made their demands. But, he couldn't hide his excitement for adding another group to his collection.

Lucille was resting on his shoulder, and she was excited to meet this person.

He entered a room, and saw someone sitting down on a bench. He gestured his men to hold, and raise their guns. Negan whistled, showing his appearance, and as their target turned around. Negan realized just who it was.

And he smiled.

"Dwight!" Negan said, a wry smile across his face. He turned to face everyone. "Hey everyone, look it's fucking Dwight! He's okay." Negan used Lucille as a walking stick, leaning on it.

He slowly walked towards Dwight, tapping Lucille on the floor every few steps, 'till he was mere inches from his lost lieutenant.

"You know, I nearly didn't recognize you there, but then I saw that fat mark across your cheek," he mocked, before pointing his gloved hand. "But I knew it was you when I saw that."

"Where've you been Dwight? Haven't seen you since you were sent on that scouting trip, and you won't fucking believe the shit I've been through to find you. I think I deserve a thanks to be honest, I've frozen my ass off _multiple times_ to get to you, and here we are!" Negan stood over Dwight, his eyes staring straight at his inferior.

**Dot [Dwight]**

His heart was beating against his chest, watching as his former group surrounded him with guns raised. Negan's voice echoed off the walls, helping to make him seem even more terrifying in the moment. Dwight held his ground, however, remaining seating on the bench as Negan stood over him, staring him down.

Guess this was the part where he had to play along.

He lowered his head slightly, his voice soft but strong enough for Negan to hear. "It's good to see you, Negan." _I could just stab you right now. If you were alone__…_ He lifted his gaze, pushing himself to his feet. It was time to figure out a plan.

"The scouting party got attacked by another group. I was out scouting ahead, came back when the gunfire started." He shifted in his spot, crossing his arms over his chest. "I found the group holding up in a town nearby. Was easy enough to wriggle my way in. Biding time until another scouting party got out here."

"They're ripe for the taking, sir." He finished, lowering his head once more.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan had Lucille rested on his shoulders. He was tapping his foot, waiting for an answer, and he smiled when Dwight expressed his happiness to be meeting with him again. Negan gestured to his men to lower their guns.

As Dwight stood up, Negan gave him a harsh pat on the back. "Well, it's good to see you too my friend!" Negan said, excitement heavy in his voice. He honestly thought that Dwight had just died, not that he was too sad, just pissed off at the thought of losing men to shit. So, he wasn't happy when he heard what happened to the rest of Dwight's group. He sighed quite heavily as he heard the news about his men, his fist clenching quite heavily around the hilt of Lucille, smile gone.

"So, you're telling me that there's a group of people that killed a few of my _best_ men." He spat out, but as suddenly as his smile went, it soon came back. "_And you got in there_!?" He laughed, as he realized that his chances of taking over the group increased, this might've been the same group those girls he met a few weeks ago were from. Where Carl was. By God, he was excited to see this.

"Dwight, you're on your way to getting a lot of points. Hell, I'm a man, and I'm still getting feelings for you right now Dwight. **God damn**, I love you!" He finished, not being able to contain his excitement.

"You said they were ripe for the taking? Well, this group is gonna be taking something pretty soon. They're gonna be taking their asses, which will be handed to them by us with a side order of my dick in 'em! They'll be fuck fucking fuckity fucked!" Negan shouted, his grin showing pure delight.

His excitement subsided, and he stared at Dwight, much more casual than before. "Go back there and find a bit more about them, what shit they got and so on. Come back and we'll have a feast in your honor!" He gave Dwight another harsh pat on the back, and turned back to his men as they roared in excitement.

**Dot [Dwight]**

In an instant, the entire situation seemed to change. Dwight refused to let his guard down, even as Negan's bombastic nature bombarded him. This was the man that played with words, with violence, and usually at the same time. If he suspected Dwight, then he wouldn't be leaving this room alive. Simple as that.

So when Dwight's own ideas began to leave Negan's mouth, he found himself both relieved and skeptical at the same time. Either Negan was toying with him, waiting to see if Dwight would instantly jump on that chance to stab him in the back, or genuinely thought Dwight was still on his side and wanted an inside man. The worst part was that he'd probably never figure out which it was until it was too late.

So he did what any other sane man would do, and play along anyway.

He nodded, acknowledging the 'brilliance' of Negan's plan, before clearing his throat. "They gave me a radio. I can use it to keep in contact. Frequency's the same as before, right?" _At least it__'d give me an excuse to not see your face around here while I buy us some time._

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan always had his suspicions with Dwight, ever since he ran away so long ago with that _sexy_ wife of his. Negan knew that Dwight didn't like being with the Saviors, or do what they did. However, he also knew that Dwight wanted to stay alive, and the best way of staying alive was being with the Saviors and working hard, and with that knowledge, Negan kept him close. He was a hard worker indeed, being so close to the top spot. Perhaps he had fit in, and was now starting to enjoy it here, but there were many signs that showed otherwise. Nevertheless, Dwight had proved his loyalty to Negan during the war with the Militia, staying by his side and not showing any loyalty to his enemies, and it seemed like the same thing had happened here. Negan was usually a good spot when it came to liars.

Negan heard that Dwight had a radio, given to him, and as he made his suggestion, Negan nodded, a smile still stuck to his face. "Yeah, I want locations, numbers, notable members, all that shit, Dwight." Negan took a few steps back, facing his men once more.

"Alright! We got a lead from our great friend Dwight here on that new group of survivors, let's call them...The Fuckwads. Dwight has managed to 'join' The Fuckwads, and now can get us information on the inside, this... is... big. We'll be visiting this group very soon, so lets all get ready for that _special occasion_!"

He looked over his shoulder at Dwight. "Get a move on, they're probably wondering where their favorite Scarface is."

**Dot [Dwight]**

Dwight wanted to sigh in relief, realizing then that his ruse had worked… for the moment. He looked towards the others surrounding them, their devious smiles and camaraderie making him feel sick to his stomach.

At one point, he would've been one of them. Looking at their next target as nothing more than prey. Not anymore.

When Negan told him to get going, he didn't hesitate to nod back. Being anywhere else was preferable at this point, even if it was in the blizzard outside. He stood taller, his voice calm and collected. "I'll contact you around this time next month. Fill you in on what I find out."

With that, he moved through the crowd surrounding him, and towards the entrance he'd come through before. By the time he reached the exit, he was nearly sprinting to get away from there.

He only hoped they wouldn't tail him back to Jackson. Keeping them away from there meant he had even more time to work with.

Enough time to come up with a plan, hopefully.

* * *

_5:41 PM - Tommy__'s office_

**Dot [Dwight]**

The trek back to Jackson had been arduous as Dwight had traversed the distance back in near blinding snow. The fact he made it back at all felt like a miracle, a dumb stroke of luck gifted to him by whatever god that might've actually existed. The instant he made it back behind walls, he marched towards Tommy's office downtown, where he hoped that Andrea would be. What he had to say was too important to wait.

His office was hard to miss, even in the midst of near white-out conditions. An expansive building that used to be a church nearly two decades ago, now converted into Tommy's own personal City Hall, along with enough room for stocking weapons, food, and anything else they'd need to keep centralized. Being located at a near equal distance from each wall surrounding the town, it was perfect to keep raiders out of their food.

The guns, though, usually ended up separated into half a dozen stockrooms across the community. Safer that way.

As he approached the church, the glass door opened to reveal a large, stocky man holding a hand out to block the gust of snow from pelting his face. He looked towards Dwight as the shorter man waved to him.

"Dwight," Tripp's southern drawl was loud and clear despite the howling wind.

"Hey. Andrea in there?" He asked quickly, loud enough to be heard. Tripp nodded slightly, moving aside.

"Yeah. She's in her office. Careful, though. Her and the boss aren't seein' eye to eye on that Saviors thing." Dwight smiled slightly to that, letting out an amused chuckle.

"Seems like that's getting more common these days," he joked. "Anyway, I'll see you after. About those duty shift schedules."

Tripp simply nodded before carrying on, leaving Dwight to hastily enter the church. Being inside again was a blessing in of itself.

Andrea's office was nestled near the back of the church, near the food stockroom, and Dwight hastily greeted anyone who spoke to him on the way. When he reached her door, he knocked twice, opening it as Andrea's voice filtered through.

"_Come in._"

She was sitting behind her desk, hunched over while scribbling something on a sheet of paper. Dwight closed the door behind him, clearing his throat when she glanced up.

"We need to talk."

**Dot [Andrea]**

It'd been another stressful day, and on top of that, a _blizzard_ to contend with. This winter was pushing them to a breaking point, and with the Saviors on their doorstep, it was only making matters worse. Paranoia, anxiety, emotions that agitated the mind to the point of snapping, and she ended up doing that not ten minutes ago to Tommy.

They had their differences, yeah, but they usually never _fought_. Eventually, a side was chosen, a middle ground found, but that wasn't seeming to be the case this time. Tommy knew as well as anyone just how dangerous the Saviors were — it didn't take a genius to figure it out — yet every plan she proposed to strengthen their defenses were deemed too demanding to put into place.

She'd suggest manning every single guardpost on their walls, and he'd respond with the same 'we don't have the manpower' counter-argument he'd used in the past, since the Whisperers. Right now, she was back to the drawing board. _Maybe_ figure out a plan that'll work, but she knew that anything she came up with would probably not be enough. The problem was finding enough people to actually protect this place. They were a little over twenty family's strong, sure, but when each family consisted of about two or three children, that left barely enough capable men and women to man half their defenses, let alone run operations in Jackson proper.

Guess this was the part she'd have to figure something out. Battles were won with worse odds before, right?

History never was her strong suit.

When someone knocked on her door, she let out a frustrated sigh, grumbling under her breath. Calling them inside, her demeanor only changed slightly when the door opened to reveal Dwight, who's face remained as stoic as ever.

What he said next, though, got her attention.

She sat up straight, placing the pencil she'd been using on top of the crude map of Jackson's defenses. "We tried contacting you," she opened with, voice even. "Figured the blizzard had you holed up somewhere. What's going on?" _This had better be good. I don__'t want to yell at _**_two_**_ people today._

**Dot [Dwight]**

He'd been dreading this talk the entire journey back to Jackson, knowing just how _badly_ it could go. Anything about the Saviors was a sore topic right now, and the fact he'd run into them — being an ex-Savior himself — meant that he was fighting an uphill battle here for trust.

One that he'd already been fighting for the past six months, roughly.

"I ran into Negan out there," Dwight explained. "Out past the safe zone."

**Dot [Andrea]**

That caught her off-guard, her eyes widening ever so slightly as the words sunk into her brain. She wasn't surprised by the fact that Negan was still out there, still on their borders, but the fact that Dwight had run into them…

She gestured for him to continue with a flip of her hand.

**Dot [Dwight]**

"I told him what he wanted to hear," Dwight continued, crossing his arms over his chest. "That I'd infiltrated your community and was trying to gather intel for him."

This was the part he'd been dreading, the moment of truth where she'd either trust him or condemn him.

"I don't think he suspects that I lied to him. Wants me to check in every month to update him." He sighed, taking a step closer. "I'm going to feed him false information. See if I can't buy us some time before he decides to take matters into his own hands."

**Dot [Andrea]**

Saying that she was shocked by what he had to say would've been the understatement of the century, listening to every word intently. Her instant reaction was to question Dwight's motives, as she had done so many times before after he first arrived, but she just couldn't put a finger on it. Like a puzzle too convoluted to solve on her own.

"You could've kept this to yourself. Saved your own skin if they decided to roll up on our gates." It was pretty clear what she was hinting at, the edge in her voice making it more apparent than she'd intended.

**Dot [Dwight]**

She was doubting him, just like he expected. He'd probably do the same in her position, so he couldn't really blame her. His track record hadn't been stellar before coming to Jackson.

"We both want Negan out of the picture," he replied honestly, letting his crossed arms fall to his sides. "And we need time to make sure that happens. Keeping him away from here is our best bet at doing that. Until we're ready to deal with him."

**Dot [Andrea]**

Dwight's answer was matter-of-fact, brutally honest in the way she'd come to expect from him. Had this happened months ago, she might've not found herself believing him, but that's exactly what she was doing now. For better or for worse.

Better than having Negan break down their door.

"Okay," she breathed. "When it's time for you to 'check in', let me know. I'll give you any 'intel' you need to keep him away."

Dwight nodded respectfully, leading towards Andrea to shift in her seat as he began to turn away.

"Hey Dwight?" He turned back as he reached the door, his unscarred half peering back at her. "Thanks. For, y'know… coming to me about this. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

He opened the door then, disappearing back out into the depths of the church. Andrea sat there for a while, staring at the defense plans scribbled out in front of her.

They were going to need a miracle to get through this, that much she could tell.


	70. Can't Be For Nothing, I

_1:28 PM - Twenty-two days later - Salt Lake City, Utah_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The air was cool and crisp, the kind of air that bit at her in a way that kept her awake. Mountains loomed in the distance, partially obscured by clouds rolling over the city. Around them, tall buildings jutted into the sky, a stark contrast to the rural countryside they'd been traveling through for the past five months, let alone the past year.

Ellie's gaze, instead of focusing on the sheer beauty of Salt Lake City, focused on the etching of a deer carved into the wall of the highway. Flashes of memory flickered in her brain, taking the fifteen-year-old back to that day in the woods… just her and Clementine and the hunt for a deer, only to be ruined by _him_.

The very thought of Simmons had the same effect every time, a sickening feeling in her gut and a tingle running down her spine. His face resurfaced in her mind, in the shape she'd left it in. Slabs of bone and meat and brain matter, like someone had taken a bunch of raw meat and pummeled it with a hammer.

She closed her eyes, attempting to push it back into the depths of her subconscious, but she wouldn't be able to. It hadn't worked so far.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

A few months had been good for him.

He was sure of that. Jovial, his mind had taken on a reformed view, solace entering like the rising tide. He missed the company of Lee and Clementine, as two more bodies were good on stress... sometimes. They had done fine, regardless; he could hold himself and she was the same, mostly.

That was the one thing Joel wasn't sure of: her.

There was the hospital in the distance, something he was beginning to doubt, but... they had come all this way. There wasn't much that could change his mind, but the way she had been acting as they neared it, as the cure became imminent... he doubted himself. What was on her mind? What was _ever_ on her mind? A mystery to him, a mystery that he would never abandon. If he liked it or not, he was stuck in this perpetual realm of not understanding the exact thing everyone else was thinking and he hated it. He hated it so much.

"Look, the hospital's just up ahead." He pointed out, but his declaration fell on deaf ears. "Ellie?" He called out, spying the girl fixated upon a deer engraving. Some buck that the city had decided to etch into a wall, whatever it meant. "Ellie?" He called again, but was given no response. "Ellie!" He said one last time, finally nabbing her attention. "Did you hear me?" He questioned, holding his arms out in minor disbelief. Her dissociative state was becoming... concerning.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Joel's voice eventually breached through the fog clouding her mind, and she turned to look at him as he gave her an incredulous look. For a moment, that fucker's face receded from her mind, only to return when she'd least expect it, but at least she could focus on what Joel wanted, at least for a moment. She raised an eyebrow as Joel asked her if she heard him, a small breath escaping her.

"No. What?" She asked abruptly, turning to face the highway ahead as if whatever Joel had been talking about would suddenly leap out at her. Instead, nothing of interest caught her attention, and she focused her gaze back onto Joel.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

In the end, he earned her distant attention in a swiveling motion. Grimacing, he flung an arm up to aim towards the green highway sign above them. "Look. Hospital." Distantly, with a bit more sulk in his stitched voice, a windless gesture tumbled from his throat. "This is where we get off." Then, one more nod, he finished the conversation with mostly himself. "Let's go, kiddo."

He had to keep talking. It was more for him than it was for her. The grasping claws of silence were what he used to use, but now they came at him, scratching his mind in heavy strokes. A breeze interrupted his thoughts, new ideas springing to mind. A story of the past and of things to come; that would help. He laughed lightly, pressing on.

"You feel that breeze, huh? I tell ya, on a day like this, I'd just sit on my porch, pick away at my six-string. Yeah, once we're done with this whole thing I'm gonna teach you how to play guitar. I... I reckon you'd really like that." Joel's head turned to the other head of the conversation as they passed by a ruined RV. "What do you say, huh?"

But... nothing.

He turned around fully now, looking at her with anxiety in his pupils. "Ellie, I'm talking to you."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's gaze found the grass-covered asphalt in front of her, barely lifting away from it as she followed alongside Joel. Voices filled her head, voices she wished she could forget.

_"So, what'll it be, kid? 'cause I can think of a couple things to do if you keep this fucking shit up."_

_"What'd I say? I'm not leaving. Can't get rid of me."_

_"They're going back to Jackson. Because of that town."_

_"I'm gonna miss you like crazy…"_

"Ellie, I'm talking to you." Joel's voice was almost like a knife, burying itself into her brain and pulling her back out of it. She looked towards him with wide eyes, her hands clutching her backpack straps as she stopped next to him.

"Huh?" It took longer than she would've liked for the question he'd said to surface in her mind. "Oh, yeah, sure, that sounds great."

She watched as Joel took a moment to search through the abandoned RV, her mind wandering towards what he'd said before. Learning how to play guitar? That… actually sounded pretty cool. Something to look forward to, at least. That only satiated her curiosity for a moment, though, her eyes scanning their surroundings before locking onto a bus nearby, nearly overgrown with vines. On the side, there was some advertisement about an airline, and she found herself staring at the airplane dominating it.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The RV was picked apart, mostly. Corpses and a family photo, "forgive us" scrawled on the back in sharpie. A little tug of Joel's mouth called attention to the cover lumps on the bed, stained in the dark pores of blood, to which he turned around, covering his mouth. "God..." The man intoned, stepping out of the RV to find Ellie staring at an airplane on a bus.

**Dot [Ellie]**

When Joel returned, she gave him a passing glance. "I dreamt about flying the other night," she spoke quietly, rubbing her arm.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Oh yeah?" He responded, stopping his walk and waiting for her to speak. "Go on, tell me about it."

**Dot [Ellie]**

When he indicated for her to continue, she cleared her throat. "So," she started, letting out a deep breath before continuing. "I'm on this big plane full of people. And… everyone is screaming and yelling 'cause the plane's going down. So I walk to the cockpit, open the door, but there's no pilot." She was gesturing with her hand as she explained the dream, taking in a breath before rubbing the back of her neck. "I try to use the controls, but… I obviously have no clue how to fly a plane. And… right before we crash, I wake up." She shrugged her shoulders, eyes falling to the ground as her eyebrows furrowed. "I've never been on a plane," she continued, looking towards Joel once more. "Isn't that weird?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

And so, she did tell him. She talked and talked and talked about the dream, Joel taking in every second. He couldn't say he'd had a dream like this ever before; but it didn't sound atypical for one. He grunted, then reassured her. "Well, you know, dreams are weird."

Then, they moved. Past broken cars, past a ruined bus, Joel's eyes gazing at the hospital in the distance. Soon it would all be over. The journey; it had been so long. Such a long scheme of them going into it. An Import Export Company zipped by them and the concrete walls of the quarantine zone made themselves presently known.

"Look at that. Another city, another abandoned quarantine zone." He climbed atop a scorched van and then onto a bus stuck in the gates; now, Joel viewed the hospital in full. Saint Mary's Hospital viewed him right back. "There's that hospital the Firefly mentioned. C'mon, kiddo."

A bus station grinned at him from the corner of his eye and he jumped down and led Ellie inside. "Maybe we cut through here, huh?" Inside, it was mostly luggage scattered to the winds. Letters sat sprawled in the dust, a metal processing line ridged in rubble, and previously, people. He searched the room but found nothing they could use.

Above him, on an inaccessible ledge, a ladder poked off of the stone. He supposed he could boost Ellie up there.

"Well, we could use that ladder." Joel's voice echoed through the bus depot, and he turned around to find Ellie. "Ellie?" He spotted her sitting on a bench, thinking about something. That's mostly what she did nowadays, after all. His expression turned more somber, lips barely whispering, "Ellie." Then, when she didn't respond to that, he grew firmer.

**Dot [Ellie]**

_Her hands were coated in blood, a sickening, warm feeling that would_ _'ve made her retch if adrenaline hadn't taken over her body. Despite this, her grip on the machete was firm, her knuckles turning white underneath the crimson liquid covering them. Her voice was hoarse from screaming, each one accentuating her next strike, her next blow. After a few, the man's face was indistinguishable from minced meat, and deep down she knew that he wouldn't be capable of walking away from that. It didn't stop her, though. The only thing capable of stopping her was-_

"Ellie!"

Her head snapped towards Joel's voice, her own voice quiet in the expanse of the bus terminal.

"What?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

This time, her head perked up, and he sighed. "The ladder, c'mon."

It hurt. Not that it was insulting to him, but she was... pained. And that was what truly hurt him. He perched down, cupping his hands together to boost her up.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As he answered, telling her to help him get the ladder, her gaze fell to her lap, where her knuckles had been clenched around the edge of the brick bench she'd been sitting on. White, just as they had been before.

She took in a deep breath, letting go. As she let it out, she stood up, heading over to Joel.

"Right…" She breathed the word as Joel cupped his hands, allowing her to place her foot into it and lift her to the second floor. She grabbed onto the ledge, pulling herself up with a grunt. "Okay…"

She stood up, grabbing the metal ladder. As she moved it, preparing to drop it to Joel below, a noise from behind her caught her attention, and her head swiveled towards it.

What she saw left her both baffled and amazed.

"Oh my god…!" Letting go of the ladder, which fell to the ground with a metallic clatter, she ran towards the windows beyond the metal gate separating the terminal from a cafe, intent on catching up with the animal she'd only ever seen in children's books.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"What is it?" He called out to no response, watching the ladder slam against the floor and crack brittle chunks of tiling into Joel's boots. "Ellie?" He said again, grabbing the ladder quickly and propping it back up. The climb was strenuous; he could still sometimes feel the effect of his churned guts, now otherwise healed but still a painful reminder of his fall. He could almost swear that the fall had at least chipped a bone, a chunk now swimming his bloodstream... but no, that was ridiculous.

"Ellie!" He bellowed from his gut, nausea strangling his intestines with two balled fists. After all that, he scaled the wall and began jogging after the excited girl. Anxiety wiped swathes from his brow, now seeing her at the window. "What is it?" He echoed, watching her peering out the window.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She couldn't believe her eyes. It was… _amazingly_ huge, its long neck reaching into the sky and past the window Ellie had been staring out of. As it wandered off, Joel entered the café, and Ellie gave him a wide smile before ushering him onwards. "You gotta see this…!"

She rushed through the darkened hallway leading out of the café, trying to peer through the dirt-smeared windows as the giraffe's shadow crossed them. She kept running, eventually entering a room with a massive hole on one side. She'd caught another glimpse of the giraffe, her breath practically taken away by the sight.

Her voice was light, ecstatic. "Are you kidding me?" She let out a breath, rushing towards another door that led out onto a bridge connecting the station to another building nearby. Glass littered the floor, though they didn't slow Ellie down, as it crunched beneath her feet. She looked back towards Joel when he walked onto the bridge, waving him over. "Come on, hurry up!"

She rushed through the open sliding door at the far end, heading towards the only source of light at the end of the next hallway. It opened up into another room with a hole dominating the far side. The giraffe had stopped there, nibbling away at a collection of leaves growing along the side of the wall. Ellie stopped in her tracks, breathless.

The whole thing was mesmerizing, picturesque. She couldn't look away, only doing so when Joel's footsteps echoed from behind her.

She looked towards him with wide eyes, a smile stretching across her face. "You see this?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He zipped after her as fast as his legs would take him. Joel's jolts sent him over broken glass, tumbling past wrenched window frames and lofty waiting chairs. But his pursuit was great; anxiety wrapped over him as he saw brief shadows of a silhouette floating past a rotted window. Glimpses of this... animal, whatever it was, did not escape him as he chased Ellie in her glee. Her child-like yips had him in a state of resonance; nostalgia, but more than that. Maybe the nostalgia had passed.

This was new.

Not fully, as there could never truly be a new emotion formed, in an effort not to spite mankind's past. But to Joel, this was the perfect mixture he could have asked for. This was all he could have asked for.

He stared at the giraffe and stopped in his tracks. "_You see this?_" And he _did._ It was one of the prettiest creatures he had ever seen.

The man moved past her, approaching the giraffe steadfast. "I won't scare it." His voice was tender, a hand stretching out to touch it. It chewed at leaves stuck to the walls, letting him caress its neck as if it didn't have a care in the world. The seconds were enthralling and he turned to Ellie to share them. "C'mere, c'mere." He waved her over. "It's alright."

**Dot [Ellie]**

As Joel stepped closer to the giraffe, Ellie hissed under her breath for him to not scare it, letting herself relax when he stated that he wouldn't. She took a single step closer, watching as he reached out to touch the animal, her mouth opening in surprise.

"_What are you doing?_"

He waved her over, and she took several cautionary steps towards the giraffe, her smile growing wider with each passing second. When she finally reached the ledge, she reached out to pet the side of its long neck, feeling the roughness of its fur. In that moment, she felt like a little kid again, the same one that held a sense of wonder every time she looked at the world through the rose-colored glasses of some book she'd stolen. The world that still managed to exist despite everything happening in it. She looked up towards the giraffe's massive black eye, smiling with glee.

"Hey there…" Her voice was light, and as it began to pull away, heading towards a baseball stadium down the way, she looked towards Joel with barely contained excitement. "_So fucking cool._"

As the giraffe began to disappear around the corner, even more of them following it, Ellie's attention diverted back to the leader of the pack. "Aw, where's it off to?" She turned on her heels, jogging deeper into the office to find a way around to it again. "Here, c'mon. Let's go," she called back to Joel.

She wasn't even listening if Joel was trying to slow her down, instead ushering him forward with a slew of hasty 'come on's. She didn't want to miss the rest of them.

The office eventually opened up to a roof overlooking the baseball stadium, and Ellie quickly descended the metal steps towards the ledge, leaning against it. "Oh man… wow. Look at those things!" Her voice was barely a whisper, eyes drawn to the group of giraffes like a moth to a flame.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Slow down kiddo!" He called to her, an ultimately fruitless proposition. The giraffe stumbled after its friends, Joel watching them with a bitter smile. Something was gnawing; something always _gnawed._ He deduced Ellie's path after turning away from the beasts, up stairs lost to time, before discovering her on the roof, eyes on the giraffes wandering into the distance.

She was leaning against a decrepit ledge, the stone crumbled to the ground some time ago. He stood beside her as the emotional rush reared its head.

"So..." He started, mind boggled by all sorts of things. The start of their journey together, the cold glares he had begun their relationship with. The bitter vulgarity she had returned. But she was kinder than that, yet still ultimately strong. Then they had met Lee and Clementine, who themselves seemed like a distant memory now. Despite the friends he had found in those two, he shared something sweeter with the girl beside of him. The sense of memory did not escape him, but rather he pushed it away. This was _new_. He couldn't taint that.

The two of them had stuck through it all. Rocky roads overtook in Jackson and at that damned university, and the winter months... he didn't want to think of them. But she had saved him there, just as he had saved her so many times after and before. His heart thumped in his chest. Joel realized that he loved Ellie just as he had loved Sarah in that paternal closeness. Jackson County... they needed to go back to Jackson.

_This view... this view…_

The view was perfect.

"This everything you hoped for?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Joel's question lingered in her head for a moment, turning towards him with a warm smile before shrugging slightly. Was this really everything she pictured it to be? Not really. But, it was… good.

How much would she have given to have Clementine and Lee here, too? To have them here, at the end of the line. Together. Taking in the sight of the herd of giraffes ahead, sharing smiles and…

She sighed.

It wasn't like that.

Despite the emptiness inside her, having Joel there made it all worth it. It wasn't that long ago that he tried to leave her in Lee's care. Seeing him turn around, finally accept this for what it was, like she had… that made her happy. Through the darkness in their lives, that light still existed. They had each other.

The smile returning, she finally answered his question, her voice quiet and sincere. "It's got its ups and downs, but... you can't deny the view, though."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He looked out to the giraffes and smiled, light and pursed in the light. They walked into the distance still, careful yet free as animals were. In this moment, them and Ellie were all that mattered. A loose sigh of relief floated away on the wind, the sight crumbling him. Joel stood away from the ledge as the giraffes grazed and the sense of longing hit him.

The cure. The _cuuurrreeee._ That's all she was. That's all she had been this entire journey, yet now that he had come to the decision that she wasn't _just_ the cure, guilt had begun to etch into his mind. He couldn't do this again; but now that it really came down to it, he had to.

But did he really? Lee's words rang true once more in his head. _Jackson County._ He knew they would be welcomed back there, it would be imperative that they return to Tommy's place once they got done with the cure. But... what if they never got done with the cure? A creeping hand had wound its way up Joel's back, throttling his spine with the idea of Ellie never being a normal kid. Never having the chance, for what? The cure for mankind? What would they use to distribute it? What if they took it and gave it to only those who could pay for it, in rations or whatsoever? What if they weaponized it? What if they fueled more wars with this?

Most importantly; _what had mankind ever done for him?_ Kill his daughter, slaughtered innocents, cut off Lee's hand, attempted to rob and steal, rape, pillage, fuck, eat, sleep, shit, repeat repeat repeat.

Joel grabbed the door handle. "We don't have to do this. You know that right?" His eyes were somber and wet, gleaming down at the girl. Less of a question, more of a plead.

**Dot [Ellie]**

As the herd began to disappear into the distance, Ellie finally pushed away from the ledge, beginning to follow Joel towards the door leading to what she could only assume would be a stairwell. His words caught her off guard, however, leading to her looking at him incredulously.

What did that even _mean_? She couldn't even consider it.

She let out an exasperated sigh, eyes meeting his. "What's the other option?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel was ready for this, of course. He had his reasoning all laid out before him. "Go back to Tommy's. Be done with this whole damn thing." He moved his hand as he spoke, canceling the 'whole damn thing' as he spoke. His words choked him a little bit, but this would be the right thing to do. Going back, that is. He just needed her permission, because all in all, this was about _her._ Like it was his right to take away what she wanted.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The expression on her face told the whole story, of how much she disagreed with what he was saying. This wasn't about what they wanted anymore. This was about saving the world. About making her life _mean_ something. Making Riley's death **_mean_** something. Making every single _fucking_ thing that's happened since that night…

She couldn't just _be done with it_. Not this time.

"After all we've been through?" She finally spoke, a thin sheen of tears threatening to fall out of her eyes.

Memories popped up like a scrapbook, filed in order. Riley dying, escaping Boston, Tess dying, nearly getting killed in Bill's town, nearly killing Clem and Lee the first time they met them, and barely making it out of Pittsburgh alive, that entire fucking mess in Plattsburg and Paradise, the time they spent in Jackson, dealing with Lydia and her psychoticness, the trip to Colorado and nearly losing Lee, her promise she made to Clem to never leave her, only for that to eventually be broken after they escaped Simmons's town. This journey had put them through so much, and Ellie endured it all, because the world wouldn't change otherwise.

"Everything I've done…" She continued, those tears beginning to stain her cheeks as she looked away from Joel, towards the ground, before eventually wiping them away. All those faces of those she'd killed flitted through her mind as if to torment her, lingering on Simmons's for longer than she could endure. A shiver convulsed her body, and she clenched her eyes shut, ridding herself of the memory.

When she opened them again, she let out a breath, looking back towards Joel. "It can't be for nothing."

She brushed past Joel then, pushing the metal door open and heading down the stairs to the bottom floor. As Joel followed her, she looked back up towards him, her voice calmer.

"Look, I know you mean well… but there's no halfway about this. Once we're done, we'll go wherever you want. Okay?" The idea of returning to Jackson, to Clementine, was more than enough for her to be dead-set on doing it, but it just had to wait. Nothing else could matter until the cure was done.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"_It can't be for nothing._"

It hit him like a brick. _It can't be for nothing._ If Joel had the strength, he would have said that it wouldn't be... but that wasn't right in the end, was it? His gaze drifted back to the last giraffe, eyes layered by a thin mask of tears. _It can't be for nothing._ He wanted to stay. Feel the warmth of light touch his face, stare at the animals with his favorite person in the world. His _second chance._ But that wasn't how things worked out.

The giraffe disappeared into the brush and Joel disappeared into the building.

He ended up leading the way as he always did, taking over after her reasonings continued. "Well, I ain't leaving without ya, so let's go wrap this up." It didn't feel good to say, but it was what she wanted. He needed to stop being selfish, no matter what happened when they got to the Fireflies. It was her say on the matter, after all. It was her life, she could do with it what she wanted, no matter how important that life mattered to humanity or him or anyone else.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie smiled, following him through a lobby leading out to the grassy area in front of the baseball stadium. They continued towards the bus terminal, triage centers dotting the area.

As they entered it, her thoughts dwelled on what she'd do when they returned to Jackson. Thoughts of Lee and Clementine, and… fixing everything she'd broken with the girl. How she'd do that, though… she wasn't sure. What she felt that night, in that cabin, it was real. Alcohol be damned, whatever happened there was how she felt, everything else just… kept her from stopping herself.

Knowing that she'd see her again soon, those thoughts bubbled to the surface once more, wondering on if she'd want things to go back to how they used to be. Or, have a little faith and try to see where that'd take her. Finally tell her how she really felt, instead of chickening out like she did back at the university.

At least then she'd have an answer, right?

Sighing, her gaze flitted towards Joel ahead of her, calling out to him. "Hey, wait a sec…"

When he turned to look towards her, she wrung her hands together, looking towards the ground. Whatever she said next, she wanted to hear his thoughts about it. Finally talking about it with someone would be… nice. Right? Who better than Joel?

She sighed, scratching at her neck. "Back at the cabin, when I said I'd fucked things up with Clem… it's because I kissed her." Her heart twisted at the thought, remembering the shocked expression on her friend's face. "I'd, uh… that kinda thing's been on my mind for a while, and… I guess I couldn't help myself. I've been thinking about what I should do when we get back, and… I don't know. Maybe I should just let it go, or… _whatever_, but… I don't want to."

There was a pause, and Ellie let her hands drop to her sides, forcing herself to look towards Joel. "I guess I just… want some advice, y'know? On what to do." _Because who the fuck knows how this'll go down when we get back. Seeing Clem again isn't gonna be easy… the awkwardness will probably kill me before a clicker does… _

**Kentucky [Joel]**

She stopped him in his tracks as it was his turn to be lost in thought. He sucked in a breath and listened wholeheartedly, grass whisping under his ankles.

And... he wasn't really sure what to say. It was, of course, a typical _kid_ thing, something he had dearly missed for some time, but nonetheless surprised him. Of course he had recognized for a while that Ellie faced problems that teenagers always did... but it being up to him to aid on those issues was foreign. He had never helped a teenager before; preteen, sure, but teenager… that was different. He tried to remember the books he used to read on the subjects, all of those dumb help books but... screw those books.

"Look, I'm not too good at that kind of thing either. Not... not since I had Sarah. But..." He paused, biting at his gums. "I've learned that you can't just ignore your problems and expect them to go away, no matter how small. I... I've done that a lot and I don't want you to do the same. So... when we get back to Jackson, you should just talk to her. You... you can't let things build. You have to rip the Band-Aid eventually, so might as well do it quickly."

He huffed a breath of air out, unsure of himself. "That's just my advice."

**Dot [Ellie]**

It wasn't what she was expecting to hear, but it had her brain thinking nonetheless. He was right; of course, he was right. She'd been letting her feelings fester for so long, burying it inside, that eventually they decided to let _themselves_ out. It was the same thing she did to Riley, over a year ago, but then it was too late for it to change anything.

She still had a chance now.

She took in a deep breath, a genuine smile plastered on her face as she returned her attention to Joel. "Thanks, Joel… I'll… I'll do that."

The mention of Sarah had her stomach churning, thinking back to everything Andrea had said about Joel's daughter. She frowned, following Joel through the bus terminal until they reached the other side, where a bus cut them off from the exit. As Joel began to look it over, Ellie dug into her backpack, pulling out the item that she'd been holding onto for so long now.

She figured it was time to finally give it to him.

"Hey Joel… I got something for you," she spoke quietly, catching his attention. She held the photo in her hand, extending it out to him. "Here. Andrea showed this to me and I, uh… I stole it. I hope you don't mind."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked at the girl, nodding as she reaffirmed his advice. He was happy to help, of course. He was always happy to help. He sniffled, smiling and looking around the area they were in. "You know, this place brings me..." He trailed off, watching as Ellie pulled a thin, old piece of paper from her backpack. "...back." He paused, sucking in a deep breath as she handed it towards him.

He was back at the triage. Just after Sarah had died. Tommy was there, just the two of them. The military watching them, most of them freaking out just as much as the civilians they were watching. Pushing and pulling, the disinfecting room, the sporadic gunshots. It was all in front of him again, blood in his face, on his hands, ruining his shirt.

"I..." He took the picture in two hands and looked at Ellie. He... he couldn't ignore it, of course not. Who would he be otherwise? A weak smile moved on his face and he nodded light. "You can't escape your past, no matter how hard you try, I guess." He looked in her in the eye and genuinely said "Thank you."

He took one last glance at the picture then stuffed it away in his bag. Solemn but... renewed. His second chance, as he always thought. "Come on. Maybe I'll tell you some stories or other."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie returned his smile with a small one of her own, following him as he led her through the bus blocking their path. On the other side, a large sign pointed towards a decline leading into a tunnel, stating 'MEDICAL EVACUATION'. _Well, that must be our way there._

Cars lined the road, having never made it to their destination, and eventually, they blocked the road completely. Ellie closely followed behind Joel, making sure to not get lost as darkness began to mask their surroundings, a few specks of light from holes in the ceiling being the only way they could still see down there.

As they moved forward, curiosity finally caught up to her, and she looked towards the back of his head. "So… you said you had some stories?" She asked quietly, putting on a smile. Learning more about Joel's past, and even Sarah, sounded… good. They didn't talk about their pasts all that often, so maybe… maybe now was the time.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel kept on his uphill battle, moving forward as they continued. Lines of a grimace still dashed his face, lost in the wind of this beautiful spring day.

"Yeah, some stories." He continued on, ticks going off in his head. _What to say, what to say..._ his mind wandered for a brief moment, before he returned to the land of the living. "Alright, you can't tell anyone this. But I used to buy a bunch of books to read. Not like, fiction books or anything, but I bought a lot of... other books. On psychology. I raised Sarah by myself for a while... so I read a bunch of books on having a teenage daughter. When I wasn't working. Bought some dumb self-help books, too, for work. Was the stupidest thing I've done." He smiled as they continued into the tunnel. To think the journey was almost over.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The tunnel had eventually darkened to the point of requiring flashlights, the two quickly flicking them on before venturing deeper. What Joel said next left an amused smile on Ellie's face, a small shake of her head following his words. Imagining Joel sitting around reading books about how to deal with a teenager just seemed… comical, in a way. Yet, the mention of it sparked memories from months ago, from simpler times.

"Are those the books you mentioned before? Back in Jackson?" She asked curiously, looking towards Joel with a slight tilt of her head. "When you were talking about Lydia."

Thinking about the blonde girl again had a heat rise in her stomach, still as angry as she was with her before. Guess it'd never simmer down. She _really_ didn't look forward to seeing her again, after this was over. God, she'd never be prepared for it.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Remembering Jackson was still a little hard on him, but remember it he did nonetheless. Lydia... he could hardly even remember that girl. The blonde one, looked a little bit like Sarah. "Yeah, those are the books I mentioned. I keep forgetting things as I get older."

Joel had forgotten he had already told her about those; maybe not nearly as extensively, of course, but he had. "What about you? You like to read? I know you got those comics and all, but you ever read just a regular old book? Watch movies? They don't show those in the QZs, I know."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Joel's question gave her something to think about for a minute, balancing on a wooden beam laid out between two box vans as the road eventually dipped into standing water. Once on the other side, she gave Joel a slight shrug, following him to the next spot above water.

"Didn't get to read anything _interesting_, really. Not in Boston." She stopped talking briefly to make the trek over the next wooden beam, holding her breath. She let it out once she made it safely to the other side. "There's this book that Clementine had, though." _Well, it wasn't _**_hers_**_, but… y'know._ Thinking about that night in the ranger station brought back uncomfortable memories. Of Clementine's nightmare and-

_"What do you know? Your parents left you too."_

It still hurt to think about that. She'd tried to look past it after, but it definitely made things more… awkward, in the days to follow. They'd only just started to get past it when _he_ showed up.

She took in a deep breath, pushing away the memories.

"That one was okay." She finally concluded, moving on. "I, also, uh… did manage to steal a few movies here and there. The asshole in charge of the orphanage had a collection. I probably watched Flash Gordon a dozen times before he found out."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He watched her face as she talked, observing the pain that grew when she mentioned Clementine. But that was quelled soon enough when she began to speak of Flash Gordon and her expert exploits of cinema thievery. "You used to watch Flash Gordon? Man, that brings back memories." He thought back to when his parents showed him that as he grew. That was a long time ago... it felt like even longer than it really _had_ been. But things were so different, that was evident. He mentally cursed himself for even thinking something so... obvious.

"Maybe we'll find some more movies back at Tommy's. I'm sure they got some stuff."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie smiled at the thought. A dream. Just her and Clementine, sitting down and watching movies while Joel and Lee talked in the other room. Maybe Joel would play guitar. She'd kill for a night like that.

Who knows. Maybe when they get back, they'll get lucky.

The water beneath them started to turn into a flowing river, the current getting faster with each passing foot. By the time she'd finished talking, they were looking towards a series of pipes running along the wall, being their only way forward. Down the tunnel, a hole in the ceiling revealed a bus jammed in the middle of the road ahead, acting as a bridge to the next area.

Ellie grimaced. "This, uh… looks sketchy." She deadpanned, the hairs on the back of her neck starting to stand up in anticipation for whatever thing might go wrong in the next few minutes. She looked towards Joel with wide eyes. "Maybe we should go back? Find another way?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"This is the only way, everywhere else was blocked off." Joel replied evenly, approaching the series of pipes and tested them with a foot. "It'll be fine, see? C'mon, let's go." He moved towards the platform; it was a bit of a jump, one that would lead to them falling into those aforementioned murky depths. _Here goes nothing._

He leapt it, landing on the piping on both feet. It shook and groaned, but it held him. That was good. With that, he turned and held his arms out. "Come on, you can make it. I'll catch you."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie eyed the distance with a skeptical eye, the rushing water beneath them seeming more and more dangerous the more she looked at it. At Joel's encouragement, she took a few steps back, getting a running start before leaping into the air. Her feet made contact with the pipes with a metallic clang, and she extended her arms out to balance herself.

Her eyes turned towards Joel anxiously, her words merely a breath. "Let's just get off this thing."

She quickly stepped towards the far end of the piping, carefully dropping herself onto the bus propped in between their side of the tunnel and the other. It seemed stable enough, at least.

That was, until Joel followed suit. She could feel the bus lurch beneath her, metal screeching against concrete as it dislodged itself. Her feet threatened to buckle beneath her, but she wouldn't give them a chance to send her crashing to the ground. She sprinted for the far side, latching onto the metal walkway above before climbing onto it. She turned around to help Joel, her eyes widening at the sight unfolding in front of her.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel hurried as fast as he could; he hadn't expected the bus to move, he had only hoped it was stable. Alas, here he was. Fumbling about atop the metal wreckage, his balance and arms sweeping into the sky. His footing was lost as the doors of the bus snapped and dropped him down. He just managed to get a hold of the side; but fate had different plans.

The man slipped into that abyss. His head dunked under, body trapped between the walls of the bus. He tried to grab one of the balance handles, but each of his grabs missed and the water pushed him to the back of the bus. A sickening crack of glass echoed off the walls, Joel's back snapping several bits of the back window. He could feel water all around him as the bus continued to careen downstream.

**Dot [Ellie]**

With Joel's weight, the bus finally managed to rip itself free, moving in the current with a deafening metallic screech. She ran alongside it on the platform, reaching out for him. "Joel?! Here, c'mon!"

The door beneath his feet gave out, dropping him inside. She lost sight of him as he was pushed to the back of the bus, screaming out his name. When he didn't respond, she took in a deep breath, taking a step back. _Okay… here goes nothing…_

She made the leap.

_Oh, fuck_ _…!_

Her feet collided with the glass of the back door, nearly causing her to double over as she reached out to stop herself, letting out a breath of relief. "I made it… I fucking made it!"

"Okay…" She tried pushing against the door with her hands, but it barely budged, while Joel attempted to pull from the inside. "Open, you piece of shit!" She screamed, kicking out as hard as she could. Eventually, the door gave in, nearly colliding with Joel's face in the process. "Here we go! C'mon, let's get you-!"

She felt the whole world shake as the bus let out a terrifying screech, the 'floor' beneath her becoming a wall as the bus turned over in the river. She held onto the top of the bus for dear life, screaming. "Oh shit, shit! Joel!"

Her blood was pumping into her ears, practically deafening her. When the water rushed up to meet them, the current tore her fingers away from the bus, and she flailed her arms in a desperate attempt to latch onto _anything_ to stop her.

She couldn't reach anything, she- she-

Everything around her started to fade away as she gasped for air, her body careening through the tight space ahead. Water filled her lungs, weighing her down as if her body would sink to the road beneath her. The next several seconds were spent choking, gasping, and eventually, nothing.

As the current slowed, she'd gone limp, left to die beneath the surface of the water.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

"Ellie, grab my hand! Ellie!"

She was gone in a flash, flung into the water despite Joel's attempts at the contrary; but yelling was no match for fate. She disappeared in a brief turn of the bus and he was submerged once more. _She had tried. She had tried so hard._ But he wasn't going to let her attempts be in vain. He pushed through the doors, wrenching them open and being pulled out in a spray of pressure and horror. He was flung over his head as the current rendered him unable to move himself, lost to the river.

After a few tumbles, he gained his position again, eyes blurry in the piercing water. There was something in the distance - _was it her? It had to be her_ \- and he swam towards it, a terrible force moving him along faster than he should have. A figure amongst a bit of light, near a concrete outcropping. He pushed himself along, hard to control in the wavy lines of this makeshift river. _Get out. Get her and get out._ They were almost there, almost to the Fireflies, and he wasn't going to waste this. It _wasn't_ all for nothing! After all, if it was, then what did anything mean anymore?

He grabbed her. At least, he assumed it was her. The figure was a bit heavier than Ellie was, but that was assuming she was on dry land. He scooped her up in one arm, pulling her limp figure towards the surface. His breath loosened, his lungs tightened, but his head emerged and his breath returned, pulling the figure that he was certain was Ellie out onto the surface. It was hard; it took several tugs in his weakened state and in her clothes being dragged back into the water, but he did it. He just needed a pulse now, something he checked for after a quick breath.

There was barely a pulse. No breathing. Joel intertwined his hands and gave compressions to her lungs; it had to work, it had to work. Push the water out, right?! Just push it out! "Come on. C'mon!" He checked again, then moved to continue the compressions. Nothing was working, she just needed to wake up, just cough up the fucking water!

"Hands in the air!"

Another voice. He turned his head and saw a man dressed in yellow, aiming a rifle at him. Firefly. "She's not breathing." Joel pleaded, continuing to work on Ellie.

"Hands in the fucking air!" The man repeated, a friend following behind him. They were careful in their approach and they were serious; Joel didn't care. He had to save her. Why couldn't they understand that?!

"Come on, Ellie…"

He saw the man draw back; before Joel's head was swimming with pain and blood.


	71. Can't Be For Nothing, II

** Dot [Ellie] **

Her eyes were heavy, like someone kept pushing them back closed every time she tried to open them. Eventually, she managed to succeed, letting out a soft groan. The afternoon light pierced her vision, a blurry mess of shapes surrounding her that eventually began to resemble the interior of a car. She was laying in the back, legs bent as her bare toes touched the door opposite her.

She couldn't remember how she got here. Her last memory was… the feeling of drowning, being pulled by a current far too strong to swim against, even if she _could_. In the confusion clouding her head, she could've made the mistake of thinking this was the afterlife, but the thought had disappeared just as quickly when she turned her head to look towards Joel in the driver's seat, who looked back at her through the rear-view mirror.

Her eyes fell back to herself, groaning again as she looked down at the light blue gown covering her. "What the hell am I wearing?"

** Kentucky [Joel] **

There were only flashes of the past.

Gunshots.

"_...raped and murdered first._"

"_Please..."_

His eyes were on the road now. A good focus. Just the road. Trees were everywhere now. At least he didn't have to worry about them going away anytime soon. The roads were filled with verdantry of all kinds; well, not exactly, but copious amounts of vines, weeds, grasses, and varying other plants had begun to subsist from beneath the blacktop roads. Concrete splintered throughout, the truck he drove bumped along the way.

"_What the hell am I wearing?_"

His sigh stopped. Introspection could wait a moment; he needed to address something first. "Just take it easy. Drugs are still wearing off."

** Dot [Ellie] **

So, was it over, then? Questions burned in her mind like a wildfire, tumbling over each other to reach her lips, though only one would eventually make it. She wanted to believe in every single one of them. That they'd gotten the cure from her, and the Fireflies would begin making it for everyone else.

The look on Joel's face, though, told a different story.

She rubbed her eyes gingerly as she let her head rest against the seat once more, looking towards Joel again. "What happened?"

** Kentucky [Joel] **

Joel looked into the rearview mirror, a million sentences running through his mind but only one coming out.

"We found the Fireflies."

_ "You can't save her." Joel stopped in his tracks. Staring right down the barrel of a pistol, Marlene on the other end. He shook about, cradling Ellie in his arms still. "Even if you get her out of here, then what? How long before she's torn to pieces by a pack of clickers?" The standoff commenced. Marlene began to move and so did Joel, circling each other in an attempt to not let the other get away. "That is if she hasn't been raped or murdered first." She moved towards him; he grew defensive, shielding Ellie away from Marlene. _

_ But Marlene didn't want to hurt her. Marlene had to hurt her. That was the simple truth about it all and Joel knew it. That's why he did what he did. "That ain't for you to decide." He growled, hiding his left hand as it reached down into his pocket. _

_ "It's what she'd want." _

_ Joel faltered. His eyes moved to the ground, his face contorted into one of only regret. Facing down death in this, in Ellie, in Marlene's pistol. "You know that." Marlene continued to plead, Joel only continuing to think and think and think. "Look... you can still do the right thing here." The woman surrendered herself for Ellie. She put the gun in the air, her hands away from their previous stance of threats. Marlene was reasoning. "She won't feel anything." _

_ And Joel shot her in the side for it. _

"Turns out there's a whole lot more like you Ellie."

_ Thinking. Thinking and thinking. That's all there was to it. Joel had already made up his mind; the deed was already done. His pistol fired, ripping into her stomach and dropping her to the ground. The wound was bright red and soaked but Marlene would live. _

_ What had he done? _

"People that are immune. It's dozens actually."

_ The surgeons had gotten in his way. He pointed his revolver at the first one. That one had swung the scalpel at him and he fired. Gone in seconds. The other two were too scared to fight back; he took Ellie then. He killed most of the Fireflies and the ones he didn't chased him through the halls. _

"Ain't done'em a damn bit of good neither."

_ Marlene crawled along the ground, screaming and crying. She clutched at the hole in her gut fruitlessly as Joel kicked the gun away from her. Her defenses gone. _

"They've actually sto-" He stopped himself for a moment. Questioned it. Should he even bother? Whatever hope she had in her would be gone when he said this, but...

"They've stopped looking for a cure."

_ Joel hurried to the truck, putting Ellie in the backseat. She was so frail, so fragile, nearly dead. He didn't know how he could save her, he just needed her to keep going for a little while longer. She would wake up, she HAD to wake up, she just had to. "Wait..." _

"I'm taking us home."

_ Joel slammed the door shut, almost leaving, but... always a but. There was something he needed to see through first. He turned around with the revolver in hand, approaching the dying woman as she tried to save herself. The elevator was mere feet away, yet she was hundreds of yards out. "Wait!" She threw a hand out, begging. Begging for life. _

_ "Let me go." She pleaded. More diplomacy, more reasoning, more surrender. "Please." Her breaths were shaky. Expected, at least. _

_ Joel gave her a final look. He never did get his guns, but that wasn't important in this moment. There wasn't much that was other than that girl lying unconscious in the truck. _

_ "You'd just come after her." He spoke plainly before he blew her brains into the asphalt. _

"I'm sorry."

He was sorry. He could never be as sorry as he was in this moment. Everything that had happened... Ellie's words echoed in his head. _It can't all be for nothing._

His own words echoed back. _It isn't going to be._

** Dot [Ellie] **

All hope for a changed world died in an instant, a feeling of dread far too overwhelming to control seizing her. All this time spent wondering if they'd ever make it to the Fireflies alive, only to find out that it didn't even matter in the end. Her life was just as meaningless as she feared it to be, and so much more that she'd allowed to happen to carry on with the journey…

She'd broken her promise to Clementine for **_nothing_**.

She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she shifted onto her back, occasionally catching a glimpse of the roof as her eyes opened and closed on their own accord. Her heart pulsated with a sickening beat, and her stomach turned with enough force to nauseate her.

The thought of going home, or more accurately, to Jackson, had lost all of its luster now. The thought of going _anywhere_, really. How could she just… move on, from this? So many people she cared about had either died or left them for this journey. Living with herself, with those decisions that led her here… she wasn't prepared for that.

She'd never be prepared for that.

As Joel's final apology washed over her, she rolled over, facing the leather seat behind her. For a while, she laid there, wishing that she could just go back to sleep. Forget that this all ever happened.

Sleep never came, and neither did any peace.

* * *

_ 9:42 AM - The next day _

** Dot [Ellie] **

Her finger traced along the bite with slow movements, almost mesmerized by it. Faint metallic clanks would briefly pull her out of her reverie as Joel fiddled around with the innards of the van beneath the hood, as if he'd figure something out to get the vehicle moving again. Ellie sat in the driver's seat, her feet dangling out of the car.

They'd gotten lucky on the way here, managing to scrounge up some supplies to get them through the night, and clothes for her to wear. Being out of that gown had her feeling more comfortable in her skin, if only by a little.

As Joel slammed the hood down, Ellie looked up from her arm, following his movements before looking into the distance, and at the strange sign hanging haphazardly next to the road.

** JACKSON COUNTY CARNIVAL **

_ 'Come for the rides, stay for our world famous deep-fried cook-off!' _

Beyond the sign and a wooden fence lied the place in question, dilapidated in nature, and brightly colored to contrast it. Her inner curiosity burned to explore, yet she had no inclination to move from her spot.

At this point, she'd rather wait for Joel to tell her what to do. He was going to, anyway, wasn't he?

** Kentucky [Joel] **

The truck was done for. It was lucky, he supposed. Just a ways from the dam now if he was right. They were sure to make it now.

Joel closed the hood, biting at the insides of his cheeks with nervous fervor. "Well, truck isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Looks like we're walking." He walked around the side of the truck, rubbing at his wrists while facing Ellie. The man waited for her to get out of the seat before they headed towards that old fence.

He blew air through his nostrils. The breeze hadn't felt this good in a long time. Freed from smog, freed from any sort of ash or decay or disgust here. Sure, the metal and the wood of the carnival had fallen in, sifting into muck right before their very eyes, but it was nice. This kind of stuff hadn't happened in a long time.

It was walled off by the wooden barrier, one that Joel approached now. The gate itself was chain link, locked in by a rusted old padlock. It was well enough then that the chain had gotten looser as the carnival rotted away. He pulled on the gate, revealing a slot just wide enough for them to fit through. "Alright, watch your bag going through. It might get caught." He directed Ellie towards him, grunting with the weight of the fence.

** Dot [Ellie] **

Ellie followed Joel silently towards the fence surrounding the carnival, her eyes occasionally bouncing between their destination and her new boots, while her hands were clenched around the straps of her backpack. As Joel pulled open the gate, barely, Ellie was the first one to go through, acknowledging Joel's warning with a slight nod.

Of course, life decided to fuck with her anyway, and her backpack snagged on a nail sticking out of the gate. Cursing under her breath, she managed to slip the straps off of her, grabbing the bag bitterly and pulling it off of the nail. It left a tiny hole behind, causing her to grumble before slipping the backpack back on.

The grounds of the carnival was littered with bodies, mostly rotted away to nothing but skeletal remains which had already begun the process of deteriorating into dust. The way they were spread out suggested a firefight had occurred, leaving behind weapons that appeared too gunked up to ever be useful again. Some still had ammo, though, and she gathered what little was left, just in case.

The next thing to catch her eye was a carousel near the center of the premises, and she forced herself to look away.

_ "Come on, get up here! Sit next to me!" _

_ "Alright, wait up!" _

_The older girl hopped over the fence surrounding the carousel, practically sprinting to catch up to where Ellie_ _'s horse had just rode by her. Ellie's face hurt from smiling, watching as Riley hopped onto the horse next to her._

_ That was, until the ride began to slow down, eventually halting with a harsh clank. _

_ "No, no no no no…!" Riley shouted, shaking her head as she let out a frustrated sigh. "I just got oooooon!" She grabbed onto the pole going through her horse, trying to shake it. "LIIIVE!" When that didn't work, she looked down, defeated. "Phooey." _

_ Ellie smiled towards her, despite all of this, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, I loved it, so... there." _

She took in a deep breath, pushing the memory away, and looked towards where Joel searched through a tented shop nearby. At least, she thought it was a shop. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the interior of the tent had a large table set up at the far end, with platforms strewn across it, each with a flat cardboard cutout of a cowboy on them, brandishing revolvers in their direction.

Ellie took the sight in with a raised eyebrow, looking towards the plastic weapon Joel had picked up, looking it over.

Curiosity eventually got the better of her.

"What's this? Some sorta… game? You shoot the cowboys or something?"

Seemed pretty self-explanatory, really.

** Kentucky [Joel] **

The man stared ahead at the game after entering the carnival, observing the cardboard figures staring right back at him. Some of them were almost falling apart, a few having body parts missing from their caricatured selves. He picked up the plastic gun. It was green but fading and it felt like he could crush it in his hands if he tried hard enough.

Joel looked at the cowboys lined up on varying rows. As he looked around, he found a few switches behind the counter that were likely supposed to work, had there been power. He flicked them a couple of times just in case but the cowboys refused to budge. Better that way, he supposed. The station probably would have drew anything in the vicinity straight their way.

Still, his hopes were a little down.

"Yeah, you shoot the cowboys and you win a prize." His eyes attended to the remains of stuffed animals stuck to hooks, flanking either side of him and Ellie. "Well, you _would_ win a prize." Joel walked around the counter again, searching in the cabinets in the back before finding exactly what he wanted: a metal basket of ping pong balls. He pulled out the basket, dropping it on the counter and loading the gun up. _Three balls._ Aiming the gun up, Joel drew down the sights and fired.

The ping pong ball bonked off one of the full cowboy's hats, clacking on the ground while the cowboy stayed perfectly up.

"Hmm..." He scooped it up in a hand, putting it back into the gun before pushing on the cowboy he'd shot. It fell over with little grace, bending under his light touch. "There we go. Needs power..."

He turned back to Ellie, dropping the gun on the counter. "How about this, you shoot, I'll push 'em over if you hit one." His eyes drew towards the torn stuffed animals. Hands searching through, he finally stumbled upon a mostly intact stuffed dog. An ear was falling off, one of the glass eyes bulging from the stitches, and Joel had no doubt that any stress would tear it apart, but it worked. "If you shoot three of them, you win this dog. How's that sound?" He turned back to her, aiming at the gun with pointed fingers.

** Dot [Ellie] **

Ellie watched with an amused expression as Joel knocked over the cowboy cutout, placing her hands against the railing separating her from the interior of the tent and leaning over it. When Joel proposed the game, Ellie's ears perked up slightly, straightening her posture in the process.

"Okay… cool." She reached out to take the plastic gun from Joel, weighing it in her hand before aiming it down range. For a moment, she could almost imagine being here before the apocalypse. Children screaming in delight while some upbeat music would play in the background, omnipresent inside the fairgrounds. Kids would be shooting those little plastic balls at the cowboys, and they'd go _DING_ when hit, falling over.

She wished that she could be there. Instead, her ears were met with desolation, mirrored in how dilapidated this entire place had become.

She took in a small breath, pulling down the trigger. The plastic ball flew through the air, colliding with a cowboy's stomach. Joel promptly knocked it over while Ellie prepared herself for her next shot. It missed, and she cursed silently. Her final ball managed to chip off a piece of a cowboy's head, and Joel knocked him the rest of the way down.

Ellie let out a disappointed sigh, lowering the gun. "Can I get one more shot?" She asked quietly, like a kid asking for a piece of candy before dinner.

** Kentucky [Joel] **

He watched the shots fly, bouncing off of each cutout and Joel finishing the job by knocking them down with a balled fist. The middle one missed; just a bit too far. Joel picked up the ball in two fingers after the girl was out of ammo. "One more shot?" He asked, pretending to think about it for a moment. "You know what, sure. I'll give you one more chance."

He put the ball on the counter and let her reload.

** Dot [Ellie] **

Ellie's face brightened as Joel handed over one of the balls, and she quickly inserted it into the plastic gun once more. _Okay… don't miss. Steady…_ She aimed for the next cardboard cowboy, taking in a deep breath. The trigger was pulled back with a satisfying click, sending the tiny ball shooting through the air, colliding with the cowboy she'd targeted. Joel finished the job while Ellie raised her fists into the air, letting out a quiet, victorious "Yes!"

And as quickly the elation had come, it dissipated.

She set the gun down on the counter, leaning over it. A small smile remained on her face, though her eyes had fallen to the counter beneath her. Was this how these things were like before? Winning games and riding _really unstable-looking_ rides?

Maybe she would've gotten to see that again, if… if the cure happened.

Sighing, she pushed herself away from the counter. "You know, I've… never won anything before." She let her lips stretch into a smile once more, albeit a weak one. "It's pretty cool."

** Kentucky [Joel] **

He watched her push off with glee, raising her fists into the air. The man handed the dog over, holding it by the scruff of its neck. Joel smiled, standing tall. He couldn't say he was proud, exactly. More so just... satisfied. If this was how things were going to be from now on, he supposed he didn't mind too much. He didn't mind at all; nostalgia had been replaced by a new sense of comfort and... guilt.

The guilt would be smoothed over eventually. It always had been.

"You've never won anything before?" He looked back at the cardboard cutouts, nodding. "With that aim I can see why, but... you did pretty good for your first time." To think that she had never won anything before; a prize, that is. They didn't play games at the boarding schools, of course, and not with the Fireflies. They didn't have _time._ They hardly had time for games now. To think that her only sense of entertainment for her entire life had been her past friends, exploring, or just reading comic books was strange to him. It was easy for him to comprehend, but difficult at the same time.

"Come on, let's get going. I'm sure the others'll be begging to see us." A brief fear hit him; what if Tommy had died? What if Lee and Clementine had never made it? What if Jackson had been hazed since they'd be gone? He'd have to ignore them for now, while he was talking to her.

** Dot [Ellie] **

She answered Joel's light-hearted jab with a roll of the eyes, following him towards the far side of the fairgrounds when he decided that it was time to go. She carefully stuffed the dog into her backpack, slinging it back over her shoulders. They passed the bodies again, though she refused to look at them this time.

It was time to _move on_.

** Kentucky [Joel] **

Joel approached the barbed wire fence, stretching his arms, and taking in the sight of the new landscape, the husk of a carnival becoming nothing but a new memory now. _Maybe they have carnivals in Jackson. If there still is a Jackson._ Of course there was still a Jackson. It hadn't been that long... but he knew Tommy would be angry. He'd come around eventually, of course; they were brothers, after all.

"Should be a straight shot through here." Jackson was still there. This was the chance at a _new_ life. A second chance. How many people could say they got a second chance? "Actually kinda pretty, ain't it?" He said, walking up to the barbed wire and gripping it firmly. They weren't going to get caught today; he used a foot to stand on part of it and pulled up, giving just enough room for Ellie to squeeze through.

** Dot [Ellie] **

Beyond the fence, a trail led through the forest and towards another clearing ahead, which opened up to reveal a cliff face overlooking where she imagined Jackson'll be.

Ellie answered his question with a weak "Yeah," her eyes trailing towards the forest surrounding them.

She stuffed her hands into her pockets, only half listening to the things Joel had been saying for the past few minutes. Instead, her mind had wandered back to Salt Lake City, where it remained for most of the journey here. Escaping it seemed impossible, like a cycle that'll never be broken, and through it all, one question burned brighter than the rest.

She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold it back.

A sense of unease settled in the pit of her stomach, gnawing away at her. She wasn't ready to be back. Wasn't ready to accept the fact that the cure would become nothing but a memory, a failure like no other she'd dealt with before. She wasn't ready to tell Clementine about it, or Lee, or anyone else.

And so, she slipped into a pensive silence, one that even the best of questions from Joel would be doubtful to break.

** Kentucky [Joel] **

He went through the fence right behind her, stretching out his back and taking the lead once more. "Oh, feeling my age now." Joel groaned, boots pushing through grass and brush alike. As they walked, something tugged at him. Something felt lost; he didn't think Ellie was doing good. She wasn't saying anything, wasn't paying attention... it was the cure, wasn't it? It... it must've hurt her. She had to know something was up, didn't she? He had to push the thoughts away.

"Don't think I ever told you this, but Sarah and I used to take hikes like this."

He scaled two logs, taking a glance back at the girl. She was so much like her; so much like her, and just seeing the way she worked with Clementine...

"I think, uh... I think the two of you would've been, would've been good friends. I think you really would've liked her. I know she would've liked you." He started climbing up the rock wall, eager to see Jackson County again.

** Dot [Ellie] **

Ellie had stopped listening, her mind wandering to an assortment of things she wished that she could _stop_ thinking about.

About Riley and how heartbroken she was after her death; how she vowed to see this cure thing through to the end to make killing her best friend mean something.

About Tess and leaving her to die after she'd gotten bit protecting her; how much she wished that it didn't happen, for Joel's sake.

About Simmons and the things he did to each and every one of them, and how his face looked caved in with a machete _before_ being reduced to blood and brain matter and broken skin.

About Clementine and how much Ellie wasn't prepared to tell her how she really felt; how much she appreciated her companionship and trust over the few short months they'd traveled together.

And finally, about Joel, and how little she knew of what really happened in Salt Lake City; how much she'd begun to question his story after only a day had gone by.

She answered his comment about Sarah weakly, hugging herself as a gust of wind chilled her. "Yeah… I bet I would've."

They continued on in silence, climbing up a rock face and into a small alcove with a creek running through it, eventually dropping off the side of the cliff and into a small waterfall. Beyond, the town of Jackson loomed, bigger than ever before.

And somewhere in all that mess lied the last two people left alive she cared about.

** Kentucky [Joel] **

"Wow. Look down there." It was still there. Of course it was still there; he never should have doubted its absence. He smiled, taking in the view and soaking in the breeze. He moved towards a small stream as they advanced towards Jackson, feeling water swim through his boots and down in a cascading waterfall of shimmering light. "Just a little bit further now." He called back to her, hoping she was still listening. She had to still be listening, why wouldn't she be?

There was a log placed on the ground, conveniently just at the bottom of a rocky tower; just enough for them to both climb up. He stood on it and propelled himself upwards, clambering onto the top. Ellie did the same, following right behind him. When he saw that she had made it up, he made a hand motion towards himself and started moving forward. "Alright, come on."

** Dot [Ellie] **

As Joel ushered her forth, Ellie found herself grounded in her spot near the ledge they'd just climbed up, rubbing her fingers together nervously. As he began to turn around, she called out to him softly. "Hey, wait…"

He turned back towards her, a questioning gaze meeting her own saddened one. She turned away, letting out a frustrated sigh. She paced, eventually ending up back in front of Joel again, her chest puffing up as she mustered the courage to say what she needed to say next.

"Back in Boston… back when I was bitten… I wasn't alone." Every word felt heavy, difficult to push out of her mouth, though she carried on nonetheless. "My best friend was there, and she got bit too."

_ "Ellie… Ellie, your arm…" _

_ She dropped the knife out of her hand the instant her eyes found the bloody bite, wiping away at it as if doing so would cause it to disappear. The blood kept coming, coating her hands in thick clumps. _

_ "No… no, no no no no…!" _

_ Ellie's frantic eyes went to Riley, who slowly raised her hand to reveal the bite between her thumb and index finger. _

_ Her heart dropped. _

"We didn't know what to do, so…" Ellie took in a deep breath, eyes falling to the wet grass beneath them. "She says… 'Let's just wait it out. Y'know, we could be all poetic and lose our minds together.'" An anger she couldn't control contorted her face, and she shook her head violently. "I'm still waiting for my turn."

Joel said her name, but she ignored him, continuing on. "Her name was Riley, and she was the first to die." The grass met her once more, her entire body deflating with it. "And then it was Tess…" _And you, almost…_

** Kentucky [Joel] **

He listened to her. _"Hey, wait."_ She had something to say. Why wouldn't he listen? Joel crossed his arms and watched as she poured her heart out; he knew where this was going. _It can't all be for nothing._ He pursed his lips, twinges of guilt rippling over his body in swathes. It _wasn't_ all for nothing. All of the dying, all of the suffering, all of the torture...

"None of that is on you." He tried to plead but he knew it was no use. If only she could _understand_ but she never would.

_ It can't all be for nothing. _

** Dot [Ellie] **

She shook her head then, closing her eyes frustratedly. "No, you don't understand."

** Kentucky [Joel] **

Joel frowned, trying his best to give the best advice he could. He stopped her before she could continue; maybe she'd listen to reason if it was something he had gone through. Something _he_ could teach her about. "I struggled for a long time with surviving." Tess, Sarah, all of the others that had gone so long ago... it had been so long ago, hadn't it? Different times, different worlds, different places, different universes. It was all gone now. _It can't all be for nothing._

"And you..." He trailed off, grabbing his watch and holding a breath. Joel almost whimpered, but stopped himself. He let go of the watch, sighing. "No matter what..." He thought about it for a moment, then started again. "You keep finding something to fight for." She scoffed and looked away and he tried to mend it. "Now I know that's not what you want to hear right now, but it's-"

** Dot [Ellie] **

She sighed as she turned away, fists clenching and unclenching in quick succession. They both knew where she was going with this, yet Joel tried everything in his power to not bring it up. To sweep it under the rug as just something they'd fought for that ended up going nowhere. That it was a fact of life.

Well, fuck that.

She turned back to him, her voice strained and terse. "Swear to me." Her eyes searched his, knowing exactly what she'd find there. "Swear to me that _everything_ you said about the Fireflies is true."

_ Please don't lie to me again. _

** Kentucky [Joel] **

He straightened himself, looking right into her eyes. He didn't show any dissent, but his face tightened and grew bitter. There was no getting out of this one.

"I swear."

** Dot [Ellie] **

There it was: the answer she'd been waiting to hear, but not the one she'd hoped for. She visibly shrunk into herself, eyes continuing to search Joel's until she knew for a fact that he wasn't going to change his answer. That this path he'd put them on is the only one left for her, and any hope for a cure had truly been extinguished long ago.

And so, as the wind whistled through the air in a faint tune, Ellie finally nodded, giving Joel exactly what he wanted to hear, too. The only thing left she could say without fraying her vocal cords out of anger.

"_Okay._"


	72. Home, I

_10:18 AM - Approaching the gates of Jackson_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The rest of the trek had been spent in silence. Ellie's feet moved on their own accord, driven by some instinct to keep close to Joel and get her somewhere she could just lie down again. The very thought of a bed was enticing, to say the least.

Joel was ahead of her, his head turning as if searching the walls spanning the horizon for any sign of guards. From this angle, Ellie couldn't see any.

As they neared the gate, though, a figure appeared next to the gate, holding onto an assault rifle before aiming it in their direction. It lasted for only a second though, as both Ellie and the woman on the other side recognized the other. Andrea.

"Holy shit, you're alive!" came Andrea's call, which had Ellie's lungs deflating as she let out the breath she'd been holding. The blonde turned towards someone below. "Lydia, get the gate open."

Just hearing that name caused an overwhelming sense of anxiety to plague Ellie, stepping closer to Joel as if doing so would prevent her from having to interact with the dreaded teen.

Literally anyone else would've been better, but fate had decided to fuck her over that morning.

_Here goes nothing, I guess…_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

It was a silent walk. She didn't know, did she? How could she know, why would she have any doubt? He knew he had made the right decision and that was that. If Ellie didn't think so, he didn't know what to say; if she even realized his story was untrue.

Joel jogged along the path, the breeze picking up again and brushing his hair back. _I need a haircut._ It was the least of his worries, he supposed. If they were staying at Tommy's, there was undoubtedly going to be a long run of moving in, getting jobs, organizing Ellie into whatever education they had, and... meeting back up with Lee and Clementine, of course. It was going to be good, he thought. It was going to all be fine.

He scanned the walls for any sign of life; his guns were put away but he was ready for anything should the previous residents be... missing. But he doubted that. As he did so, his eyes made contact with a woman holding an assault rifle that he recognized quickly; Andrea, the girl who Tommy had been hanging around. She did the same, calling for the gate's opening to someone else. _Who?_ He thought the name sounded familiar but no faces claimed it. "It's good to be back!" He waved back at her, before turning back to Ellie. "You ready, kiddo?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

_"Holy shit, you're alive!"_

Lydia's head perked up towards Andrea with a confused glare, who was literally jumping out of her socks at someone over the other end of the gate.

_Who's alive?!_ She felt like yelling back at her. No one had really gone missing behind the walls since the 'incident', and they weren't really expecting anyone for another hour or so… which meant Lydia really had no freaking clue what she was talking about. It couldn't really be anyone noteworthy.

Unless...

A wave of apprehension washed over the girl, before succumbing to the order she was given. Without another word, she stepped towards the gate, slinging the rifle over her shoulder. Lydia fiddled with the latch, a little more jittery than usual.

_There's no way…_ She encouraged herself.

Lydia slowly began to roll the gate open, rapidly analyzing everything as she did so. Trees were the first thing she noticed, followed by grass… followed by two peo-

_Yep._ There was that red hair...

_That's her._

_She's back._

_...Fuck._

Her face dropped, and it was terribly noticeable. That was that. Nothing Lydia could do about it. Gosh, she bet Clementine was gonna be so fucking happy. Probably couldn't wait for her friend to come back and rejoin the dynamic duo, then they could continue the torment.

The blonde pushed the gate fully open and paused, meeting their gazes, before stepping aside to make way for _them._ Her demeanor was stale, eyes focusing on a distant tree as they began to walk past her.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The gate screeched open, leaving Ellie looking at the ground as she followed Joel inside. Anything to not look in Lydia's direction. When the gates closed behind them, she lifted her gaze towards Joel and Andrea, the latter coming up to them with a reassuring smile.

"How'd it go out there?" Andrea asked with genuine curiosity under her tone. She seemed to want to say something more, but stopped there. Likely because Lydia was there. _Guess they didn't tell anyone about the cure thing…_

She waited for Joel to answer, eyes falling to the road beneath her to kick a pebble idly.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel shrugged, opening his mouth to say something but dropping it at the last moment. He looked at Ellie for a moment, then back to Andrea and nodding. "We can talk about it later. Just got back and all." He smiled weakly, waiting for Andrea to lead them into the gates. "Tommy around? We can talk about it with him."

**Dot [Ellie]**

"He's out on a patrol with Carl and a few others," Andrea replied evenly, placing a hand on her hip as Ellie turned back towards them once more. "Should be back in a couple hours."

While the conversation focused on discussing the failure of getting the cure, Ellie's mind was focused elsewhere, on the only thing that still mattered. She took a step closer to the two adults, lifting her eyes.

"Did Clem and Lee make it back…?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The teen's back was turned from the trio as she began to roll the gate shut. Yeah, of course that _had_ to be the first thing that came out of Ellie's mouth. Lydia rolled her eyes as she turned around to face the other girl, deciding she had enough of being ignored.

"They did." The blonde was _more_ than happy to update her, deciding to butt in before Andrea could get a word. With a half-smile on her face, she continued to speak, a nice warm 'friendly' tone on her lips as she locked eyes with Ellie.

"Clementine has been so _miserable_ without you at school, Ellie. I'm sure she's gonna be happy now."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Lydia was the one who answered, only reminding her of the fact that she was there. Her words prickled at Ellie's skin, as they always seemed to do, though she refused to allow her to get _underneath_. Not this time.

Right now, she was more relieved to hear that they'd made it back safe. Hearing that they didn't after today would've… broke her.

With only a passing glance towards Lydia, Ellie pulled on Joel's coat, almost childlike in her demeanor. "Can we go see them?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel listened to Lydia; he could tell her heart hadn't changed. Fair enough; kids'll be kids. The way that girl said things, it just couldn't be healthy. He had heard about her a little from Tommy during some of the times she talked. She had a similar disposition towards things that Joel had, had in the past at least. He ignored her ultimately, looking down to Ellie as she grasped his shirt. "Yeah, let's get reacquainted."

* * *

**Dot [Ellie]**

Nervous would've been an understatement for how Ellie felt in that moment. Andrea filled them in on where Clem and Lee were staying - which happened to be the same place they stayed in before - while Joel escorted her through the bustling streets of Jackson, as calm as he usually tended to be. She envied that right now.

Seeing them again after this long… would Clementine _really_ want her back as a friend? After they broke their promises to each other? After what Ellie did that night in the cabin?

_"You better come back…"_

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe her anxious mind was concocting scenarios that she _knew_ would never be true. After all, this was _Clementine_. Her best freaking friend, even if they were only together for around six months. And spent just as much time apart…

_"When we get back to Jackson, you should just talk to her. You can't let things build."_

Joel's words from the day before floated through her brain, reminding her of the most anxiety-inducing part of this reunion. She wasn't ready for it, though she wasn't sure if she'd _ever_ be ready for it. If she'd fucked up their friendship before, with a simple kiss on the cheek… this would be like jumping off a cliff. A leap of faith.

Sooner or later, she knew, she'd have to take that plunge.

It wasn't long before their old house came into view, nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac not too far away from downtown Jackson. As Ellie slowed, Joel slowed with her, looking towards her almost as if he was trying to encourage her to keep moving.

_"No matter what… you keep finding something to fight for."_

It was enough to have her moving again, keeping close to Joel as they strolled up the pathway leading to the porch. When Joel knocked on the door, Ellie stood frozen in place, anticipation seizing her.

This was it. She was going to take the plunge, ready or not.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

His chest tightened. Heart pounding, he gave the door three knocks. _What would they even think? What would they say?_ There was a much more forceful question knocking on the front of his temple. _What will you say?_ He didn't know. Joel didn't know much of anything anymore. He waited on the porch and looked to Ellie; she'd be fine, he thought. Back with her friend now and all of this Firefly business would blow over... just another distant memory. _So many distant memories._

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The sound of three consecutive knocks came through the front passageway and into the kitchen. Lee, with a rag still in hand, was wiping down the benchtop, cleaning up a few things he'd skipped over last night. The man shot a gaze over his shoulder in the direction of the noise. Visits weren't uncommon, but usually not in the morning on a day like this. _Isn't it a bit early? Eh, maybe not._ He pondered, setting the rag aside before dusting off his hand on the side of his pants. Lee casually strolled towards the front door, thinking that whoever it must've been, needed something important.

He twisted the knob, before the door opened up.

What he saw, he couldn't ever be prepared for. The nonchalant expression on his face turned to pure shock, his mouth quite literally dropping.

A man. Slightly greying hair and a bulky build to him, a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

A girl. Clementine's age, a bit taller maybe, long red hair in a ponytail.

There they were, staring back at him. Alive and well. It was like he was seeing them for the first time again, new faces that weren't new at all. It was getting to almost half a damn year… wasn't it?

_Too long._

"You made it, you-" He spoke softly, as if he was talking to himself, a hand rose to the side of his forehead, running his fingers through his hair as he took a step back. The last time they'd seen each other, it hadn't been on the best terms. But- the sight had left him with a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

**_They_** **_'re here! They're alive!_**

"Oh..." He gasped out the word as if it was in relief; though his voice seemed to be caught in his throat, the initial shock on his face quickly morphed into a massive smile as it finally registered with his brain. "Oh my God!" Lee joyously boomed; body now frozen in place, his voice probably carrying through the whole house.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The door opened. There he was; of course he was gonna be there. The man himself, Lee, standing before him. He was shocked at first and Joel almost returned the look of awe. It was... strange, seeing him again. A friend. _His_ friend. "Been a while?" Joel grinned and extended a hand out for a handshake and shook. It was always good to see his friend again.

**Art [Clementine]**

Suffering from the most serious case of bed-hair, Clementine descended the steps like a _walker_ too lazy to lift a _foot._ Living in Jackson had its share of _super crap,_ but never when the sun first rose above her head. You know, things like... sleeping, for one, with both eyes closed. Waking up to coffee and sugar, not smelling like the plague dressed as a girl. It was no surprise that Clem found something like comfort in sleeping in pajamas again. Especially ones that gave off the smell of strawberries every few days, washed periodically by the man who took care of her. A cotton shirt and shorts beat a pair of boots and a dirty jacket any day of the freaking week.

That morning in particular was more hectic than ever. Toothbrush still lodged in her mouth, Clementine hugged the stair post to keep her back straight, eyes wanting badly to stay shut for five more minutes. But Lee shouted, and if hearing didn't totally fail her, actually sounded happy doing it. She hoped it was cake. There's only one thing she'd want in her doorstep _at this hour_ more than free sweets.

Lucky.

Clem spit out the toothbrush in a _less_ lucky reflex, stumbling toward the front door and sneaking a real glance from Lee's side. A sloppy smile it was. But then, what other kind even mattered? Clementine lept straight toward her best friend, crashing like a cannonball with two weak arms attached to it. No hug would ever get close to showing how fucking bad she missed her, and yet Clem tried her best to make sure it did.

For now, anyways - it felt like enough.

**Dot [Ellie]**

When the door opened to reveal Lee's face, she almost didn't recognize him. Like her memory of him clouded and altered itself over the course of the past six months on the road, but he still _somehow_ managed to look like **_Lee_**_._ The man that left them behind in Pittsburgh; comforted her when thinking about Riley had become too much; made an _actual_ pizza with her; lost an arm because of the choices she made; and left them behind once more to come back here. She remembered how angry she was before, not even bothering to look at him during their goodbyes, but now… now she was too tired to put up a fight. Too happy to see that he and Clementine had made it back alive to let that inkling of hurt fester in her heart.

She missed him, just as much as she missed her best friend.

She wanted to say something, maybe break the tension suddenly created by their presence at his door, but she wouldn't have the chance. Zooming past Lee with blazing speed came the girl she both so desperately wanted to see and dreaded at the same time, squeezing Ellie in a hug tight enough to knock the breath out of her.

A weak "H—Hey…" came tumbling out of her lips as she wrapped her own arms around Clementine, a hug so fierce that even Clementine's own strength might pale in comparison. She closed her eyes, content to just stay there in her arms forever if she could. A single eye opened, though, looking towards Joel next to her with the widest smile she'd had since the university. It actually kinda hurt, though she didn't care.

They were back together, all of them.

**Art [Clementine]**

She was alive. All the things Clementine would've wanted to say to that _idiot,_ every single thing, they melted into the tears running down her cheeks. Being there where she was, slowly crushed by Ellie's arms, weak at the knees... not just words — whole swarms of feelings crawled to surface through light sobs.

Time came to pull away. And seeing those two back, right in front of her; in spite of everything, it had Clem smiling through that weeping.

Hesitant at first, exchanging looks with the ground, Clementine lifted her arms and wrapped them around Joel, too. Before anyone could get another word out - ear pressed against his lower chest. It wasn't enough being relieved, even happy to see him. Clem owed Joel everything. More than she'd probably ever know, or even cared to. He was as much to blame for that fucking sobbing than anyone else in that doorstep. She hoped... maybe now he'd get some rest. A break from all this crap...

... but from the look on him, it felt like he'd found something better than that.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

It was pure, in these moments. Clementine rushed past Lee and hugged Ellie, Ellie looking up to him with a smile. He couldn't help but give a warm smile back, his eyes widening with glee. "Good to see you again." He spoke, but was cut off when Clementine hugged him too. He held his hands out, unsure of what to do for a moment, but closed in the hug. "Both of you." She was a good kid and he was a good man. Lee and Clementine had saved him and Ellie... he didn't know what else he could say past that.

Once the hug was over, Joel looked to the two of them. "You mind if we come in?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The tears streamed down Clementine's eyes and muddied her cheeks, muffled sobs reached his ears; only now did he realize the true extent of how much she missed them. How much _he_ did too. The one-handed man couldn't deny it, as much as they attempted to adjust; there were times the both of them felt like fish out of water, perhaps even a little ostracized. Compared to many others that had been inside walls for a long time, it could get hard to relate. He couldn't imagine how much harder that was for Clem, with her age and being in school.

Joel and Ellie were the rare exception, people they'd been through thick and thin with, friends from out on the road that knew them for who they truly were. _That_ was irreplaceable. It only took six months of being apart for him to… realize that.

"_Too long_ of a while." Lee responded, smiling when they shook hands. Even wider as Clementine rushed to hug him too. "We got a lot to catch up on, don't we?"

The man nodded and stepped aside, opening up the doorway for them. "Welcome home."

**Dot [Ellie]**

And so the moment ended as quickly as it had begun, and Joel escorted her inside when Lee ushered them in. The foyer of the house was just as she remembered it. Homey, that slight smell of whatever cleaning fluid Lee usually used to keep the kitchen countertops clean with, pictures and drawings of landscapes hung on the walls. She never thought she'd think of it as home, but… things change, she guessed.

While Joel and Lee talked, heading towards the living room, Ellie lingered in the foyer, her eyes taking in every detail she could, as if refreshing her memory of this place. Eventually, she found something sitting on a cabinet situated near the stairs, grabbing it. It was a photo, creased down the middle, presumably left behind and forgotten about atop the cabinet. Clementine's hat stuck out like a sore thumb, zeroing in Ellie's focus on the girl's face and the small smile she wore. Another girl stood next to Clementine, her arm disappearing beyond the camera's sight, presumably holding it. She had dark brown hair going down just past her shoulders, and brown eyes that seemed to smile on their own. Another girl stood just to the right of her, pulling some kind of face. Finally, there was a boy at the very end, wearing some _very_ dorky looking glasses.

So, she found some friends while she was gone. That was good, right? Everyone needed someone…

She set the photo back down, leaning against the wall separating her from the living room. She knew the topic that was going to be coming up soon, and she wasn't ready to deal with it yet.

That anger from earlier still burned in her stomach, a fire she couldn't quite extinguish. Maybe she'll get lucky and Joel'll just tell his story about what happened and she wouldn't have to say a word about it. Better than the alternative.

Better than letting herself fall into that cycle once more. She had them back… she couldn't let what happened keep her down. Not until she was alone again. It was her burden to carry, and bringing everyone down with her… especially Clementine… was shitty, even for her.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As they made their way towards the living room, Lee eventually parked himself on the sofa. It'd been a long time since the house felt this full. "Good to see you guys finally back and in good health." Now that they were back and safe, Lee couldn't help but wonder if the journey they'd _all_ set out on since Pittsburgh had been a success or not, even if he wasn't there for the conclusion of it.

"So did you do it, then?" He looked to Joel with a smile, hoping to hear that it all paid off in the end. Of course there was a bit of excitement there too, the thought that there was _actually_ a possibility of a cure on the horizon now. "Did you find them?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked up at Lee, his smile faltering for a moment as he was forced to glare at his feet. "Well, uh..." He clicked his tongue, looking off the side. He plopped down on the loveseat across from Lee, fiddling with his watch and swallowing.

He faltered under the pressure.

"Well, uh... we went there. There were... more immune people there already, ones Marlene never told us about. They said they didn't need Ellie anymore, because... because they couldn't find a cure in any of them. They stopped looking for it." He meant it. The last part, at least. He supposed that the remains of the Fireflies were spent trying to repair themselves after their leader was killed, not chasing after some girl and some old man. Even if that girl was immune and even if that old man was a murderer.

He felt bad about lying to Lee. He had gone back on his word and he tried his best to rationalize it, spewing off thoughts of remorse. _I only did it to save her, not me._ Joel decided, frowning. "She's... I'm sorry, about it. There isn't going to be a cure."

**Art [Clementine]**

From within the kitchen, one could hear the tap running without ever looking to stop. The kettle, already filled with water, collapsing on the sink, falling to a dreadful echo.

Clem had been quick to provide a welcome wagon, rushing toward the cook's room to brew Joel and Ellie a well-deserved cup of coffee. Her mind wandered far and wide as their return really began to sink in, causing the girl to fall prey to a rush of high spirits. Happiness renewed.

But, then. Then she heard the news.

What came next was indescribable. A sudden shock that warped into quiet sorrow. Turning around to face them, face _Ellie,_ it felt impossible. In the end, it had all amounted to nothing. Another unveiling that made her chest ache like nothing else could. Clementine wasn't sure how many more of those she could take.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Hearing it for the second time only made her feel worse. That sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, dragging her down with it. How bitter she felt inside, nearly clenching her fists, though managing to just wrap her arms around herself instead. She didn't look up from where she stood outside the living room. It was better than losing her shit.

Whether Joel _really_ lied to her or not, there was an emptiness left behind inside her. For months, damn near a year or more, that purpose she held close to her chest kept her going. Without it, she would've given up a _long_ time ago, and now she couldn't even do that. There was nothing else to do but _live,_ and deal with shit as it came.

Eventually, as Joel finished talking, she couldn't take it anymore, climbing up the stairs two at a time. Anything to give herself some space to take a breath and calm down.

By the time she reached upstairs, tears were already staining her cheeks, and she wiped them away with her sleeve quickly.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Bad news.

He supposed he should've seen it coming, with the way Ellie was so quick to run upstairs. There was always a risk it wasn't going to work. Lee had grown accustomed to setbacks like this by now. _Ellie..._ that poor kid was probably devastated, even back then it was her crutch, getting to the Fireflies. Strangely enough, Lee didn't find himself too strung up over the cure. At least he felt as though he should've been more disappointed than he actually was. Lee wanted to ask how Ellie was holding up after hearing the news, but it was kind of obvious, wasn't it? He silently nodded at Joel, giving himself a moment to take it all in.

"If it isn't meant to be it just isn't meant to be, I guess." Lee bluntly stated, he supposed that living like this for the longest time had made him numb, they'd already been going at this for around fifteen years or so… what was fifteen more? Regardless, a change of topic was needed right about now.

"Anyway, you guys are back in one piece, that's all the good news we need." It was Lee's attempt to get rid of the negativity that was lingering in the air. "Oh, has Tommy heard you're back yet?"

**Art [Clementine]**

A warm coffee mug in hands, steam still drifting from its depths, Clementine made her way to the living room with careful steps, setting it down on the armrest next to Joel.

For then, she'd swallowed all her words. Waiting for a solace that refused to show, hiding somewhere no one was gonna find. Eventually, she burst like fireworks. _"Wait...!"_

For as much as she tried not to, Clem looked saddened beyond what even her eyes could convey. Not a question could be any harder to ask. "Did you..."

"Do you think my parents... they might've...?"

At least if they were alive... far, _so far away,_ but **safe** and with the **Fireflies...**

_Just give me that._

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He was about to continue his speech with Lee when something stopped him. The clinking of glass touching the armrest next to him. "Thank you." He smiled at the girl and nodded, hitching a breath of air at the sudden influx of stress on him. Joel didn't want this. He didn't deserve this. Yet, he still drank from the mug of coffee and thanked Clementine, even though he had lied to all of them, told stories, killed all of the Fireflies... hell, if Clementine's parents weren't killed in their home, he might have done'em in at that hospital.

That wasn't it, though.

"Isn't meant to be, I guess." Joel told Lee, frowning while he slurped up a gulp of coffee. Manners had escaped him in the past while, but he supposed he'd get them back. _Eventually._ He wiped away any staining his mouth, then set the coffee mug back down as careful as he could. Didn't want to spill anyone's hard work, after all. _"Oh, has Tommy heard you're back yet?"_

Joel nodded. "Not yet. I was thinking about going to pay him a visit once he got finished with his run, should be sometime soon. Actually, I was just thinking about getting on with that..." He stood up, but before he could leave Clementine stopped him.

He looked at her and he considered her request. His gaze turned towards Lee, disappointment in his gaze. But what was he to say? Act as if he wasn't a liar? _You lied for her own good._ Maybe that was true. Didn't change the facts of the matter, however.

Joel almost told her then, but... he couldn't risk anything like that. Not in front of Lee, at least. He'd have to talk to her later, he'd have to tell her. She deserved to know. Hell, maybe even Ellie deserved to know about what he did... but that was different. That was much different. "They could've been there. I don't know though, it was mostly a bunch of soldier types." He scratched at the back of his head. He'd tell her in due time.

"Can you guys look after Ellie for me? I need to go see my brother again." Joel waited for an answer and then headed on out, looking for his good old baby brother; he did miss dearest Tommy.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's chest shrunk at his words, mournful air escaping her lips. The girl, she backed away at first, longing for distance, only to run into another wall. Clementine's amber eyes faced her bare feet digging at the carpet under them, trying so badly to find a silver lining.

It wasn't a 'no'... It wasn't.

But, then... what good would not knowing do?

She gave him a thankless nod, before returning to the stairs.

Joel was gone again, and now it was just Ellie. Her freaking _best friend,_ who she hadn't seen in _months,_ alone in their room. It hadn't been the first time Clementine stood frozen on the other side of that door, and it was nothing a mug of coffee was going to solve. Still, she carried it with both hands. Still, she waited for the right words to come to her.

But nothing did, and nothing was solved.

Clem bumped the door open with her shoulder, slowly facing what lay inside with eyes drowned by worry. Even then, locking eyes with Ellie, she didn't have to force the smile that snuck up on her. "Hey, Stupid..."

"You like coffee?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

For the first time in a _long_ time, she felt lost. Alone. Purpose ripped away from her, never to be given back again. Her knees had given out underneath her when she entered her old bedroom, collapsing against the side of the bed and hugging her legs close to her chest. Her vision was blurred, itchy, and she blinked repeatedly to try and get rid of the uncomfortable feeling, though it remained a while longer.

The last time she felt this way was that night at the mall in Boston. Right after the bite. When the only thing left to do was wait around to die, and watch as her best friend did the same. Hopeless, that was the word. It defined how she felt in those moments leading to her friend's death, and in the moments that followed waking up in the back of that van, on their way back to Jackson.

What hope was left when the world was doomed to remain this way forever? Always looking over your shoulder for an infected or a walker. Waiting to be torn apart by a bloater. Or shot down by hunters.

She wanted things to change. To have a chance at having a _real_ life, with Joel, with Clementine, with Lee. Not… whatever this will end up being. Eventually, the world would find a way to kill them, too. One by one. And if she went first, then it was someone else that'd suffer in her stead, and she didn't want that either.

All she wanted right now was to know _the truth_. Were the Fireflies dead when Joel got there? Did they ever get there at all? Was there really other people like her? Joel's story about what happened reeked of held back information. Maybe it was true, maybe it wasn't. But, at the very least, it wasn't the whole story.

And as much as she adored Joel, she hated him for it.

Her head lifted off of her knees as Clementine's voice reached her ears, standing in the doorway with a steaming cup in her hands. The familiarity of the situation didn't escape her, just how much it mirrored the last time they were together like this. This time, at least, Ellie's mind was clear.

She couldn't bring herself to smile, though, as much as she wanted to. Instead, she reached out calmly to take the cup of coffee Clementine offered her, taking a sip. The sour taste of black coffee greeted her, yet she gulped it down in stride.

"Thank you," she spoke quietly, eyes trailing towards where Clementine stood in front of her. Seeing her now, she seemed… different. Her nose had a darker blue hue to it than normal, like a bruise, and concern etched its way across Ellie's face when she noticed it. Still, she decided not to bring it up. Clementine wasn't looking to talk to mopey, bitter Ellie. She wanted to talk to her best friend. The one that tried her fucking best to be just that for her.

"It's good to see you again," Ellie continued, voice raspy from the tears she'd shed not too long ago. "I thought about you a lot while we were gone," she admitted quietly, looking towards the floor. "What I'd do when I got back. Things I'd say. I still have no idea."

"It sucked. Not having you around. I missed you like crazy." Clementine's words from that day they went their separate ways came flooding back to her then, similar words that were uttered in their final moments. Maybe that's why she chose to say it like that. Because, like it or not, it's probably how they both really felt.

**Art [Clementine]**

A loud sigh out her schnoz, and Clem felt right back at the beginning. Struggling to voice the tornado of emotions sweeping what was left of her muddled little mind. "We could... start slow," she told Ellie, quiet as always. Clementine dropped to the floor, right in front of her. Chin up and legs criss-crossed. It was the toughest thing to get a read on her, so at least they had _that_ in common. She wasn't even brave enough to guesstimate how shitty Ellie must've been feeling: No cure. No nothing.

_But at least we got each other,_ the sap in the pajamas thought to herself, giggling at her own _corniness._ "I, um..." Clem's brows knitted closely together, signaling how deep in thought she really was. Half-a-dozen seconds flew right past her nose before her lips curved into a grin and her eyes squinched impishly.

"How's this: I hit you with a question. _You_ hit me with a question."

Perfect. Worked last time, hadn't it? Clem pulled her long, brown curls away from her eyes, giving way for a passionate gaze. "How'd the whole thing go?"

The 'whole thing' being those stupid elusive _Fireflies_ they were always after, their light having dwindled to a small flicker.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie couldn't help but smile despite the circumstances, just how much that offer reminded her of before. A trek through a desolate suburban wasteland with small questions here and there lulling the fear coursing through them at the time, of being separated from Joel and Lee forever. That sense of competitiveness they'd adopted, like how disappointed Clementine looked when she found out that Ellie was a little older than her. It was the start of the first real friendship she'd had since Riley, and now they were there again.

Life moved in cycles, after all.

The question she gave Ellie, though, gave her pause, smile falling a little. Sooner or later, they were going to have to talk about it, _so I guess now's the time._

"I don't know," she answered honestly, green eyes falling to her knees. "It took a while to get there. When we finally did, our only way there nearly killed us. I must've gotten knocked out. I woke up in the back of a van, and Joel was saying that they weren't looking for a cure anymore."

"I felt…" She trailed off, mentally cursing. She wasn't ready to talk about that. About how empty she felt inside. It'd only ruin the moment.

"Nevermind. It's not important."

"What about you? How'd things go around here?" She turned towards Clementine with a soft, forced smile, hoping that'd be enough to put her at ease. "I saw that photo downstairs. Looks like you found some friends." Her smile stretched further, genuine this time. "I'm glad."

**Art [Clementine]**

They both had their smiles robbed, thanks to memories they wish they could forget. How cruel the world was, that they never stopped adding up. Clementine wound up scratching the back of her ear, trying to ward off discomfort like an itch that went away. "Yup," was all she said, for a while. _Right._ Would be cheating if she ended it there.

"I met this gang of weirdos. _Totally_ dorkier than you." _Psh._ No easy feat. Clem mulled over more things she never said, never could say, and never wanted to say. All she did was mumble feelings that couldn't but stay afloat. "You would've liked her." All in all, she recovered. Her eyes were back on Ellie - fierce, but reassuring. Always stubborn, just like the two of them. "Serious question," she prefaced, brow raised high. No way was Ellie getting out of that one.

"How _do_ you feel?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Clementine's question caught her off guard, causing her to raise an eyebrow in response. "What?" It took a while for the realization to dawn on her. "About the cure?"

She let out a sigh, rubbing her fingers together anxiously. She really didn't want to talk about this. Like the whole thing was cursed and it'd only bring them down with it. Still, it was what Clementine wanted to know, wasn't it? Suppose she didn't have a choice.

"I…" She trailed off, throat closing. "I don't know. I feel… like there's part of me missing, I guess. I fought so hard to get there because… because it was the right thing to do. Every time I thought about giving up, I'd just… think back to the times you slapped some sense into me, and just kept going. Because the world deserves a second chance, and everyone who died along the way wouldn't have died in…"

_Fuck._

She fought back tears, biting her lip. She turned to look towards Clementine with wet eyes, already stained red with tears. "Can we talk about something else?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's confidence went down the drain in a heartbeat. Her gaze falling, lips twisting, eyes glistening. **It hurt** like so little else.

_No, no… _Clem's stomach froze and twisted. She'd said all the wrong things - a clumsy idiot pretending to help, and it shattered her like glass. The girl thought to keep her mouth shut, or hide from Ellie's sight, but that's when she stopped. When Clem stopped herself from shedding tears, and returned the strongest gaze she could muster. Ellie needed it. If never again, she needed that _right now._

"This... thing. Maybe you think it's just you, but it's not." Clementine's tone felt both cold and poignant, until it crumbled into its own share of grief. "I know it fucking sucks..." Her hands stretched onward in high gear, stopping at nothing to hold Ellie's. A grip wired with electrifying assurance.

"But _everything_ you're feeling right now...? It gets better. I swear it does." Deep down, she was begging her. Begging her not to fall down that same hole Clem had, all those years ago. Pain that only wavered with solitude. She never wanted her friend to have to feel so alone.

"So be strong. A—And if you can't, then... _fuck it,_ I'll be tough for you."

"...'cause you're my friend. And you're the freaking best."

**Dot [Ellie]**

She took in a deep breath the instant Clementine's hand met her own, eyes falling to anywhere but towards her friend. She didn't want to admit that she had a point. That the Ellie from over a year ago would've never let herself become _this_. But, losing people… it changes you. For most of her life, she had no one to care about. Nothing to fight for, besides herself. Riley changed that, even for as short-lived as their friendship had been. Everything else along the way had been to make up for that mistake, for letting her best friend drag her out into the middle of a restricted zone just to get her killed.

She had to find a way to live with that. Because she sure as shit wasn't going to drag Clementine down with her.

With ragged breaths, she closed her eyes, mentally pushing away those thoughts for another time. A time she can figure herself out, when the world was quiet and she had a chance to really _think_. In the absence of thought, she set her coffee down next to her, laying her head against Clementine's shoulder, and letting go of the girl's hand to wrap an arm around her in a half hug. They both needed reassurance, and that was a good enough start.

With a warm tone, she mumbled her next words. "I think you got you and me mixed up, Baseball Cap." _If anyone's the best here, it's you._

**Art [Clementine]**

Her left shoulder held down by Ellie's head, Clementine returned the hug with the one arm she had free - weak as it was, but not one bit less affectionate for it. _"Never,"_ she mumbled back, losing herself to an even wider smile.

Still, it was a bittersweet one. No - things didn't really get better. Not on their own. Maybe that's the part of the secret Ellie didn't have to hear. Only thing Clem could do, what _anyone_ can do, is... face it. Keep staring right at it. And not until the crappy stuff changes, but until _you_ do. Right now, that meant... helping Ellie fill back in whatever it was she was missing. However long it took.

As the half-hug came close to overstaying its welcome, the one with the baseball cap docked her chin on Ellie's shoulder and exhaled loudly from her nose. "You totally won the game, by the way..."

**Dot [Ellie]**

The sweet smell of whatever detergent Clementine used on her clothes filled Ellie's nose as she slowly pulled away from the girl's shoulder, letting her arms go from around her friend as Clementine laid her head on her shoulder. The way her voice sounded, the sheer _closeness_ they were sharing right now, it all compacted into one uncontainable feeling. Her cheeks probably couldn't get any redder, even with the thoughts that came flooding into her head at a million miles per second.

_"You should just talk to her. You can't let things build."_

Why was she seriously considering this? Why did that unspoken promise to herself mean anything to her? That she'd seriously consider Joel's advice and act on it as soon as she was able to. But was she? Her nerves were shot to hell even thinking about it, and it's not like she had any liquid courage sitting around to do it for her.

She was back on the edge. The leap of faith. If she didn't do it now, she'd never do it.

"Clem, I—"

Just like that, her voice cracked. She pulled away, just enough that Clementine had to lift her head off of Ellie's shoulder, and the older girl rubbed her fingers together nervously, eyes falling in between them for what felt like forever, though only ended up being a few seconds. The hurt in her eyes was gone, replaced by a sense of nervous hope.

"About what happened back at the cabin…" She trailed off for only a second, not allowing Clementine to say anything, just in case she didn't want to talk about this. Either way this conversation went, it needed to be said. For their friendship's sake. She sighed, clicking her tongue. "I thought about telling you that it didn't mean anything, for a while, but… that's not true." She gulped. "I like you, Clementine, and… and if you don't like me back, then that's okay. I just wanted you to know. Because…"

"No secrets. Right?" She smiled weakly, her heart beating too fast to _not_ be audible in the near silent room

**Art [Clementine]**

At once, Clementine breathed slower. Skin tingling, chest bursting in both warms and colds. Her nose, ears, cheeks, all felt like they were on fire... so much so, her exhales resembled more steam than air. To think such a tiny set of words could throw her for such a loop...

For those infinite, unending seconds, she'd really lost her voice. Waves of shock told her to giggle and look away, which is all she could do. Months ago, Clem reasoned she might've fought back, somehow. Shouted and squirmed in some show of defiance. But, at least in the moment... just the one... her feelings were loud, and her reasons to chase them away all too quiet. Though hiding behind her brown locks, Clem's shoulders rose, shyly. Her lips parted to make way for a dazzling smile. "More than a friend?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie could barely keep herself still, fidgeting like a deer ready to turn tail and run away. She'd expected… silence. A denial. A calm statement that they were just friends and nothing more. Instead… a soft giggle met her ears, in a way that made her skin flush, whether out of embarrassment or something else, she wasn't really sure.

In the end, it was the smile that left her feeling dumbfounded. Lips parted, yet she couldn't speak; eyes locked with Clementine's, yet it felt like she was looking at someone entirely different; hands itching to hold hers, but she couldn't move a muscle. This was the closest thing to paralysis she'd ever experienced, her brain demanding her to do _something_, but ultimately her body refused to respond.

What made it so fucking hard to breathe was… out of everything she'd expected, the look Clementine was giving her was never one of them.

When the paralysis passed, her body decided her fate, her hand reaching out to softly grab Clementine's. The instant she made contact, her heart jumped. Her voice was shaky, barely a whisper, as she echoed her best friend's question. _"More than a friend."_

**Art [Clementine]**

As Ellie's hand reached for hers, tepid of sweat, shock ran through Clementine's arm like an electrical charge, all the way up to her frenzied head. They'd held hands before, so many freaking times... Now was _nothing_ like those. Her slow breathing turned ragged before she could help it, forcing Clementine to swallow her every bit of tension welling inside.

"Okay. _Okay."_ At about the same time she started muttering to herself, her cheeks matched Ellie's hue, spelling out everything she couldn't and maybe just a bit more. Things that felt so strange, so freaking _cool,_ they took her frantic thoughts by storm. Clem's grip on her friend's hand tightened, so slowly. Something was bubbling inside her head, too. _"No...more secrets…"_ She sounded ready to quote an entire essay, but so impossibly scared to. Stuff she barely even knew for sure. Feelings her mind was still catching up to, drowning in a whole splash of them.

And then she spilled it out.

"I like you, too." It felt so easy to say, suddenly. A weight lifted she never even knew she was lugging around. Of course; there was no spunk behind it. Clem couldn't utter that set of four without nearly choking up. "Maybe it's, um... weird," she continued. "But..." Her hand tightened again. A vise-grip, unwilling to let go. "I got... I got a crush on you..."

Eyes shut, Clementine lowered her head and sighed. "I - I think I do...?"

"I mean, you're so freaking..." All the words that ran past that wobbly space between her ears, in just that one instant. Embarrassing, awkward, confusing...

Time silenced her again, but Clem couldn't have felt happier for it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Hearing the words out loud, Ellie could barely believe it. Like her mind was playing tricks on her, and the girl she'd seen a hundred times being the calm and collected badass turned into someone just like her. Embarrassed, cheeks rosier than a real rose. For a while, Ellie convinced herself that she'd never see her like that. That Clementine would never like her back.

She couldn't have been happier that she was wrong.

Clem's hand squeezing her own, her messy head of hair lowering as she let out a sigh, words trailing off before she could even finish her sentences, Ellie found herself unable to look away. Eyes soft, squeezing her hand back to reassure her.

When Clem's final words trailed off, Ellie took in a deep breath. "We can take it slow," she suggested quietly, calmly. "Like you said." _Figure this out._

This was uncharted territory, even for her. The last time she'd been here, she'd… the emotional weight of the moment led to that infinitesimally small kiss, leading to the worst moment of her life. For a while, she refused to allow herself to get close to anyone else because she wasn't _ready_ to do it again. She had a list by now, and… Joel was the first to break it, nearly dying in the process. But he survived. God, she'd fought for it, to keep him alive, and in the end, he was still with her today. With Clementine, the thought that they'd never see each other again had weighed her down for months after leaving that cabin. Seeing her now, being reunited again, she was _sure_ that it'd be for the last time. That her next words would hold true.

_"I'm not going anywhere."_

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem's chest rang like thunder. She still felt herself whirling over having just confessed to _another girl,_ her dizzy eyes lost in her friend's while she tried to keep her breathing in check - failing at it _spectacularly_ the harder Ellie held her hand.

Way things were, going slow sounded... _pretty good._

"Mm-hmm." Clem answered with a string of panicked little nods. For a small while, she let her hair rest over her features, hiding a wide smile that didn't seem to go away. She just couldn't believe it! Crazy as it sounded, that girl from Boston had her heart leaping from side to side.

Seconds ticked by, and Clementine had crawled to Ellie's right. Close. _Way_ close. Their backs faced the side of the bed, shoulders touching each other. They'd gotten to the part where she had _no clue_ what to do, staring straight at the floorboards with a face inked in reds and pinks. Until Ellie reached out behind her ear and put an arm around her. And everything sort of clicked.

Clementine happily closed her eyes, and let herself melt into something little and soft.

**Dot [Ellie]**

When Clementine drew closer, sitting so close that the space between them practically ceased to exist, Ellie wrapped an arm around her, content in never letting go. That, by letting go, everything that just happened would cease to exist, a figment of her imagination. Just one look towards her friend was enough to put her mind at ease, though, to know that she wasn't the only one feeling that way.

She gently rubbed her thumb along Clementine's arm, an idle thing meant to be comforting while Ellie reached for the still steaming cup of coffee sat next to her with her free hand, taking another sip.

How can one of the worst days ever also be one of the best? It was so… confusing. Yet, as the warmth of that black liquid filled her stomach, she hadn't felt happier in a long, _long_ time.

Just for one moment, she could forget about the cure, laying her head against Clementine's until it was time to head back downstairs. All she could hope for is that it won't be soon.


	73. Home, II

_1:38 PM - Inside the horse stables_

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

When Carl arrived back at Jackson, Ellie was the last thing on his mind. The hushed silence at the gate and the heavy eyes on Tommy as they'd parted ways afterwards were nearly unnoticed by him because despite his relatively dry vantage point from atop the horse, one narrow and _very_ wet alley had allowed water to still very much permeate his socks. All he could think of while he steered the horse through the streets of Jackson was that he was practically floating in his shoes. Sliding off of the saddle of the loyal beast with a _squish,_ he led the horse through the door of the stable and tried desperately to ignore his feet as they called for help. He didn't notice Lydia until he'd already bumped into her.

Instead of biting his head off however, she wasted no time relaying important news. The arrival of Ellie was nothing like the arrival of Clementine. It told him things would be getting even more serious from now on. _Especially_ because, in coming back to Jackson, Ellie was in more danger than she could possibly realize. "So, they're alive, at least." Carl's mouth hung slightly open after that; he was unsure of what else he could say. It had been a long winter since the vector for the cure had been the topic of much discussion, and he'd even begun to suspect that they'd never return. After the trouble he could have gotten in last time, he'd leave it up to Tommy to be concerned.

Eventually, he closed his mouth and guided the horse to its stall. Carl had little else to say about Ellie and Joel. Well, besides… "What do you think about them coming back?" He asked her, turning around and grimacing at the squelching in his shoes. His course of action often depended on how Lydia was feeling about it. After all, she was the only person who was consistently in his corner.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia had spent the past half hour silently tending to her horse. In the times where she'd prefer the company of the animals… and there were _many,_ the girl always ended up liking it here. The stables were never too crowded and she could actually hear herself think. In one hand, she held Penelope's foot, in the other was a small pick she was using to dig out the yuck debris and grime in her hoof. Carl was back from his little expedition with Tommy and the others again. It felt like ever since he found out about the 'incident', the boy was on permanent high alert… could she blame him? Not really, she guessed.

The teen wasted no time in briefing him in on what was pretty much a really fucking awkward run-in with Ellie at the gate, who'd returned from her long journey or whatever the hell she left for; the last thing she saw was her heading towards Clementine's house. Straight towards the other girl she still wasn't on the best terms with. Sure, they'd learned to _tolerate_ each other over time, which usually just consisted of keeping her distance from the ball-capped one. Lydia was damn well confident _that_ was the best it was ever going to get.

After Jenny, Clementine, and her worked together to escape that watchtower, Lydia was still coming to terms with the horrifying series of events that followed. Negan wasn't the sole reason behind the blonde keeping her distance from Clementine. There was still one mighty pill she refused to swallow, something she still resented the other girl for. The fact that Clementine saw her at her most vulnerable point, cornered by a runner and pinned down like some _weak_ sack of crap that needed saving. It was pathetic, and overall she yearned for that embarrassing memory to fade away. Seeing her 'savior' as a reminder every week didn't help, like, at all. After everything that happened from the watchtower and on, it was just awkward to talk to her… way too awkward.

As Carl asked about her thoughts on the return, Lydia discarded the pick, tossing it into a small bucket, before grabbing the brush and standing upright as she began to scrub away at Penelope's mane. "Well, she was always somehow getting first class treatment here for doing pretty much nothing… so, I'm not really surprised they came crawling back." She kept her eyes focused on scrubbing the horse as she spoke.

"I swear, if Andrea throws another stupid campfire thing for them..." Lydia bit her tongue, lest she started raving on about it again. She sighed out a puff of air, before looking towards the boy now. The whole Negan and Saviors ordeal was still fresh on their minds, guards were upped, so were patrols. Sometimes it seemed like that was all they could think about.

"Not like we have time for those anyway... with everything going on."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl breathed a heavy sigh and adjusted the straps of his pack, nodding slowly. The campfire was still a vivid memory for him, as well. "I doubt they'd try anything like _that_ again, but that's not really what I was thinking about." He stated, staring into the eyes of Lydia's steed. _I wonder if you__'d just run away, if we gave you the chance._ "Between you and me…" He paused, stepping down the rows of stalls and peeking out into the sunny afternoon outside. Upon seeing no one, he turned back to Lydia. "I've got a really bad feeling. I don't know if _I__'m_ really happy we have more to deal with."

Ellie and Joel coming back were inevitable _if_ they lived - he knew that. Their arrival was overshadowed by Negan however, and since people weren't singing in the streets he'd already reached the conclusion that no cure was found. If Negan found out that Ellie was immune, Carl couldn't imagine the brute working to _cure_ anything. The only course of action he could imagine Negan taking in such a circumstance would be to kill Ellie so as to not allow anyone else to possibly benefit from it. Shaking his head, he took one step farther into the stall, weighing his next words carefully because, on top of all of this, she didn't know a thing about the immunity.

He spoke softly now. "I'm scared, Lydia. I couldn't guess how many Saviors could be out there, and Jackson is a place I really believe in, but I don't know if I believe in it so much as to beat Negan. If things really take a turn for the worst around here, which I _really_ hope they don't, well…" It was hard for him to think about it, but it was something he absolutely could not _stop_ thinking about. If everything went to hell like it did back then, he didn't want to be alone. He _couldn__'t_ be alone, after all of the warm and precious memories he had of Jackson. And if there was anyone who would always have his back, he thought it would be Lydia, even if they had their _disagreements._ "If it comes down to it, and we're in serious danger, you and I need to get out of here. Okay?" For all he knew, another Alexandria could be around the corner, but he wouldn't abandon her with it.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia continued to brush away at Penelope, eyes focused on her hands while her ears took in everything Carl had to say. Honestly, it left her a little stunned. He was always good at keeping his shit together, way better than _she_ ever was. That's one of the reasons she loved being around him in the first place. When it came to the Saviors though, it was like he was in a whole different mindset. That confident boy reduced to someone who contemplated to flee in an instant. The way he was talking about Jackson falling… being prepared to run away and all that, it was putting her on edge.

"Carl, please." She softly butted in before turning to him with an anxious look. "_Can you not?__"_ The girl pleaded in an annoyed tone. _Why does he have to keep freaking me out like this?_

Of course, going back out there into the muck and grime of the world was something she could do. That didn't mean she wanted to anymore… life in a community was still a challenge, but it wasn't something she was willing to lose before even getting a chance to experience it long term, like Carl had. She was frustrated about the imminent threat too, beyond fucking frustrated. The girl had some concerns of her own she had yet to bring up. She sighed out, placing down the brush on a hay bale before walking over to the boy. _Here we go..._

"Tommy should be dealing with the problems _inside_ of the walls first." Lydia danced around the topic, sending out a gaze towards the streets, chewing on the inside of a cheek before she looked at him in the eye.

"He can start with cutting the half-face guy loose, before he gets us all killed."

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Clenching his jaw, Carl bit back a few dangerous words. _Can you not?_ He hated when she spoke to him like that. Like this was some _petty thing_ and he didn't know what he was talking about. It most _certainly_ was not. Compared to the feeling he'd had since Negan had been spotted, running out in the wild wasn't so bad. And he really needed Lydia to work with him, because as far as he was concerned it could come down to _both_ of their futures. But then...

Could he really blame her? No one needed a _coward_ these days. As she finally looked at him, he gulped. "I trust Tommy's judgement. But I don't think we have enough time to be waiting for someone to take care of us!" He said, making an effort to keep his voice low. He'd had a hard enough time coming to terms with what he felt was right, and he probably wouldn't have said anything if Ellie hadn't shown up. "I…" He faltered. "I need us to be as prepared as possible for this, Lydia. I didn't come this far for nothing." This time, he stepped close, his eyes locking onto hers.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

His lonesome eye pierced her like a fiery arrow, she opened her mouth ever so hesitantly, as if to say something. Truth be told she had no clue what to say, this kind of talk was crazy wild… even for Carl. Seeing him _this_ worried about something, it was just straight up unusual. After she'd personally come across that pompous fucking asshole, she could see why the boy wanted to run a mile. Lydia told him that Negan had recognized the Sheriff's hat, told him everything about what happened… which only served to make him more paranoid. It was enough to almost make her regret not leaving that part out. Negan knew Carl was somewhere out here now, there was no way he didn't. Though, that didn't mean he was smart enough to properly track them down, at least she hoped.

He was right about one thing, they _didn__'t_ have the time to wait for someone else to wake the fuck up… at least when it came to the 'situation.' Too bad Tommy and Andrea were convinced of whatever bullshit he'd fed them about turning a new leaf. If the man caught wind that the tides were turning, what the actual hell even stopped him from switching sides again when it suited? It worried her to no end. Even after what felt like an eternity of trying to plead her case against it, no one was listening. Unlike the boy in front of her, she didn't want to run anymore, only to fix their mistakes _before_ it came to that.

One way or another, her mind was made up. _'I didn't come this far for nothing.'_ He spoke, before she finally settled on her response. After a brief pause, Lydia looked back towards him, changing her tune, speaking at a voice level that matched his.

"Fine." She closed her eyes and reluctantly nodded in agreement, at this stage it was anything to get him to shut up. "I'll hear you out, but they're kinda expecting me at my next shift now, so... _Tomorrow.__"_ Lydia gave him the most reassuring half-smile she could muster. "We'll figure this out." The girl encouraged him as her hand went to the side of his upper arm and gripped it, before squeezing slightly. "Just try to relax a little, alright?"

That was that. She didn't allow him time to try and talk her into staying a second longer. Straight away, she crossed her arms and walked past him, not before giving him one final nod as she finally made her way out of the horse stables and turned the corner. This type of thing was Carl's problem. He never listened to her when it mattered, was way too soft and trusting to make the hard calls; but that was okay. Lydia was prepared to do it for him.


	74. Home, III

_10:57 PM_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The walk back to their new home was relatively quiet. Ellie hadn't gotten a chance to check the new place out since they'd gotten there, so she kept close to Joel, asking brief questions about how his conversation with his brother went, but she dropped the conversation abruptly when it came into view.

The house looked homey, like one of those dumb suburban ads you'd see in magazines and newspapers. Two story, with a wide porch expanding across the front. There was already a rocking chair placed near the far right of the porch, just waiting for Joel to take up residence with a guitar. The inside was far fancier than she'd ever have imagined, though evidence of a hastened eviction littered the place: displaced photos that were dropped at some point, furniture moved at odd angles to make way for other objects to be hauled out. The living room dominated the front of the home, a set of stairs heading up to the second floor at the far left edge of the room, while a pair of doors at the back opened up to a fancy dining room and kitchen, while a study was tucked in at the far-back left of the house. Upstairs, two bedrooms were placed directly across from each other, and there was a bathroom situated at the far end of the hallway, as well as downstairs by the study.

Ellie had grabbed one of the discarded photos idly while Joel looked around, studying it with a squinted look in the low-lighting of the living room. A young girl was standing between who she presumed to be her parents. Dark black hair, a smile as wide as she'd ever seen. Probably no older than ten. The backdrop was of a fireplace with Christmas decorations and socks hung on and around it, and the mother was wearing some tacky Christmas sweater that seemed far too large for her. _Perks of living in the apocalypse_, Ellie mused.

Something about the daughter seemed familiar, though, but Ellie couldn't quite put her finger on it. She simply shrugged, placing the photo on a table nearby.

Finally, Ellie directed her attention towards Joel, smiling softly. "Your brother _really_ set us up, didn't he? Figured we would've just… had to live with Lee and Clem."

_Definitely wouldn't have minded…_

"I've never… really had a place to call home, before. Besides the orphanage." Ellie continued with a wider smile, a warmth in her tone that mirrored the warmth soaking into her skin from the fire Joel had just finished building in the fireplace. "So… this is kinda cool."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

It was more than he ever hoped for; the house was more than he'd ever had in the last twenty or so years. The man ran his fingers along the walls, running over peeling paint and nails falling out of the framework. It wasn't perfect, of course. But it was _something._ Joel gripped one of the nails with a rough, hefty finger and tugged it out of the wall with ease. It was bent, rusted, curling into itself as if it wanted to shrivel and die.

It was a beautiful home.

Joel turned around as Ellie spoke, his own gaze wandering the remainder of the living room. Pictures hanging on the wall, varying peoples with a focus on three main characters. "Perks of being family, I guess." He reached up to the ceiling, lightly brushing it with his fingers. No cracks, no strain. _Good, good. It's a fixer upper, but they could fix it up._

"Really? Well, this ain't much. I mean, we can fix it up and all, but..." He turned around to Ellie, looking her square in the eye. "You know what. It is kinda cool. How 'bout tomorrow once we get rested, me and you... I don't know. Maybe we can meet some people in town, or work on the house. Figured you were out meeting people today anyways."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's eyes lit up as the prospect of working on the house, though she'd already… come up with other plans that she wanted to do tomorrow. At least, she could help him with some stuff after she got back. The place was, after all, a bit messy.

"I hung out with Clem and Lee all day," she replied, shrugging her shoulders at his assumption. "And I got some stuff I wanted to do with Clem tomorrow," she added, trying to put on a smile so Joel didn't get offended that she wanted to hang out with her friend. With how things were going, Ellie wanted to… see where things went from here. Muster up the courage to finally do something with someone she cared about. Something her and Riley never got a chance to do, if you didn't count, well… spelunking in the abandoned mall. "But we can do some stuff after!" Ellie continued cheerfully, hoping that'd be enough to put him at ease.

"Oh, uh… speaking of…" She trailed off a little, setting herself down on top of the armrest of the couch, near enough to the fireplace to continue to feel its warmth. "I, uh… took your advice. Told her how I really feel. She said she likes me back." At that, her smile widened even further, the notion that Clementine even felt the same way she did not quite settling in her mind just yet. "So, I wanted to thank you… for what you said, before." _'Cause I don't think I would've had the guts to bring it up otherwise…_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel looked down at Ellie, nodding. His heart sank a little bit at the proposition that she was going to spend some time with her friend tomorrow; selfish, he knew. Of course she should be allowed to spend time with her friend, but the sense of an ill will between the two coiled amongst his thoughts. "That's alright." As long as they were safe, it would be fine. It would all be fine he was certain. At the proposition that they could just do some stuff after, Joel's eyes beamed and he smirked. "Oh, you know we're doing stuff after. Don't think just because you got a new home it means you can slack off."

He listened to her final story with an attentiveness that only faltered when another hanging nail or strip of wallpaper caught his attention. When she was finished, he turned back. "No, I didn't do nothin'. _You_ did a good job. And I'm happy for you, too." He yawned, holding a hand over his mouth and scrunching his nose. "It's not you, I'm just tired." He apologized quickly, crossing his arms.

**Dot [Ellie]**

At Joel's response, Ellie smiled wider, shifting in her spot on the couch's armrest. "Don't worry, I'll be back in time to help out." She did another once-over of the living room, realizing then that they had a _lot_ of work to do. Guess nothing had changed, had it?

"Oh, um..." She trailed off, the thought that had occurred to her being more than enough to bring her brain to a sudden halt, stuck in a loop while considering whether or not she wanted to say this. To apologize for how much she'd been trying to avoid him today, after getting back. She knew it wasn't fair to him, that what happened with the Fireflies was _probably_ not his fault, but... she just couldn't let it go.

Not yet, anyway.

So instead, she found herself standing up, scratching at her arm idly. "Nevermind, it's not important." She started for the stairs, to find what'll be her new bedroom, turning around once she made it to the first step. "I'll see you in the morning," she finished through a forced smile.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He paused, raising a hand out but clenching it back into a fist. Joel watched her go up the stairs and his hand dropped back to his side. _You did a good job._ He swallowed before his eyes left to the picture sitting atop the mantle. He sat down in the chair, gripped the arms, and was soon asleep beside the fire. He never stopped facing the front door.


	75. Trails, I

_ 2:25 PM - The next day - Woods near Jackson _

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

Lydia had managed to weasel her way into the roster for today's runs. After perusing over the schedule last night, this was the time slot she was looking for. It was pretty quiet today, not much sign of anything, besides a few dead ones. Exactly the way she liked it. The girl placed her foot on the now dispatched corpse, using it as leverage as she yanked the knife out of its head, followed by a gross squelching sound as the rotten blood leaked out. Looking over her shoulder, she kept tabs on Dwight, who was dealing with his own.

"You good over there?" She asked with a tinge of impatience in her voice.

** Dot [Dwight] **

These runs were starting to get monotonous. Didn't help that Dwight was always on edge when they were out here, as if Negan was watching from behind the next tree, or in the shadow of a boulder nearby. His deal with Andrea had worked so far in keeping them away from Jackson, with Dwight insisting that they're onto something big but they should just wait until Jackson gets it to take it from them.

In reality, they were arming themselves. Abandoned military bases, gun stores that still have _ something _ left… _ anything _ they can get their hands on. Mines would be nice, but unlikely to find in this area. It'd be a nice surprise for whoever showed up on their doorstep.

This run had been particularly more quiet than the others he'd been on recently, mainly due to the company he kept. He knew Lydia didn't trust him, with reason, and it showed on her face as if it were written in permanent marker. He didn't care. As long as she didn't end up trying to kill him, they'd be fine.

A pair of walkers had crossed their paths, and just as quickly, dispatched. He wiped his knife clean on the ragged clothing of his kill, looking towards Lydia as she spoke. His voice was calm, matter-of-fact. "I'm fine."

He pushed back to his feet, sheathing his knife. "C'mon. Next checkpoint's only a mile north of here." _ If we're lucky, maybe we'll find something worth our while out here. Food's still in short supply. _

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

Lydia watched as the man dried his bloody knife, the eye on the charred half of his face felt like it constantly trailed her. The way it just kind of… bulged out of his head. What was more fucked up were the rumors of how he got it, though Carl had pretty much confirmed it to her. Regardless, she didn't say a word before she silently followed along, trailing a little bit behind the man as they walked onward. It was quiet for a bit, until Lydia forced herself to speak up. She knew the 'ex' Savior had solidified himself a position here. Why they ended up trusting him, she had no clue. If he really was Negan's old right hand, then she needed to know a few things.

"Spoke to Carl yesterday." It felt so odd, pretending to talk as if she actually wanted to. "The whole Savior thing has him pretty worried, but we all are, I guess." Her gaze settled on the trees, scanning for any movement before they drifted to the man walking in front of her.

"Do you think Negan has a good chance of tracking us down? You'd know, right?"

** Dot [Dwight] **

He'd been waiting for a question like that all afternoon, keeping his gaze straight ahead as they strolled along the next trail leading through the mountains. Truth was, it wouldn't take very long at all for Negan to find Jackson if he really wanted to. Only reason he hadn't was because they'd been keeping him at bay. That'd only last so long, though. It wasn't a permanent solution. But, like most plans, they'd eventually come to them.

The biggest thing here was the fact that no one else knew about the current deal. Only Andrea, Tommy, and himself. Compartmentalize it until someone else needed to know. Lydia wasn't one of them.

"Jackson's not exactly hidden," he admitted after a moment, glancing back towards her with his good eye. "The remote location kept you folks from being found for this long. If Negan's got your scent, it won't be long before he tracks it down."

"That's why we have to be ready," he continued, his voice subsiding into another monotone phrase. "It's either that, or we run. Find another place."

"But I think Jackson's worth fighting for. Not many places are like that."

_ Whether you believe me or not. _

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

_ Oh, trust me. I'm ready, Dwight. _ The girl's eyes were glued to the back of his head whilst he rambled on. It was pretty clear what he was implying, the fact that it could be any day now. "Yeah," was all Lydia had to respond with, her mind quite frankly somewhere else at the moment.

"Just hoping he doesn't have our scent yet. Unless he's the type to… I dunno, send someone here to do the sniffing for him?"

** Dot [Dwight] **

It didn't really take Dwight long to figure out why that girl with the hat punched Lydia before he'd gotten there all those months ago. It was like she was always fishing for information, looking for dirt to incriminate you with, or find a chink in your armor. For a while, he didn't let it bother him, because he had nothing to prove to a fifteen year old. Not even if she was close to Carl.

Yet, even he had his limits with dealing with her shit. She made Negan's incessant digs at his loyalty seem nothing but jestful jabs than potentially dangerous accusations. How much more did she really want from him? To die trying to save her fucking life? _ Shit, probably. _

He turned towards her with an uneven frown, hair blowing in the wind that picked up in the tree-laden valley. "Listen, let's both cut the bullshit, alright? You don't trust me, and _ maybe _ you have a reason to. I'm not exactly a saint. But you've met Negan. Seen what he's capable of. Do you really think anyone's loyal to that asshole?"

"Trust me, if I thought I could get close enough to kill him, I would. I'd hoped that eventually he'd get himself killed. A revolution, or something. Nearly happened back in Paradise, before he stomped that out."

His good eye narrowed, as if driving his point home. "Of course I've thought about going back to Negan, lodging a knife in his throat, and dying for the cause, but even that's a fool's errand. Everywhere from here to the east coast is Saviors territory. At least a couple dozen outposts across half the country. Negan could be at any one of them at any time."

"So the next time he finds his way out here, I'm putting a bullet in his skull. Then it won't matter how much you don't trust me. At least I'll be dead, too."

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

Lydia fell into an eerie silence as she listened to Dwight, the gentle breeze howled against the nearby shrubbery that surrounded them. Could his apparent hate for Negan be something she could solemnly confide in, or even believe? There was no possible way for her to know, she'd been weighing the risks for weeks; and unfortunately for Dwight… he still wasn't ticking the boxes.

Loyalty could be easily denied, but when push came to shove, there was nothing stopping Dwight from getting cold feet and screwing them over. All it'd take was _ one _ simple visit from Negan to possibly change his mind, _ that _ she was sure of. The burned asshole already had no problem shooting his own men, which meant it would only be a hundred times easier for him to off people from Jackson too. If there could be a Beta to someone as cruel as her mother, then Lydia had no doubt Negan had dedicated followers.

If Dwight was one of them or not… it really didn't matter anymore. As far as she was concerned, he was only good for helping them kill that scouting party when they first met. He was dead weight now... not worth keeping around, that was the cold, hard reality. Just a liability they'd let inside who now had their numbers… location, and probably a whole bunch of other information he could blab to Negan if he wanted to. It'd lead to him finding this place, Lydia simply refused to let that happen. She couldn't allow herself to _ ever _ go through it again. To be subjugated under someone else with no choice but to do whatever they wanted her to do… _ not ever again. _ Tommy, Andrea… even Carl. They all brushed her concerns off like it meant nothing, like they couldn't see the bigger picture. How could they? Afterall, they hadn't experienced what it was like… not the way Lydia had, at least.

As the duo continued onwards, Lydia shot a small glance over her shoulder, their surroundings were as empty as those horse stables on a Sunday; not another person in sight.

"This the same thing you've been telling Tommy, Andrea… the rest? They trust it, at least."

Lydia's shaky hand quietly pushed itself towards her side holster. The pacing in her steps began to slow, her boot crunching on some leaves as she came to a full halt. "But _ I _ don't."

Before the accused could even react to the girl's statement, the teenager drew a pistol on her scouting partner, pointing it directly towards the back of Dwight's skull.

"Try turning around, and I'll blow your fucking head off." Lydia spat out through multiple uneven breaths, dropping the act. "Weapons on the ground. Now!" She boomed, heart feeling like it was going to burst through her ribcage at any moment. They could punish her for this if they found out; put her in a cell, whatever. If getting rid of him meant the difference between Negan finding their community or not. At least she'd be able to sleep easier at night, knowing just that.

** Dot [Dwight] **

He'd survived long enough to know that tone of voice she'd adopted. Heard it countless times, on both sides. They never ended well, for someone. Most of the time, it was the survivor with the gun that ended up dead. One carefully thought out action after another until their guard was down enough to end it right then and there.

This, however, terrified him, not because she had a gun on him, but that he knew she had every intention of pulling that trigger. Was he afraid of dying? Had this been months ago, maybe not. Anything was better than another day under Negan's rule. But now? With that _ slim fucking chance _ they could make this right in the end? He wasn't afraid for himself.

He was afraid for her. For Andrea and Tommy. For Lee and Clementine. For Jackson. Because without him, Negan would bulldoze over their community in a heartbeat.

And that made him miss _ before _, when giving a shit about people was a thing of the past, burned into fading photos that eventually would crumble to dust. When nothing mattered but surviving to the next day, and if everything fell apart and he ended up on his own, then nothing would've really changed.

He complied to her requests, stopping in the middle of the trail and dropping his weapons to the ground, even going as far as kicking them towards her behind him. _ I guess if I die here, I won't have to listen to anyone tellin' me how fucking stupid this is. _

"Lydia, listen to me," he started, voice tense as he kept his face pointed straight ahead, almost waiting for that bullet to pierce the back of his skull. To finally end it all. "You kill me, Jackson's as good as Negan's. Everything you're hoping to avoid will happen, and there'll be nothing you can do about it. Do you _ really _ want that?"

"For Andrea? For Carl?"

** King Caw [Carl Grimes] **

No _ way. _ Eying the roster for parties scavenging that day, he did a double-take when he saw Dwight and Lydia going out _ alone. _ The day after she and Carl had been talking, no less — and he'd been looking forward to continuing the conversation. Something about this just didn't sit well with him, and while he tried to find another job to take he couldn't let it go. Dwight had never been a troublemaker, but his very _ presence _ was a nuisance to Carl and he was disappointed in himself for feeling that way. But every one of Lydia's points had been correct — the little behavior they'd seen of him in a tight spot did _ not _ show trustworthy character.

So why was she out alone with him?

Worry for both of them laced his mind as he loaded his gun at the gate, and for two very different reasons. Maybe this was the time for Dwight to show his true, dark colors? Or maybe he knew Lydia a little _ too _ well, and after everything he knew she suspected he wouldn't put it past her to take matters into her own hands. He gulped as the thought crossed his mind that he'd provoked this. _ I should have just kept my mouth shut. _ Growing more concerned by the second, he briskly made his way out of the gate and down the trail.

The deeper he got into the forest, however, the more another thought crept into his mind. What if he was overthinking all of this, and going out here would serve to upset things even more? His creeping along ground to a halt, and he knew they couldn't be too far ahead, but suddenly he wasn't so sure. Taking deep breaths, he tried to clear his mind and decide what he really needed to do.

_ That _ was when he heard it. Lydia's voice, and it didn't sound pleased. All thought of turning around was gone in an instant, and he pushed forward through the brush. He couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, but it sounded like she was ready for a fight. _ Please don't let me be too late. _ Not wanting to alarm them he went as quickly as he could without making too much noise, and nearly ended up stumbling into the clearing.

Seeing Lydia pointing a gun at Dwight made him freeze, and he wasn't sure what to do but crouch and observe from the bushes. Waiting, he watched Dwight drop his weapons and kick them over, and then he started speaking. Carl's blood ran cold at the words. However, he could see that Lydia didn't care. _ Aw, shit. _

He shot up from his position and leapt over the shrubbery, almost losing his footing in the process. "Woah, woah, woah! Lydia, what the hell's going on?" And now he was in the thick of it. _ God dammit, Carl. _

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

Lydia watched him like a hawk, heart racing a million miles a minute. Both of her hands were planted on the pistol grip, to stop the gun from shaking. Was it fear, or adrenaline…? She settled on both, perhaps. Her eyes followed the weapons as they were kicked away, ready to snap back on the trigger at any sudden movements. Maybe now she'd be able to get some _ real _ answers out of him, before the inevitable happened.

She wasn't the only nervous wreck right now, she could hear it in Dwight's voice, he really hadn't seen this coming. She constantly fidgeted as she stood there, shifting her weight from one side of her foot to another, trying to stand strong.

"Stop talking, just…! Shut your mouth!" Was he threatening her? Or did he actually know something she didn't? It was all going too fast in her head. Right now the priority was getting her answers and then disposing of him. Now she had him completely where she wanted him, away from the others.

Or so she thought.

A voice she knew all too well called out. Carl… he'd followed them, he'd—

_ Fuck…! _

Whatever semblance of confidence she had in her eyes dissipated immediately at the sound of his voice.

"None of you ever listened to me! He'll turn against us the moment Negan shows back up. I _ know _ he will…!" She spoke to Carl, keeping her eyes dead locked on towards Dwight, trying to maintain her firmness with the gun still raised at him. Though Lydia could see Carl in her peripherals.

"So I'm ending this before that happens."

** Dot [Dwight] **

Carl's voice came as a surprise, almost forcing him to look back at them, but he fought it. If he gave her a reason to shoot him, then Carl wouldn't be able to stop her. This was how it had to be.

So instead, he focused his efforts on trying to plead with him, to at least talk some sense into Lydia before she did something _ irrational _. Before everything he'd done to keep this place out of Negan's grasp came tumbling down like a row of dominos.

"Carl, if she kills me, there's nothing stopping Negan from tearing down your gates." Dwight was talking fast now, intending to get out every last word before Lydia could do anything about it. "He's already got your number. The only thing keeping him out of your backyard is that Andrea and I have been feeding him false info about Jackson for the past month. He thinks we're based out of Idaho Falls. Go ahead and call her up on your radio. I know you have one with you." He took in a breath. "Hell, take mine, if you have to."

"As soon as I don't 'check in' with him, he'll find out that we lied about Idaho Falls, and scour every inch of the surrounding counties for you." Surely, Carl had to see reason, or else they're _ all _ fucked.

** King Caw [Carl Grimes] **

For one long minute Carl tried with every ounce of strength to say something, but he couldn't.

What was he supposed to say? His eye moved slowly, starting at Dwight and eventually settling on Lydia. He couldn't move. He couldn't blink. The more they talked, every word of which he registered, the harder it became to react. The things he'd considered were coming to fruition, and he might have let it happen, but what if Dwight was right? Expecting Tommy and Andrea to fill him in on everything would be foolish, but… something as important as this?

There was no way he wouldn't know. They _ had _ to trust him that much, at least. Taking deep breaths, he readied himself. Without Dwight's lies, they would be better off. He had to trust Lydia, if he could trust anyone. But still, he could say nothing.

Dwight finished his plea, and Carl looked back to him. The _ what-if _ was too big for him. What if he was right? "Lydia, I…" He still wasn't sure exactly what he was going to say. "Can we talk about this? Please?" He finally hazarded, taking a step towards her. Slowly, he reached for the gun in her hand.

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

That mouth of Dwight's, it was running off faster than she was comfortable with. Anything to get out of this alive, because that's who he was. A rat looking to exploit a bunch of kids to save his own skin.

"Say something again and ** I swear! **" Lydia howled out at Dwight, swiftly implying that a bullet was ready to be sent into his cranium. God, she just wanted to get this fucking over with, pull the trigger and be done with it already. But Carl, he was adamant on ruining this, wasn't he?

She didn't care how genuine he sounded, whether he was trying to trick them with the actual truth or another lie…either way, it didn't matter this time. She could let the Savior manipulate them… again.

Lydia could see him from the corner of her eye, slowly creeping up on her. For a moment, the sternness in her eyes faltered, almost giving in to the lump in her throat and pounding chest. Until she saw that hand of his reach out… It felt like he still wasn't listening, forcing her into a corner with no way out.

It happened too fast, the panicked girl jolted to face Carl with a wide eyed expression, refusing to let him touch her, or the gun.

"And what if I… don't want to?!"

That was when she pointed the gun towards Carl and took a step back, her muscles reacting before her brain could really process anything. Both of them in her line of sight now.

The only thing she wanted right now was to make him understand, for once. If Dwight truly was in contact with Negan… then- That only meant she had to finish it before this lackey told him where they really were, if he hadn't already.

Lydia had only just barely started to recover, from _ everything. _ Living a way of life she never thought possible until she was free from the Whisperers, only to now be at risk of having it all ripped away before her eyes… It just wasn't fair. Even _ that _ paled in comparison to why she was _ actually _ frightened.

It was the horrifying thought of getting caught by another group… and this time never being able to come out of it a sane girl again. Even now, some days felt like she was barely hanging on by a thread. The mere thought had the gun shivering in her hand. She took a breath, trying her absolute best to compose herself. "Carl…"

"If Negan catches us, I- " Lydia fought against it as hard as she could, but her face scrunched up to try and hold back the mist in her eyes, everything that was bottled up, threatening to burst out. She tried her damndest not to freak out, but her voice cracked, before she gritted her teeth to stop her bottom lip from trembling.

"I can't go through it all again... I just can't." Lydia figured Carl was the only person on earth that knew most of her insecurities, he _ had _ to understand why.

"So you're either getting out of my way... o-or you're gonna have to hurt me to protect this _ slimeball, _ because that's what it's gonna take for me to stop." She taunted through a stammer, letting the statement linger for a moment, before adding onto it. The girl was at least semi-confident that Carl didn't have it in him to go against her. _ Right? _

"We both know you won't do it. Now back off."

** King Caw [Carl Grimes] **

Hearing that alone made Carl want to lunge, to pull his gun out and show Lydia that she was wrong, but he couldn't. He couldn't take another step - didn't _ want _ to take another step. Lydia hadn't pointed a gun at him like that in a long, long time, and part of him felt guilty for making her feel like she had no other option, but he was trying to do what he thought was right.

That wasn't what made his resolve crumble, not in the slightest.

She sounded just like he did. Like she was afraid of everything falling apart. He didn't want to lose everyone again, either. Keeping himself and his people safe was the only thing that mattered. His hand dropped and he stood up. He couldn't help but shake his head. "Okay, Lydia." He said meekly. "I'm on your side. I'll trust your instincts, if you'll stake that much on it. _ I trust you. _ " If she would trust in him, then he'd trust in her. The Saviors were all one and the same anyways; _ We are _ ** _ Negan. _ **

Carl took a few steps back, and turned an eye to the obviously terrified Dwight. "I hope your friends have a warm welcome for you in Hell, buddy." He said, crossing his arms and walking out of the clearing.

The second they couldn't see him anymore, he broke into a sprint. He had to be far enough away for there to be no suspicion of him knowing what was going on. He'd get to the big trail and wait for someone else to come. _ Things are gonna get hairy, Saviors or not. I really hope this doesn't backfire. _ Trust was something that was in short supply these days, but he trusted Lydia to do what she believed to be the right thing.

** Dot [Dwight] **

_ "Okay, Lydia." _

The instant those words let Carl's mouth, Dwight could feel his shoulders drop, the tension building in them completely disappearing in an instant, and not for the reason he wished it would've been for. All this time trying to get away from Negan and the Saviors, only to get killed for it. Not even by the people he'd escaped from.

He should've known better. Sentiment only got you killed. He never should've gotten involved with Clementine's group near Paradise, and he should've went his own way after killing the Saviors. It was stupid to stick around, to think he'd have a chance to start again.

Maybe he would've had that chance, if Negan hadn't shown up and ruined everything. His one chance at a real life.

Carl walked off, leaving him alone with Lydia. The tension in the air was palpable, and he'd hoped that Lydia was still looking off towards Carl when he turned around. Of course, he wouldn't be able to keep her gaze off of him forever, but he wouldn't give her a choice but to listen to him.

He took a step forward, hands still raised into the air so he'd appear less threatening. He stopped inches away from her gun, looking into her eyes with a sense of calm that he was surprised he even possessed at that moment. It didn't matter if he freaked out; if she shot him, then this was over.

"I'm sorry you think this's the only way." He spoke honestly, voice soft. "I admire you, honestly, just how much you're willing to do for them. But I'm telling you… this is the wrong call."

"So if you think you need to do it, then do it. But I want you to see my face. That you killed an unarmed man in cold blood."

He took in a shallow breath. "Then after, put a bullet in Negan's head for me. It's all I ask."

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

_ He's leaving… he's actually letting me do it? _

The girl didn't deem it possible that any more surprises from Carl would come, but his following actions truly caught her off guard. Lydia expected him to try and talk her down, do something stupid to save him… this time however, luck wasn't on Dwight's side. He trusted her to do the right thing when it came to getting rid of the Savior. Honestly, she almost couldn't fucking believe it. Nonetheless, she eyed off Carl as he slunk back into the bushes. His approval had been granted… the girl had convinced him this was the right thing.

The only thing left to do now… was convince herself. Something she figured she'd done ages ago, until the moment came to finish things.

Being on the same page with Carl wasn't a common thing these days, she should've been glad, she supposed. But somewhere deep down in her gut… now that it was happening... maybe-

Maybe Lydia wasn't sure if she wanted Carl to agree. Was she going too far? Were the both of them going too far?

It was too late. None of that was worth being concerned about now, Carl was gone. Now Lydia had to fix the mess they'd gotten themselves into from months back.

Dwight turned around, arms still raised as he slowly approached. Her gun jutted back out towards his head, before he finally stopped in front of her.

_ "So if you think you need to do it, then do it. But I want you to see my face. That you killed an unarmed man in cold blood." _

The gun shook in her hands worse than before, a nauseating sensation bubbled inside of her stomach, it felt hard to breath, like his mere presence was claustrophobic to her. The Savior was trying to make her feel guilty with his words, she could tell.

It was working.

No. She couldn't let it.

_ He might be unarmed, but he's not innocent. _ She told herself.

The girl thought back to how easily he dispatched those men of his when they first met, did they deserve to go out the way they did? Killed by someone they thought was with them. There were times were Lydia even felt ashamed to be apart of it, regretful that Dwight had conned her into it. If anything, she was giving him a taste of his own medicine. He deserved this, and it had to happen before he could do anymore damage. It had to.

_ "Then after, put a bullet in Negan's head for me. It's all I ask." _

Silence lingered in the air now, a palpable tension that shot cold and hot needles up her spine. Her breath was all over the place, which made it harder to steady the gun. Lydia was having trouble looking into that gross face of his, but she did nonetheless.

"I-" Lydia's voice was trapped in her throat, seemingly unsure of how she wanted to answer his request. "I'll try." To her shock, a mere second later her finger reacted on its own, like it was telling her to stop second guessing and just… do it.

** DO IT! **

The bullet was quick to punch through his forehead, tearing through the back of his skull along with some brain matter. As a harsh ** crack ** filled the air, her shoulders jolted upwards in response to the noise. Dwight fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Those eyes of his were still wide open, staring into the sky as a pool of blood fanned out around his head.

Lydia slowly lowered the gun, eyes settling on Dwight as she stood frozen.

She stared at the limp corpse for what seemed like an eternity, before the dizziness finally caught up to her. The girl's whole body felt heavy as she stumbled back a few steps, catching herself on a nearby tree stump, using it to keep herself upright. She coughed in spasms, feeling like she wanted to gag; all while trying to slow her breathing down. She couldn't help but watch in unease as Dwight violently twitched on the ground for a little bit; before the nerves in his system finally succumbed to the blood loss.

It was done.


	76. Trails, II

_12:11 PM - Two Hours Earlier - Streets of Jackson, approaching the gate_

**Dot [Ellie]**

It felt like a dream, sleeping in an _actual_ bed again. Being able to shower. Things she'd started to take for granted the first time they were here, but now were luxuries she felt like she'd been deprived of for so long. No bags under her eyes. No feeling of anxiety that the next second spent waking up would bring a walker or an infected crashing down on her, biting her throat out. No bandits wanting nothing more than to—

For once, in a very _long_ time, she felt at peace. Empty, still, but calm. Like the gentle breeze on the ocean, the storm from before far away. She had time to figure herself out, at least. Find her _'something to fight for'_ or whatever. And with how things were going between Clementine and her… well, she had enough to distract her from it. For now.

She knew that eventually she'd have to face it, to come to terms with what happened with the Fireflies and the cure. To confront Joel about what _really_ happened out there. But today was not going to be that day.

Today, she was gonna be happy.

That was how she'd ended up at Clementine's house, practically dragging her out for an afternoon of 'fun', as she put it. She'd been thinking about this since yesterday, figuring stuff out, working things out with Tommy and Andrea. She'd been amazed that they agreed to it. Of course, Andrea had laid out some conditions, but they weren't _bad_. At least they'd have something to fall back on if something goes wrong.

Her backpack weighed her down heavily, filled to the brim with 'supplies' for the trip. She made sure that Clementine grabbed a bunch of stuff of her own, just to make it seem less suspicious.

But now was the time to finally tell her what was going on. Or, at least, what they're doing. The first part, she was still working up to.

"Okay, so… I got a bit carried away with this, but trust me, I think you're gonna love it." She was saying excitedly, finally stopping in the middle of an intersection near the gates. She smiled goofily, this whole situation making her feel giddy. "We're going on one of the trails. Up into the mountains. See the whole place from up there."

She took in a breath, hoping that Clementine would agree to this last part. "Just you and me. It'll be like that time we went to the radio tower. Back in Pittsburgh, on the hill, remember? Except… nicer." She shrugged, nose scrunching. "Y'know what I mean."

**Art [Clementine]**

_Really?_ Clementine thought, crossing her arms. Helpless to a heartfelt smile.

Sunlight bathed the two of them from above, from the seam haze of thick clouds. It only clicked _then,_ standing next to that gate, when it really should've clicked minutes ago. Clem dragged and twisted her foot against the ground, all the while Ellie tried to sell her on something really fun and really _stupid._ For one, the thought of being on her own, somewhere like that, it had her heart leaping from her chest... For _another,_ the thought of being on her own with _Ellie,_ somewhere like _that_... It had her heart... _leaping from her chest._

She knew to say no, but then what? What was she gonna say? The cure was a bust. They'd made it through that whole fucking winter all on their own.

What was one trek through the woods?

"You know we're gonna get in trouble for this," Clem pointed out as coyly as possible. She still hadn't lost that wide, chirpy smile, - subdued, now, the way it was. Of course she wanted to go. "...Better make it count."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Clem's response was probably the best she was going to get to a 'yes', and Ellie was perfectly alright with that, a wide smile beaming on her face. "That's the plan, Orange," she replied with a chuckle, grabbing Clementine's hand in order to continue closer to the gate. She was all too aware that she hadn't told Lee or Joel about this at all, but… they would've stopped them. At least, if Andrea or Tommy bring it up to them, it'll be after they're already gone.

And so they reached the gate, and Ellie dropped Clementine's hand to quickly retrieve their weapons from the guy that was guarding it. Definitely not going out there unarmed. The guard hit them with a simple "don't be too long", which Ellie answered with a simple nod, intent on not fucking this chance up because she got snappy with him.

The instant they were on the road again, Ellie let out a calm breath. The wind rustled through the trees in a calm fashion, gentle and quiet. The ground had an inkling of water in it from the morning's rain, but otherwise seemed dry enough to walk on without getting muddy. It was a good day for a walk, really. She couldn't have gotten luckier.

Once the gate was out of sight behind them, Ellie broke the silence, flashing Clem next to her a soft smile. "I don't know why, but… out here feels more like home." _Like walls and people aren't. I'm weird, aren't I?_ "You sorta know what to expect, on the road. People and crowds are… harder."

She let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. "Am I making any sense? I feel like I'm not."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine bobbed her head to the side, letting the shortest giggle escape her lips. So they were _both_ nervous. _Good to know..._

Still, the girl gave thought to Ellie's ramble. Looking at her then, between all the sappy crap that ran through her head, something felt... super right. Not like Jackson had. Not even like the farm. Ever since those boots were too big to fit her, it was the one tiny and... gigantic thing Clem always wanted. Despite Mom and Dad giving her the world, the thing they couldn't replace no matter how they tried: a friend. Maybe even more than that...

Looking at Ellie then, Clementine felt at home.

'Course she wouldn't say that out loud, or she'd never hear the end of it.

Clem, throwing her famously better judgement _right out_ the metaphorical window, slowly lifted her palm, dubiously hovering it toward her left. She breathed long and hard, only to flush a deep red. _It's not hard. She just did it to you..._ Before she had the chance to hide that hand back in her pockets, Clementine held Ellie's hand in a lunge, all four fingers wrapped around hers. Wasn't an answer, but... she did get it. Ellie was making more sense now than she'd ever had.

Sweaty palms and all, Clem played it cool. She played it _the coolest._ Clementine forced a lopsided grin, pretending that hand-holding wasn't the biggest leap of faith in her whole teens by changing the subject faster than Ellie could say anything. "So? What'd you bring?"

She had a feeling that it wasn't fooling anyone.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Just like the day before, the instant Clementine held her hand, it felt so _vastly_ different than before. Enough to melt away any lingering worry or discomfort in an instant. Out here, with her, she didn't have to think about anything else. What happened out there, beyond the veil of mist covering the mountains, or what she'd talked about with Joel before, overlooking Jackson. That feeling of serenity meant everything to her.

To Clem's question, she answered it with a small smile, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Food. A pair of binoculars so we can take in the sights. About anything we'll need." Also included a radio, but that was Andrea's idea. Right now, she had it turned off, in case Joel or Lee decided to interrupt.

The trail began to grow thinner the further they trekked away from Jackson, steadily increasing in angle as it began to slope up to the mountains looming over the trees surrounding them. Nearby, a river ran perpendicular to the trail, a faint sound over the rustle of leaves and wildlife.

Her nervous smile eventually landed back on Clementine again, eyes somehow smiling too. "It's no trip to Norway, and we don't have any skis, but it's the best we got." Hell, she'd probably hang out in a _sewer_ if Clementine was there too. Having her walk this close to her, hand in hand, made it difficult to think about anything else, just how much she'd probably go through to stick by her side. Except maybe jump off a cliff, but… yeah. Neither of them would be doing anything like that anytime soon. But nevertheless, she'd go anywhere with her if she asked.

_To the edge of the universe. Endure and survive…_

**Art [Clementine]**

Walking up the long mountain trail, almost dragged on by Ellie's firm, but warmer hand, Clementine and her friend slowly reached the end of that endless slope. Sweat ran down her temple in sync with her longer, heavy breaths, but neither felt so obvious next to how stupid chipper she felt. Unlike most other cliffsides and mountain tops, the ones Clem had been lucky to see, it led to no road to speak of. From under her tattered boots, only lay a meadow that stretched as far as one could see. Not a single person or walker. Even the birds, loud as they once were, had gone as quiet as the sun. She liked to think they were the first ones there, _ever._

And the view wasn't that shabby either.

In the end, _in that great end,_ Clementine felt a little dumbstruck. Up there, the wind felt strong enough to knock her off her feet... But then again, with Ellie holding her like _that_, she doubted it'd ever happen.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The rest of the trek was spent in a comfortable silence, much like the one that had eventually befallen them on a similar trek through Pittsburgh. With Clementine's hand in her own, fingers intertwined, they could walk forever and Ellie wouldn't give two shits. The trail once more sloped higher and higher, digging into the side of the mountain, at least making the journey bearable. Eventually, the trail ended, and they continued onwards, towards the top. From here, the spring air was cooler, but not freezing, with fields of flowers blooming along the slopes, in between the patches of trees. It was here that Ellie finally felt free of every burden she'd been carrying around for the past year, and not just because she had Clementine there with her.

"Man… look at that view," Ellie breathed. The world stretched on for miles around them. The Jackson community, the dam nestled in between their mountain and the next, fields of green grass and tall trees, all on display in perfect clarity. Ellie found the flattest spot she could at the top of the mountain, letting go of Clementine's hand begrudgingly to drop her backpack to the ground.

She unzipped it quickly, pulling out a throw blanket she'd found in their house and laying it out on the ground, dropping her backpack on top of it to keep it from going anywhere. She fished out a few more things, namely two sandwiches placed in zip-loc bags and a couple paper bags of different fruits and stuff she managed to get from the market. Anything to make a decent picnic – or, at least, what she thought one would look like.

She set herself down next to her backpack, patting a spot next to her as she looked over at Clementine. "When was the last time you had a picnic?" She chuckled at the thought, grinning. "Or even hung out somewhere as cool as this?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem carefully sat right where Ellie'd hinted, soaking in every bit of fresh air while she was at it. The girl's hair locks, the few not kept in check by those _way too_ familiar pigtails, they soared when faced with the wind, like sails in the sea. When it came to the one wearing the hat that kept that huge lion's mane in check... She was grinning from ear to ear. "Pfft," Clementine mocked the thought, grabbing a sandwich for herself. "Never."

_Get outta town! I've never even had a picnic before!_

That's always been Ellie, though. Hadn't it? She was _all about_ stuff Clem had never even thought of doing before. This was... _wow,_ they were having lunch in the prettiest place **_ever_** with no one else in the world around. The amount of effort Ellie'd put into that whole day almost had her jaw dropped.

Overwhelmed and seriously lacking in what to say, it only made for an even serious_-er_ explosion of emotions, all way too _there_ not to put into words. Fact is, the longer Clem kept her mouth shut, the longer she felt guilty over the length Ellie went just to catch up and eat together.

"By the way... in case you're, like, wondering...?" For some reason, of all the ones she'd ever said, that sentence took the longest breath to say out loud. Nervousness flicking at the back of her head, like always, but never once enough for Clem to let go of the smile on her lips.

"Yes, this _is_ the coolest date ever. You're awesome."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Hearing it from Clementine, Ellie couldn't help but feel like her brain was spinning off its tracks, cheeks reddening with a fiery heat. Ellie knew what this was going to be, what she _wanted_ it to be, but Clementine knowing that too… she thought she'd have more time to figure this stuff out, but she wouldn't take back what happened for anything in the world. She smiled like an idiot, gaze trailing down towards Clementine's lips, before she forced herself to quickly look away, taking a bite out of her sandwich. When she finished swallowing the bite, she turned back towards Clementine with a softer smile.

"I'm- glad you like it," she said warmly, fingers brushing against and twirling around the fabric of the blanket beneath her as if to keep herself occupied. She felt as if she could float away right then, propelled onwards by the irregular, intense rhythm of her heartbeat. How one little sentence could make her feel that way, Ellie would probably never understand, but it felt fucking _awesome_. Everything about this did.

She wanted to say something else, something interesting or funny to make the girl laugh, but her brain was already starting to refuse to work with her, repeating Clementine's words over and over like a broken record. She wanted this for so long, dreamed about it, but actually having it…? It felt surreal. Like she was still in the dream, still put under by the anesthetic given to her by the Fireflies, and everything that happened after she woke had been nothing but that.

That thought left an aching feeling in the pit of her stomach.

**Art [Clementine]**

The quiet of the wind calmed her nerves, even when it seemed like nothing else could. They were on a _date._ A for real, _'two-people-who-like-each-other'_ kind of date. The shorter girl chomped on the sandwich while her nerves went a little haywire, secretly planning out the next step.

Just when it'd failed work to proper, Clementine's mind skimmed through the only thing she really knew about that sort of thing: A short list of romance novels. They were always 'boy and girl,' but it was the same... principle, right? Flowers and chocolates. Flirty comments that were super not appropriate. Holding hands and ending with a kiss. _K - Kiss? How do you...?_

_Ugh. What am I doing?_

Before long, she was all out of sandwich. Clementine smiled as softly as she could, and decided confidently that she was overthinking it. I mean- It was hard not to when it was her first time doing this freaking romance stuff. Not to mention Ellie wasn't, like... exactly the Prince Charming she always used to picture.

Clem breathed, almost forgetting to, and gave Ellie a tepid look. Funny or not, she'd gone just as silent. But not a 'should I kiss my best friend' silent. It was... well, she knew what it was. The way it dawned on her, Clementine let her smile waver for a little while.

She hunched just a tad closer, looking over her weird crush with watchful eyes. It all went back to the thing she'd told her. That... if you gave it a shot, things could... be good again. Maybe even better. The thing she wanted for her friend, more than anything else. Clem really believed in it, even when the whole rest of the world kept saying 'no.'

"Did it get better...?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie met Clementine's golden gaze with her own, lips pursed in what could be described as half a smile and half a frown. It didn't take long to figure out what Clem was talking about, those comforting words that she'd said the day before.

The truth was, there was still an emptiness left behind in the wake of what happened with the Fireflies, but… being with her friend again, it helped her forget it. At least for a little while. But, was it getting better? She wanted to say yes, and not just because of… _this_. The cure might not be in the cards anymore, but at least she had a shot at having a home, one that she'd eventually learn to live in. With her best freaking friend by her side, she'd do anything to give that a shot.

Wallowing in self-pity and regret was never really her thing, but it'd consumed her over the past year, with Riley and Tess and everything else that happened on the way to get here. She didn't want that to be who she was, someone stuck in the past when she should be living for whatever future awaited her. That's what Riley would've wanted for her, and what Joel _still_ wanted for her.

_"No matter what, you keep finding something to fight for."_

Taking in a deep breath, she let it out while she spoke. "It is." She reached out for Clementine, pulling her into an embrace, and burying her face into the girl's shoulder. _"Thank you."_

**Art [Clementine]**

When Ellie squished her into Clementine paste, the girl could only smile and return the hug. It only started kicking in _then_ how outrageously fucking great that one moment felt, and in some way or other, it made her happy to know Ellie felt it too. Her arms tightened around her friend - the hardest they could - and by the time they had, Clementine already had her eyes shut, letting that hush sink in.

And it did. Clem's smile grew wider than ever while her chin rubbed against Ellie's shoulder. The longer it lasted, the more her body melted into jelly. Now that the back of her head had gone quiet, the novels in her room felt all the more louder. They reined in her thoughts in one soft grip, and like the rest of her, they dissolved into a whisper.

_"Love you."_

It stayed quiet for another four seconds. Until Clementine woke up from her mushy trance, and her eyes nearly popped out.

The girl grimaced like she'd never had before, features twisting into shock, and fear, and the worst type of embarrassment. Somehow it'd slipped out like it was nothing, but it was _way fucking more than that,_ and Clem freaked the hell out. Her arms went numb and her heart jumped all the way up to her throat. _Please, please, please, please. Tell me I didn't just-_

Her voice cracked and trembled. "Did you...?"

She blindly hoped she'd only imagined it, or at least said it under her freaking breath. But being next to Ellie's ear and all... It was _out there._ Taking it slow had just crashed against a concrete wall, and Clementine felt a hair away from rolling off the cliff where Ellie would never find her body.

Her thoughts went right back to her stupid books, and how she'd light them all on fire for this.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Once again, in that moment where Clementine's arms wrapped around her, all those shitty things dwelling at the back of her mind faded away. How much she wished that they'd be gone forever, but life didn't work that way. So instead, she only hugged Clementine tighter, hearing her soft voice in her ear.

The words she said, though, nearly shocked her into a stupor. It was something she had never really expected to hear from her, let alone fully understand _her own_ feelings towards her. She'd said that she loved Clementine before, in an off-hand kind of way, but now that it was being said back to her, Ellie couldn't help but blush, mind going haywire to think of a response.

It wasn't long before Clementine spoke again, her voice cracking nervously. Ellie pulled away slightly, just enough to take in her face. Like a strange sense of fate, her body seemed to move on its own accord, leaning in before Ellie could stop herself.

Her lips met Clementine's softly, as if trying to encourage the baseball-capped girl that what she'd said was okay, and wordlessly convey everything she would've stumbled over to say.

**Art [Clementine]**

When Ellie first pulled away, Clementine's chest went off like a church bell. The redhead stared straight at her, and what those green eyes of hers said, she couldn't hope to imagine. Clem, she fought to break that gaze away, worried out of her mind. Her lips parted to show off her teeth, while so many faint sounds fought to leave them. Thanks to the other girl, they never stood a chance to.

Ellie leaned in only an inch closer and pressed her lips against hers', lifting that baseball cap until it nearly fell off her head. Eyes shooting wide, Clem couldn't hope to react in time, let alone _at all._ Ellie's kiss froze her in time in every possible way, and she stayed that way long after Ellie's mouth only brushed hers, and the two finally broke apart.

For a fleeting moment, she really was a little speechless. More than a little.

Clementine blinked once, hands glued to her friend's back, unsure of where else to go. Everything _about_ Clementine felt unsure. Enough so that even the grin on her face looked confused and misplaced.

She sure as hell didn't know what to say _now._

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie eventually pulled away, opening her eyes and smiling apologetically. It was hard to decipher exactly what Clementine was feeling at that moment, between how frozen she'd felt and that unsure smile on her face. Ellie's cheeks burned brighter in response, rubbing her hand nervously in response.

"Sorry… too much?" She found herself saying, her smile just as unsure, as if she'd done something wrong. She couldn't help but feel similarly to how she did in that cabin, embarrassed to the point of wanting to get up and run away, but something held her back. Because, while maybe she _had_ gone too far, knowing that she liked her back made it easier to swallow that kissing her wasn't going to ruin whatever they had.

If it did, then she'd probably never forgive herself for it, for not letting things simmer before taking it to something like a kiss…

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine snickered a little too loudly, stuck with the same dopey expression. She mouthed a half-dozen words that barely amounted to a single mutter, both hands then resting on her thighs for as long as her smile came and went. Her mumbles ended in place of a long exhale, warm enough to melt ice.

_... So that's what that's like._

Clem shot Ellie a timid glance, missing every bit of the pazazz it used to have. Once the drums ringing in her ears sunk to a steady pace, she forced a tiny smirk and nodded gingerly. Her fingers pulled the brim of her hat down, back where it was before, and then some. Hiding her eyes where Ellie couldn't see. "Never done that before..."

It wasn't quite the romantic comeback she had in mind. But then, Clementine felt way past the point of pretending to be smooth.

**Dot [Ellie]**

That response washed away any sense of worry or regret Ellie had been clinging onto, smiling just as widely as Clementine snickered. Look at them. They were both just… not prepared for this at all. Being suave and romantic was reserved for those that weren't being consumed by butterflies, but Ellie sure as shit was gonna try. What did she have to lose? She was nicknamed 'Stupid' for a reason.

So, like the stupid girl she was, she reached out for Clementine's hands, voice surprisingly unwavering in its warm tone. "Speaking of things we've never done before…"

It only lasted for that one sentence, though, practically turning into a croaky mess the instant she said the next half. "I've- never asked anyone to be my girlfriend before."

She paused, almost dumbstruck by how ridiculous it sounded, eventually causing herself to snort loudly. "Wow, okay… that was… I am _so_ sorry, that's so bad–"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine let out a soft gasp that kept her cheeks in a bright hue. Her eyes fell, at first, only to fly again upward in the most evident shape of overwhelmed. While Ellie rambled about, she caught herself giggling right back. Clem's fingers practically wrapped themselves around the blades of grass, all while she bought time to give a proper answer.

"I've... _also..._ never had a girlfriend," she mused. Eyes back to the green below, and away from the green that stared her in the face. "So..."

"I think I - I, uh... you know..." Clementine's face had never been warmer; sweat boiling and nostrils steaming like a locomotive. She tried a playful tone, as if it'd ward off the shyness that kept her mouth from moving. Right then, she needed every bit of that courage she could muster. "... If there was a girl out there who had _super cute_ freckles and... always made me laugh, _any time..."_ That wide smile was stuck to her lips, crumbling into chuckles at times when she couldn't help herself. After a while, words felt like they were leaving on their own. "I'd want her to hold my hand too, sometimes. And -"

"Take me out to eat _terrible_ sandwiches on top of a mountain." The voice she'd put on to make that jab, it was gone in about an instant. Before anything else, Clementine breathed in, lest she forget to. Her amber eyes landed on Ellie, a glance long overdue. "And kiss me when I'm not expecting it."

"And, I'd... also want her to call me her girlfriend. When there's not that many people around," she lovingly confessed, though not without almost rolling her eyes.

None of it was how she'd pictured it, but Clem felt like she'd cleared enough air to form a world-ending tornado.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Everything Clementine just said had Ellie feeling as if she could float away, straight up into the stratosphere. Her face started to hurt just from smiling, a feeling she _much_ preferred over bruises and cuts. Feeling like that, for the first time, she never wanted to let it go, hold onto it as tightly as she could. Eventually, though, she'd have to.

Like every moment that had come before, her instincts took over, and she leaned in, saying softly, "How's this for unexpected?" Without missing a beat, she finished the maneuver, her lips connecting with Clementine's in a deeper kiss.

**Art [Clementine]**

As Ellie leaned closer again, slowly - both their noses touching intimately - so had Clementine. Eyes shut in anticipation and tingles running down her neck, she met with Ellie's lips restlessly, and they knocked all wind from her lungs. Ellie robbed Clementine of her smirk with a second kiss.

It was warm and _really_ soft, somehow all kinds of sweet, like nothing she'd ever felt or tasted before. Clementine grazed one hand below Ellie's ear and did what she could to keep up. It was sloppy, nervous, just as it was passionate. Like the type from someone who'd never done it before, never even seen how one looks like in real life. As if Ellie couldn't have figured out as much, this far in.

Before ever drawing back and falling to shallow breaths, the caress of their lips had already knocked out every single thought from her mind, one by one.

If not for that, she'd still be wondering how that spunky girl from Pittsburgh made her heart skip a beat.

**Dot [Ellie]**

This was everything she wanted and more, as sloppy and ridiculous their kiss was. Neither of them had ever gone this far - _save for maybe one too many practice rounds on a pillow, before, y'know, leaving Boston_ \- and the sheer lack of skill in it somehow made it all the more sweeter. Pure.

She was so close to deepening the kiss when Clementine pulled away to take in a breath, so much so that Ellie yearned to connect them again the instant Clem caught it, but that chance was cut short by a piercing echo of a gunshot reverberating through the valley below, practically seizing her in her spot on the blanket, already in the process of ducking her head down.

By the time it passed into a distant echo, Ellie pushed herself to her feet, looking towards Clementine with hesitant eyes.

It was just a single gunshot. Who'd fire a weapon unless they were in trouble? It's not like someone's hunting with a pistol.

Hastily, Ellie began to throw everything back into her backpack, waiting for her friend to stand up too so she could grab the blanket.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Fear underlined her tone; whatever was going on, it wasn't good.

**Art [Clementine]**

Her eyes shot open. Clem's face had gone pale, while the rest of her body fought to respond. Nothing good crossed her mind. And wistfully, the fact that the gunshot had cut their kiss short felt like the least of her problems. The rifle strapped to her backpack lay between her fingers soon enough, and if the noise wasn't the sign of a problem, she had a hunch it would bring one toward them. "Yeah," she mumbled to the other girl, ready to follow.

**Dot [Ellie]**

With everything packed back into her backpack, she slung it over her shoulders, hands already hovering over her pistol she led them back down the trail. Her fingers flipped on the switch on her radio, the faint sound of chatter between patrol groups filling the wind-filled ambiance in the air.

Nothing about the gunshot. Maybe they'd been the only ones to hear it.

Whatever the case, she'd be sure to bring it up to Andrea when they got back to Jackson. That is, if whoever was out there didn't come across them first.


	77. Trails, III

_3:38 PM - Jackson's Main Gate_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The trip back to Jackson was spent in a tenuous silence. For Ellie, she couldn't help but worry over that gunshot they'd heard earlier. Who'd just go around firing off a single shot? With a pistol? You don't fire a gun at an infected unless you're being swarmed, and you don't hunt with a pistol, so… there were only a few logical options left, and none of them she liked.

Keeping close to Clementine, though, helped put her at ease.

The gates eventually came back into sight, and Ellie subtly began to put some space between them as they approached. That one guy that usually manned the gate was there still, muttering something about taking too long to come back, though Ellie just ignored him. Right now, she had more pressing matters to attend to, like not getting caught by Joel or Lee. Maybe even see if anyone knew about that gunshot while she was at it.

Once the gates closed behind them, Ellie let out a sigh of relief, turning towards Clementine with a weary smile. "Home sweet home," she deadpanned, kicking a rock down the road. "C'mon, before-"

In that instant, she practically froze, her eyes falling onto the distant figure of Lee heading towards them. She practically wanted to grab Clem by the arm and haul her away, as if doing so would get them out of whatever situation was about to come up since they _disappeared_ for a while, but something told her that would only make things worse.

She let out a sigh instead, shaking her head. "Okay, nevermind…"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee had been loitering near the front gate for… who knew how long. A day that he thought would be rather stress-free had turned out to be the complete opposite. Clementine had gone outside of the walls with Ellie, _without_ even telling him. What frustrated him even more was that everyone seemed to know about this already, even the people on watch. Luckily, he was told that they at least had radios on them, Lee asked if he could use one of the guard's ones.

After nearly getting into a damned argument with the man on watch over it, he reluctantly handed over the radio for Lee to use… only for the kids to not even answer him. What else could Lee think but the worst?

Though, just as it seemed that full panic mode was about to set in. Relief soon overcame him when he saw two shady looking figures strolling back inside through the gate.

"Clementine!" He called out before she could slip away into the cluster of crowds on the streets, strolling up to the duo. "I've been trying you on the radio for a solid half hour. Why didn't you tell me you were going out today?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine could sense something bad brewing when she saw Lee was the first person waiting at the gate. Was he mad...? The wince the girl returned gave away how she felt, like his eyes were peering at her and stabbing at her heart. And still, the more Lee talked down to her, the angrier she got. Clem lowered her head and crossed one arm, wishing she could disappear to another corner of the world. "We were just out on patrol."

"It's not a big deal."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

How dismissive she was about the whole thing, it left him annoyed. Taking off without even saying so much as a word, it wasn't like her.

_Not a big deal._

Of course it wasn't to her, but she should've at least expected he'd be worried sick. Right now she was just lucky that he was too relieved over her return to grill her that much over it.

_At least in front of Ellie._

"Yeah, but keeping your radio off?" He retorted, holding up the radio that was in his hand, waving it slightly in her face. "_That's_ a big deal. We need to know where you guys are out there."

"Just, next time- can you keep it on?" If not for her safety, then at least for his own health.

**Art [Clementine]**

"I'm sorry," she added while shooting glances at the ground, not a sliver less dismissive. It was so cool to get a moment away from school, and the community... _and Lee,_ but it never did last. She just wanted to yell about how unfair it was: how they were always getting watched, all the time. But Clementine knew why.

"I know you're worried 'cause of last time... but-" She dropped it, flinching instead of saying more. Even Clem knew it wasn't her place to.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She knew it was coming the moment they stepped foot out of Jackson earlier that day, but it didn't go down like she expected _at all_. Ellie listened to Lee and Clementine go back and forth, taking a step back like she was being punished, though as the situation seemed to calm down, Ellie took a step forward once more, clearing her throat.

"Next time, we'll leave it on. Promise." Ellie wasn't sure if she'd hold to that, but… she'd at least _try_. With that hopefully taken care of, she took in a deep breath, looking towards Clementine. "I gotta find Andrea real quick. Meet you tonight?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee sighed out as Clementine bid Ellie farewell. At the very least he wouldn't have to worry anymore... for today. The man just hoped another stunt like this wasn't gonna become a thing.

"C'mon then, we'd better be getting home," he spoke, almost as if he was exhausted. With that, the duo made their way back into the depths of Jackson.

* * *

_5:00 PM - Carl's House_

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The girl's nerves were still wound tight, head spinning with doubt. Lydia kept to herself in the streets, not daring to look anyone in the eye out of fear of having to start a conversation. She wasn't up for any of that now, after having to come up with some piss poor excuse at the gate as to why Dwight decided he wanted to go further out alone. Lydia knew it wouldn't be long before they caught on, and the girl was dreading that moment.

Finally, the blonde turned the corner to see Carl's house, eyeing off his front door warily.

_Can't... what if Andrea answers?_

The mere thought of that was enough to deter her; instead, she opted for the window. Specifically, the one beside Carl's room. After casually strolling over to the side of the house, Lydia checked over her shoulder a few times. Nothing.

On the tip of her toes, she tried to peek inside, but his stupid blinds were down. She let out a frustrated sigh through gritted teeth, before knocking on his window three times.

"Carl!" She whispered harshly, a tinge of apprehension in her tone. _Please be here._

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl lied in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't tired, but he didn't know what else to do. He hadn't even taken his _shoes_ off. He thought of Lydia, and of Dwight. Deciding he wouldn't miss the two-face, it wasn't that that had him hung up. He was at a loss as to what they were going to do next. Eventually, someone would put two-and-two together. What would Lydia do then? He was technically an accomplice. It wouldn't be right not to step up, if she got found out. _If._ But would it be enough? Would they get thrown out of Jackson for this?

He almost scowled at the thought. _He and Lydia_ getting kicked out over the life of someone like _Dwight._ It would be stupid if they got hung for nothing less than everyone's best interests; totally ridiculous. The only thing that kept his stomach in a knot was the knowledge that Tommy often saw things differently than he did. 'The civility of the community was what made Jackson so great,' he'd always say. Not good for them at all. And If Lydia got in trouble…

He would stand up for her. _Right?_

Suddenly, a knock on the window had him flying out of the bed. Before he'd even stopped to think, he had his knife in his hands and his eyes on the blinds, but he couldn't see who was outside. Slowly, he crept over to the window and peeked through to see a head of vibrant blonde hair. _Oh, thank goodness._

He moved the blinds to the side and opened the window, eyeing Lydia down. "What are you doing here?" He asked apprehensively, eyeing the street and buildings in the immediate vicinity.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

A wave of relief washed over her as a familiar head stuck itself out of the window. It was a bit sudden for her to be rocking up to his house out of nowhere, she knew that. So when he asked _why_ she was here, the girl hesitated to respond. Just how was she going to explain this without, well… sounding like a needy and paranoid wreck? Putting herself out there and showing vulnerability to someone, even Carl, always made her chest tighten with anxiety. All of that uncertainty could wait, because Lydia was desperate now.

"Can I… come in?" She asked sheepishly, the ramifications of her actions had long begun to set in, along with intense paranoia. What would happen if they found out she murdered Dwight? It frightened the fucking hell out of her. Of course, she could just go and sit in her room _alone_ with only her thoughts to occupy her. But would she be able to cope? Lydia really didn't want to find out. "I just-" Forming full sentences suddenly became hard. Eventually, Lydia realised she was past the point of caring if she embarrassed herself.

"I can't be alone right now…"

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl's breathing caught in his throat. He could see it in her face that she was in quite the state; he should have expected her to be here. There was no one else for her to confide in. With one last glance around, he stuck his hand out of the window to pull her in. "Hurry up, then! No one else is here right now, everyone's still working," he hissed. He wasn't sure how to feel about Dwight's death as an afterthought, but he knew that didn't matter anymore. He'd made the decision and now they were going to deal with it.

As soon as he pulled her through the window, he closed it and dropped the blinds. It wouldn't do to be drawing any attention. He couldn't say when Andrea would be back, but it would probably be sooner than later. With any luck she wouldn't bother them anyways.

Shaking his head, he pushed that from his mind. The only thing that really mattered right now was Lydia, and what he and Lydia were going to do. He gulped and met her eyes, feeling an odd fear as he looked into them. "Lydia…" He began tentatively, reaching out and squeezing her shoulders gently. "Are you okay?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

After being hauled through the window, Lydia went and seated herself on the edge of his bed without a word, hands in her lap. There was a spaced-out stare directed towards her feet that could make one think that the girl's head was in another dimension. Lydia had killed people that deserved it before, slept like a damn baby those same nights, so why was this one different?

_Was she okay?_ The question rang in her mind for a moment… She was a lot of things, 'okay' probably not one of them. She didn't answer, instead letting silence fill out the room. "You could've tried stopping me, but you didn't." Lydia quietly mumbled; out of all the things she expected from Carl, he'd finally managed to exceed her expectations... and she had no clue how to feel about it.

"Do you regret it?" She finally looked up into his concerned eye, uncertainty on her face.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

The last thing Carl had expected Lydia to say happened to be one of the things at the forefront of his mind, oddly enough. He really wasn't sure what to say; he hadn't yet decided on an answer. Part of him almost _needed_ to know if what Dwight was saying had been true - and he supposed he would, in a week or two. If Negan really showed up. He wanted to trust that Lydia was right and that they'd relieved the community of a great danger... And he didn't know what he'd do if he was wrong.

Really, it was the only path he had left to believe in. He stepped away from her and paced across the room, crossing his arms and taking a long moment to gather his words. "I don't know if killing Dwight was the right thing to do," he finally said. "Whatever happens next will come regardless of how I feel, so I'd rather think about it as little as possible. After all…" He paused, turning back to his friend. "He's already dead, now."

A sudden thought occurred to him. "Do _you_ regret doing it?" He felt a sudden selfishness, for not considering how she felt. Maybe he really _should_ have stopped her, for her sake.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia wanted nothing more than to just block off her thoughts, that's what made it so hard. There was no way she could simply just 'think about it as little as possible.' She wasn't wired like that, at least not to the extent that Carl was… or anyone else for that matter. Thinking too much until she was on the verge of being fucking sick to her stomach, that was all her. A nasty trait the girl wished she could make disappear.

This time Carl hadn't reeled her back or told her to stop. He had left her to make her own choice with Dwight. Lydia continued to stare at her feet, brushing a strand of hair out of her eye. There were a lot of things she regretted doing in her life, but was killing the 'reformed' Savior one of them?

Only time would tell.

"Look. I don't know, but-"

She sighed out, straightening her posture to the best of her ability before looking up to face the other teen. "Someone might come eventually…" Lydia spoke worryingly, dreading the inevitable. Questions about why Dwight wasn't going to be coming back tonight, they were going to be asked for sure.

"If they do. I just- don't want you getting involved, like at all. Alright?" Lydia hoped he'd agree since he wasn't meant to be out there in the first place. Last thing she needed was him risking getting caught too.

**King Caw [Carl Grimes]**

Carl couldn't help but scowl. "I don't know if that'll be okay. I mean, what are you planning on telling them?" Of all things, he hadn't anticipated her wanting him to stay out of it. "I was scheduled to go out in the same direction as you were today. If they ask questions about me and you can't answer them, where does that put us? I really don't think we have much of a choice here." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I think we should come clean and tell them what happened."

_What?_ He could hardly believe the words as they came out of his mouth, but he made no effort to correct himself. After a second of hesitation he continued, "If we just tell them what happened, they might understand." Now, he felt less sure of the idea, but it had already been brought up. He left out the fact that he wanted - _needed_ \- to know if Dwight had been honest. Once they confirmed that Dwight was just some weasel, he could rest easy. But only then. And if they had made a terrible mistake…

He tried his best not to think about it.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia could feel her stomach twisting and turning. Like always, he saw it one way, she saw it another. The simple thought of coming clean about her actions and having to deal with the fallout afterwards… it was enough to make her feel more physically ill than she already did right now.

She'd been rather timid up until this moment, the boy doing well to instill a sense of immediate urgency with his suggestion. The girl's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets as she jolted to face him.

"Fuck that!" She raised her voice in a suppressed hush. "Are you _trying_ to get us locked up?" She stood up now, realizing how riled up this was making her. Lydia took a moment to try and compose herself, deciding to lower her tone.

"I **shot** that guy point blank in the fucking head. Do you get that? I mean- fuck, Carl, his hands weren't even down. No way people like them are just gonna 'understand.'" Lydia was pacing around the room now, staring at the floor as she spoke. There was no fucking way she was going to try and goody-two-shoes her way out of this one by fessing up. Lydia knew what she'd done, the consequences that followed were something she intended to avoid.

"That's why I'm not telling them _anything_, and you-" The aggression in her eyes quickly subsided as her face dropped in response to the sound of keys jingling, interrupting her speech. Even from this room they could hear the front door being opened by someone she could only assume was...

_Here we go…_


	78. Nothing But Outsiders, I

_ 10:21 AM - May 2, 2026 - East side of the dam _

** King Caw [Carl Grimes] **

Carl could hardly believe it, but he had no choice as the days slipped by. They had managed to go without consequence - so far. For the moment, it was almost as if nothing was different - and although taking his mind off of Dwight would be difficult, he was already starting to feel a little relieved. Now he stood beside Lydia, Clementine, and Ellie, just outside of the fire escape door behind the pantry, and he had a problem in front of him he could actually solve.

The springtime sun bore down on them, but the air was cool and crisp. The door locked from the inside, so all they could do was wait for the person who they were supposed to be helping. His name was… Benjie, Carl remembered. Stretching his arms up and staring at the sky, he decided it didn't matter so much - they would find out in a few minutes regardless.

As a few minutes stretched longer and longer, however, he began to get impatient. He was about to break the silence, which had gone from comfortable to awkward, but a distant rumbling caught his ear before he said anything. It was getting louder. Glancing at the others, it was obvious that they had also noticed. "Do you think that's him?" He asked no one in particular.

By now, the rumbling was nearly a roar, and the sharp sound of sticks and bushes being run over filled the air. Hesitantly, Carl began to reach for his gun, but before he'd grabbed it a large, red tractor came plowing through the forest and into the clearing. Benjie howled from the cab as he brought the machine to a screeching halt, sending a fair amount of dirt tumbling out of the bucket. All brooding thoughts left his mind when he saw the man's pale, waxy face.

"Hey! Glad you guys could make it, I really am." He clambered out of the seat with all the grace of a gorilla, landing hard on the ground with a grimace. "It makes my job take much less time, you see. As a matter of fact, I've done all I need to do, so it's up to you." His eyes slid down to his feet for a second, and then he remembered what he was going to say. "Besides tell you what to do," he finished with a weak laugh. "Is everyone ready? Because I'm ready. To get out of here, that is."

Carl couldn't help but snicker, despite fighting not to. Some people thought Benjie was overbearing, but he was a hoot regardless. "I think we're ready as we can be." Carl said cheerfully, following him to the wall.

"Great, great, I love the enthusiasm… Look over here then, look." He pointed at a spot down the wall. "You can see the depression in the ground there, right? Good. So, you need to put all of this dirt in the hole. If you don't, the pantry is gonna flood, and we'll all starve. So it's real important, right? But you just gotta fill a hole with dirt." Already, he was unlocking the pantry door with a key from his keyring, talking over his shoulder. "You got some shovels right about… here…" He went into the dark room and brought out four shovels, throwing them on the ground and dusting himself off. "Alright, kiddies. You can do this. Just fill that hole. With dirt. Sound good? I've gotta run along now, so… behave!" He gave them a weak smile and went into the pantry, leaving the door cracked behind him.

There was a breadth of silence. Turning to the girls, he chuckled softly. "Well, that sounds simple enough. Good thing it's a great day, huh?" He tried to be cheerful, for Lydia's sake - She probably was a hell of a lot more bent than he was, and being around the other two girls probably didn't make her feel any better. He'd have to walk on eggshells around her today, just so as to avoid problems.

** Art [Clementine] **

Clem picked up a shovel painted in layers of dust, staring at it with scorn, wishing to be anywhere else but there. Even kids had to earn their stay, right...?

It'd been a boring, slow burn of a morning. Everyone there had to meet in class _ way _ earlier than usual, crossing empty streets while the rest of the world remained in a silent slumber. Clem had an earful of drills and instructions that seemed to go on forever, words and phrases no student hadn't heard billions of times. The rush meant breakfast had been held up, leaving Clementine to fight off a rumble in her stomach louder than the growls of any infected. Now sunlight battled the cold to see which one could make shovelling dirt for an hour the most agonizing.

Somehow this felt like punishment for what'd happened a few days ago, but no one would say, and neither of them were brave enough to imply.

She'd lifted a second shovel off the ground, after Ellie and Carl had grabbed theirs. As Lydia approached with eyes as tired as hers, Clem saw it fit to reach out and hand it to her, a soft smile on her lips. "Bet I can dig up more dirt than you." Following Carl's lead, she tried throwing some banter around to lighten up the mood. Asking Lydia not to _ ignore her _ all day would've been too forward.

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

Lydia could only dodge and weave social interaction so much this week, she supposed. It felt torturous, not knowing if Andrea was on to her or not. For all Lydia knew, she was concocting a plan with Tommy to get her into the office for more questioning right now. The body, there was no time to get rid of it… was probably still out in the open… getting consumed by maggots. Maybe a walker would come along and make the Savior unrecognizable by the time they rolled up on the body. Not like she could go back out there and try to find it again, getting caught out there was too big of a risk since she had no runs scheduled for the rest of the week, which was odd; her name was usually on there once a week at the minimum.

More shitty thoughts to occupy her mind while she was here… shovelling dirt.

Carl seemed to be in a good mood, Clementine more _ annoyingly _ so. She snatched the shovel out of the other girl's hands, rolling her eyes. "With _ those _ tiny arms?" The blonde scoffed, before trudging onwards to the mound of dirt nearby. At this point in time she'd grown to _ tolerate _ Clementine, that would be the most she'd be willing to admit. Still, it didn't make it any less uncomfortable to be here. _ Especially _ with Ellie now back.

The girl rammed the shovel down into the mound, scooping some of the dirt up and plopping it into the hole next to her. "The actual shittiest job in Jackson, can't believe they put me here." She complained to no one in particular, rinsing and repeating her previous actions.

** Dot [Ellie] **

Benjie's explanation on what they were doing had Ellie's head spinning in circles, but she thought she had a grasp on it. Dig up dirt, strengthen the integrity of the whatever, and keep doing that until they tell you to stop. It sounded like hell, but… she'd survive it. She'd survived worse.

She smiled slightly at Clementine's jab at Lydia, which quickly turned into a frown the instant Lydia replied. It wasn't the worst thing she'd ever said, but it was enough to remind her that the girl hated their guts, and that Ellie probably still did, too. Still, she kept her mouth shut, hoping to keep the peace for _ once _ since she'd met the blonde. And if Clementine was okay with her enough to make jokes, then maybe it was time for her to try and get along. Worst thing that'll happen is that Lydia refuses to do so, but if that ended up happening, then whatever. Guess it just wasn't meant to be.

So, she opened her mouth to reply to the girl's complaint with a faint smile, the first genuine one she'd sent the blonde since the campfire. "I don't know, still beats shoveling _ actual _ shit, I'm sure."

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

There was still bad blood there, fostered by the litany of shit that happened between them all of those months back. It was enough for Lydia to still be wary around Ellie's presence, though she couldn't help but notice that something was _ off _ with the redhead. At the gate, even _ before _ she'd spotted Lydia, the girl had a sour face, lacking the usual spark in it, a vast difference to how she quite frankly couldn't shut up at the campfire when they'd first met.

_ Maybe it's just because I'm here, it's not rocket science. _

"I guess," Lydia replied, shrugging, before glancing over to the girl, who was flashing her a smile, one that she couldn't tell was forced or not. She was trying, both her _ and _ Clementine. So… maybe it was time that Lydia started trying too, at least to make this next hour less painful.

"So…" Lydia continued, feeling herself cringe at her efforts to make conversation. "Didn't think you'd be back this soon." Of course, it came out a tad blunt. _ Still as shit as you were a couple months ago at this… _

"I mean, I thought you were on some… pilgrimage or whatever… to the Fireflies." She recalled what Clementine said a while back, that her and Tommy's brother tried to keep looking for the Fireflies. That it was unlikely Ellie would ever be back. Now they _ were _ back… why?

Call Lydia nosy, but she wanted to find out.

"What changed?"

** Dot [Ellie] **

Ellie struck the ground with the shovel, ripping out clumps of soil and dropping it where it needed to be against the wall. Lydia sent questions her way while she did this, questions that Ellie couldn't really answer. The truth was a secret, one that wasn't worth protecting anymore, but she still didn't feel inclined to share it. Whatever _ really _ happened with the Fireflies was something she wasn't fully aware of yet. Just whatever Joel had told her on that car ride back to Jackson.

But still, she gave the girl an answer in a calm tone, weakened only by the exertion from digging out her next batch of dirt. "They're dead." It was a lie, or perhaps not, she wasn't really sure. She had her suspicions though. "The trip was for nothing," she continued softly, eyes unable to lift themselves from the soil as she dropped it, compacting it with her shovel.

"And with Clementine and Lee here, and Tommy, I guess… there wasn't anywhere else to go." She finished, frowning.

Thinking about it brought up bad memories, of things she wished she could forget. Faces: bloodied ones, frightened ones, nothing but minced flesh and bones ones. The feeling of freezing to death. Being lost in a daze, much like the one already taking hold of her now.

All that violence and horrors they'd faced getting here, they'd left their toll on her, much more than she would've ever realized back in Boston. She carried herself like she knew what she was doing, but in reality, for months she'd been so lost. Dependent on others to keep her alive, to keep her happy, to make her forget the things she'd endured and survived. Even now. Losing the Fireflies and the cure only made it worse, and that feeling of her stomach dropping caught up to her when she least expected it.

It was safe to say that she had nothing more to say on the subject, instead focusing on digging up the next pile of dirt.

** King Caw [Carl Grimes] **

Once they'd gathered their collective tools, Carl began shoveling the dirt from the pile into the hole by the wall. For a second he wondered how the hole had gotten there in the first place, but Lydia's sour attitude brought him from his idle thoughts. He continued working, albeit slowly - She seemed to be making more of a fuss than he'd expected.

Watching the head of blonde hair in the corner of his eye, he elected to stay silent when Ellie replied. He breathed a sigh of relief when Lydia took it kindly enough, and a dash of hope began to creep up that they might end up getting along well today. As she asked her questions, he turned back to his shovel, but he listened intently.

Truth-be-told, he also really wanted to know what the whole story was.

As Ellie replied, however, he paused. _ They're dead? What the hell does that mean? _ She said it as if it were the simplest thing in the world, but it most definitely was not. How could it have been all for nothing?

Turning to reply to her, Carl's gaze softened when he saw the look on her face. It almost reminded him of someone's face once they've come to terms with a bullet wound, and he had to tear his eyes away. _ Maybe I shouldn't ask too many questions… _ Only, the words were already on the tip of his tongue. "Well… I don't know what happened out there, but aren't you disappointed? That nothing came from it? I mean..." He trailed off, not really wanting to bring up any specifics in front of Lydia, although she'd probably ask questions later anyways.

** Dot [Ellie] **

Carl's questionings only dug up worse feelings, mixing together in a way that made her feel nauseous. She closed her eyes, sighing, before opening them again, shoveling another pile of dirt and adding it. She'd talked about it enough, now she was… just… wanting to forget it. Well, not really… but… to move on, maybe.

Looks like that wasn't going to be an option.

Finally, she returned Carl's gaze, hers growing harder. "I'm disappointed… yeah. But, there's nothing else to do but move on. Find the next thing to care about." She shrugged at that, grunting as she stuck her shovel into the dirt once more. "Not everything works out," she finished softly, kicking the shovel deeper and lifting the dirt.

** Shadowman [Narrator] **

Whilst the teenagers were occupied with their work, they'd barely noticed that a local resident of the dam was silently watching. The canine curiously lugged himself over to the workers, possibly after a new scent… or food. Soon after, Ellie would feel something soft and wet rub at the back of her elbow, the sound of Buckley's panting reaching her ears.

** Dot [Ellie] **

Ellie was bent over the dirt pile, stopping mid-shovel as something wet and slobbery covered her elbow. For a millisecond, her brain freaked out, dropping the shovel right out of her hands, as if a clicker had found her and managed to chomp down on her arm, but instead, her gaze was met with a dog, huffing happily as it licked away at her forearm, and then her hand. She smiled instantly, dropping to a knee.

"Aw, hi there…" She scritched and scratched at the fur on its head, the dog responding by panting louder, lulling its tongue out of its mouth. "Where'd you come from, buddy?"

She practically lost herself to petting the dog, fully content to stay there until she could figure out how to get it away from their work site.

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

_ 'They're dead.' _

Lydia was already guessing something like that went down. Still, hearing the confirmation straight from the horse's mouth managed to catch her off guard. Right as the blonde's shovel smacked against the dirt, she paused with the digging, glancing over at Ellie. The redhead's gaze was fixed to the ground, almost as if she was scared to even look at her.

So _ this _ was Ellie's 'next thing.' It all made sense, she supposed; why she came back here. Where else would there be to turn to other than old faces? Why the used-to-be-so-spunky loudmouthed kid decided to keep going instead of coming back to Jackson with Clementine would always be an enigma to Lydia. What about the Fireflies could ever be _ so _ damn important?

Carl managed to squeeze out a bit more information, though it was easy to tell she was uncomfortable talking about it, which was a feeling Lydia could relate to. That alone was enough for the girl to refrain from questioning further. Sometimes it was just better off keeping things to yourself.

Though, they were soon interrupted by a very furry resident of Jackson. It was almost hilarious; surrounded by kids her own age, but the only thing that got her face to light up with a smile was Buckley. A _ dog. _

"Hey, who let you out?" Lydia was only able to watch Ellie steal his attention for so long. She was the second to approach, her hand scratching the fur on his back. Granted, she'd seen plenty of wild ones in her days outside of the walls, but none of them stacked up to how adorable Buckley was.

"You've all met the best dog in Jackson before, right?"

** Art [Clementine] **

Clem leant both arms against the handle of her shovel, heaving loudly as she looked over another hunk of dirt. It gave her an excuse not to listen. The Fireflies, _ everything about them… _ it still hurt. She could feel the mention squeeze her heart and sap all her energy, like making human lemonade. And hearing Ellie say they were dead, over, and over again... Clementine could only picture Mom and Dad lumped in the very same pile.

Hearing Buckley's barking was more of the same. Another ghost from the past, tugging at her every regret. More thoughts to hog around until her shoulders felt numb. As quick as that, she lost what was left of that pretense of cheerfulness.

"Sure," she replied, as shyly as a girl could. In front of Lydia and Carl, with a dog around... Clem didn't want to let on that she was afraid of them. Even when the mutt's old teeth made her heart kickstart into a leap, what scared her the most was getting made fun of.

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

Her response to that was... weird, to say the least. Lydia turned towards Clementine, offering her a suspicious sidewards glance. The younger girl was acting pretty different not so long ago, now it was like she was sapped of all spirit, correlating with the moment she'd gone pale in the face since Buckley rolled up.

"You alright over there?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

** Art [Clementine] **

The dog's gaze met hers soon enough. Buckley peered at her with a wide mouth that poured with saliva. He moved violently from side to side in Ellie's grasp, crying for her with a loud bark. Was it the scent? Or the hat? Did it recognize her voice?! For Clementine, the only solution was to shut her eyes and block him out. "I am!" The girl protested, holding firmly onto her shovel.

_ 'He's a little menace, but he won't hurt you. Swear.' _

The phrase rang like an alarm in her head, but the beating in her chest was too loud to let her hear it.

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

_ No way! _

Lydia's gaze swapped between Buckley and the obviously frightened Clementine, she couldn't tell if this was ridiculous, or hilarious; maybe both?

Big tough Clementine was afraid of… dogs? It was almost unbelievable, _ especially _ for someone that apparently had experience outside of the walls for years. Surely something this silly had to be because of a lack of experience, or maybe she just hadn't come across that many dogs before.

Regardless, at least this gave her some entertainment, something else for her mind to focus on. The shorter girl insisted that everything was fine, but Lydia wanted to see if that claim would hold up. Was she really _ that _ scared of dogs…? If so, maybe they could fix that. First, Lydia needed to run a little test.

"Then you won't mind if I just…" Lydia's words trailed off, slowly leaving Buckley's side before making her way over next to Clementine until they were shoulder to shoulder. "C'mere Buckley!" She called out to him, smiling and patting her knees to coerce him more. "Come meet Clem!"

It worked, his ears pricked up, before he slowly began to make his way over to the duo.

** Art [Clementine] **

It charged at her very lazily, though Clem didn't have the means to tell. She froze up. Her two eyes were glued shut, knees cuddling so close together they almost touched. The shovel in her hands, she held like a weapon, though the grip she had was as weak as a child's.

"Call him off..." Clementine begged. But Buckley was already settled under her legs, licking her foot. Clem took only one step back, sneaking a glance below, and the dog responded with a terrifying snarl. Her face went as pale as a _ ghost's _ that same instant. The girl shrieked and fell on her butt, dropping the shovel on the ground. Helpless.

The closer Buckley got, the louder her whimpering. Way too scared to move, knowing what happened last time... and too scared to hurt him, for the same reason. Clem sat still, whispering for help.

** Dot [Ellie] **

What happened next caught her off-guard, watching with a widening expression as Lydia had called Buckley over towards Clem, who'd grown exponentially more terrified each step the dog took towards her. Honestly, Ellie hadn't expected it. Yes, she knew that Clementine was… just like every other girl out there, but it was hard not to see her as that fearless girl she always fronted, the one that'd stand up to anyone no matter the risk.

It wasn't like that illusion was being broken here, but the way Lydia was taking advantage of Clem's fear had her rushing over towards them, lightly grabbing Buckley by the collar in an attempt to lead them away from Clementine. "C'mon, boy…" But, of course, he didn't seem to want to move.

She looked towards Lydia frustratedly, her voice growing tense, desperate. "Lydia, seriously, tell him to go sit over there or something. Please?"

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

Clementine fell straight on her ass, an overreaction she hadn't seen coming. Lydia couldn't help but hold a hand over her mouth, a poor attempt to hide the sniggering going on behind it. The blonde thought that maybe she could aid Clementine's fear of dogs, albeit in her own twisted way.

Of course, Ellie was quick to rush to Clementine's defence. Lydia felt like leaving him there just to spite the redhead, a smidgen of satisfaction in her eyes when she saw that Buckley refused to listen to Ellie. _ Good boy. _

Still though, Clementine looked like she was going to wet herself at any second. The thought did cross her mind that _ maybe _ it was time to stop now. It didn't take long to realise that Clementine's case was going to take more than five minutes to fix.

"Over there boy." Lydia whistled, pointing towards the wall, which managed to catch Buckley's attention. His ears pricked upwards for a moment, before heeding her order. She watched him slug away and sit down by the wall, before looking back to the still frightened girl.

"Jeez, I uh, didn't know it was _ that _ bad…" The smile slowly faded from her mouth, seeing her that afraid was almost cringeworthy. _ Okay, maybe I took that one a bit far. _

** Art [Clementine] **

Clementine's expression had gone sullen. It was bad enough being the youngest, the only one who still read fables and hoped she'd get see mommy and daddy again. Now everyone knew she was scared of Buckley, too. The eyes on her, from Carl, Ellie, and Lydia, only made her feel more ashamed... like even more of a pushover. But it wasn't until she saw Lydia's sneer that her face became hot with tears.

Clem picked her shovel off the ground and threw it at her feet, in some outburst of anger. Everyone's stares cut her like glass, but no one more than Ellie's. She'd never been so embarrassed in her life.

Running away was the only answer she came to. Until all the other kids were worlds apart.

** Dot [Ellie] **

"Clem?" Ellie called after her with a worried gaze, directing it towards Lydia finally when Clementine had disappeared around the corner, holding back harsh words she wanted to say to the blonde. Instead, she kept her mouth shut, biting her tongue. She'd let someone else deal with Lydia.

Ellie stabbed her shovel into the dirt pile then, pushing past Lydia and Carl hastily. "I'm going after her. We'll be back to help finish once I calm her down."

Or, if she didn't calm down, Ellie didn't care about coming back anyway. Only thing that mattered was making sure Clem was okay anyway. Lydia can pick up the slack for acting like a dick.

So she disappeared around the corner herself, intent on searching every last inch of that dam to find her, even if it took all night.

** King Caw [Carl Grimes] **

Carl had felt uncomfortable with his own words the longer they hung in the air. Ellie seemed to have trouble collecting her thoughts, and he began to wonder how bad it really had been out there. When she responded, she had a finality that couldn't really be argued with. Eyes downcast, he focused on his shovel, trying to ignore… Well, everything.

The silence was heavy for a moment, but a visitor approached. He was tense at first; who knew what might be approaching? For a split-second his mind turned to the Saviors and he wheeled around… but it was just a dog. He smiled slightly, and Ellie jumped at the opportunity to find something else to think about. _ Thank goodness. _ Now, he could just bury himself in the mundane work.

He recognized the dog from somewhere around the community but he tended to stay away from them for the most part. Carl had heard somewhere that they could smell your fear, and as far as he knew they wanted as little to do with him than he did with them and that agreement was perfectly fine with him.

As the dog hovered, however, he began to notice something. He wasn't the only person here who didn't really like dogs. Only, Clementine seemed to have more than a little distaste for the animals - she was downright afraid of them. He watched out of the corner of his eye with a small smile as the normally bold girl cowered next to the dog.

There was an awkward moment when the dog approached her and he decided to focus on digging again, but a snarl from behind caught him off-guard. He turned and saw that Clementine had fallen on her ass, Ellie rushing to her side and trying to call the dog off. She called for Lydia to do something and he took that as an excuse for him to do nothing; the chances of the dog really hurting anyone was low anyways.

The look she gave them made him feel ashamed for watching the scene. Throwing down the shovel and running away, he watched her go silently. There was a pang of disappointment that the afternoon hadn't gone as planned, but the dog had come out of nowhere, so he couldn't point blame. Once again, a heavy silence settled over the two of them, the only noise being the sound of his shovel.

Eventually, Carl decided he should say something. "Well, I guess this was a bust." There was an awkward pause. "I suppose we ought to get this over with quick then, huh?" They'd managed to move about half of the dirt in the pile, but they couldn't just ditch the job. Who knew what kind of hell might end up being raised if they didn't.

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

The blonde's eyes followed the younger girl as she picked up the shovel, for a second thinking that she had _ other _ ideas besides digging. Lydia flinched at the loud thud, the ground dirt puffing up into the air as the shovel skidded towards her feet.

She stared at the shovel for a moment, her brow instantly furrowing before sending a glance towards Clementine. Just as she was about to open her mouth, the girl saw that Clem's face was bright red and that her cheeks were muddied with tears.

Instead, she opted for silence, watching with wide and confused eyes as Clementine ran off, Ellie following soon after. Within mere seconds, their already fickle 'association' with each other seemingly disintegrated. It was like one step forward, three steps back.

_ What just happened…? _

Carl spoke up to break the silence, rather nonchalant in attitude towards the whole situation, maybe he'd been expecting it from the start. Nonetheless, he didn't look very surprised at all.

"It was just a-" Lydia tried to justify it, but Clem's reaction had her thinking she behaved like some monster.

"... a joke?" It came off as though she was asking Carl a question, the confusion still riddled across her face. Yeah, she went a bit far with it, but still… that's how jokes went right? You were meant to poke fun? It wasn't like the Whisperers made jokes, so the only thing she had to go off was what she saw around Jackson. Going by that Lydia swore she did it right, but apparently not.

"Whatever then…" Visibly flustered, Lydia mumbled to herself, lowering her head before trying to resume her work.

* * *

_ 11:34 AM - Bridge overlooking the waterfall _

** Dot [Ellie] **

Ellie had searched the dam in a panic, growing increasingly frantic the longer it took her. By the time she'd finished searching the ground level, she'd started to worry that Clementine had run off outside the walls of the dam, probably heading back home, but she held that notion at the back of her mind until she was _ sure _ that the baseball-capped girl wasn't here.

Her patience was rewarded when she noticed a pair of legs hanging off the bridge above, where the waterfall dropped beneath it from where it flowed through the dam, and Ellie let out a sigh of relief, making her way up there.

The waterfall was deafening today, likely from last night's rainfall, but her footsteps along the metallic surface of the bridge was loud enough for her to hear. Clementine sat towards the middle of the bridge, and Ellie instinctively slowed down, approaching her as cautiously as a wild feline. After running away like that, maybe Clem didn't want to talk to her, but she had to try. She'd be a shitty girlfriend if she didn't.

When she was within earshot, she stopped, calling out to the girl with a hesitant wave. "Hey… is it… okay, if I sit with you?"

_ Great start, idiot, _ she berated herself.

** Art [Clementine] **

It made sense to go there. In that tangle of thoughts, somehow it did.

Clementine stared at what lay below with wistful eyes, watching whole rivers' worth of water crumble into waves under her dangling feet. Just her and those sounds - so loud, they were the one thing that could quiet her head. O'course, when Ellie showed up, trailing behind, Clem couldn't afford to feel surprised. "Go for it," she told her without sharing a glance.

The girl chewed on what else to say, at least for a little while. She raised her legs up first, hugging her knees to form a ball just short of rolling away for good. Clem heard the water splash at least a dozen times under them before the weight of Ellie's gaze made her crumble and give in. Opening her mouth to breathe out a sigh, even when no one else could see it, hidden behind her arms. "If - If you wanna make a joke about it, then just go away. Okay?"

** Dot [Ellie] **

The fact that Clem thought she'd make fun of her was more than enough to make her feel like she'd been stabbed, but could she really blame her for it? Stuff like that, people saw weakness, exploited it. She'd seen plenty of it in Boston. It sucked, especially if you're on the receiving end.

So, without saying a word, she sat down next to the girl, letting her feet dangle off the edge of the bridge. Mist filled the air like a fog, floating away in small clouds. Ellie took it all in with that same reverie she'd had the last time she was here, until she finally found the courage to speak up.

"It's okay to be afraid of something," she spoke calmly, already seconds away from cringing at how terrible that advice sounded. "We've all… gone through stuff. Stuff that, y'know, you can't just get rid of."

Her eyes fell towards the girl's arm, the one with the bite. She envisioned a younger Clementine, scared out of her mind as that dog ripped into her skin, barely being able to fight it off. It was the stuff of nightmares.

"Y'know what I'm scared of?" She asked then, eyes falling towards the mist clouds with a faint frown. "Being by myself." She said, taking in a deep breath, closing her eyes. "I'm scared of ending up alone. No Joel, no Lee, no you. No nothing."

"Maybe that's stupid. Maybe it's not. I don't know. But I feel it. Like you do, with dogs. And that's okay." She turned towards Clementine with a somber gaze. "Okay?"

** Art [Clementine] **

Clementine fought the notion that her friend was right, for that's all she could do, and all she had done since the time when she used to dress in lighter purple. No one else was as scared of them as she was. Not one adult she'd ever met. Not even the other kids, like Jenny or Carl. But then - those two weren't afraid of anything, were they?

_ No, _ she refused, to no one other than herself. They were scared of stuff too. Everyone was afraid of _ lots. _ Even, sometimes, dumb things. Clem got the sense that that's what Ellie was going for, even if Freckles lacked the goods to make much of a case for it. Clem believed her anyway.

More importantly, listening to Ellie's fear made the girl cave in to a choke. One just light enough to pass for a weep. It was on her, too. For breaking the one promise they had that was worth a damn. And if Clementine was afraid of one thing, it was of breaking it again.

"Yeah..." She rested one hand over Ellie's, and spoke under her breath. "Your fear's stupid too..."

Whatever it was meant to be; a jab or heartfelt assurance, she just felt the need to say it out loud.

** Dot [Ellie] **

For a second, she'd been worried that she'd only upset Clem more. She still… didn't have a handle on comforting other people. Being on her own for so long, before _ and _ after Riley, she never had to do any of this stuff. Comfort herself? Maybe. But no one else knew her well enough to give a damn about what she had to say about anything. With Clem, that was different, and she hoped that she was doing an okay job at it.

Though, when Clem spoke up, Ellie couldn't help but chuckle quietly, shaking her head. "Living up to my nickname, as always," she quipped, placing her free hand on top of Clem's in her own act of reassurance.

After that, she was content to take in the expanse ahead of them. The misty fog revealing the sloped mountains surrounding them, and the mountain pass they'd come through the first time getting here. Somewhere down below, Carl and Lydia continued to dig up the dirt.

She gave her girlfriend a small glance out of the corner of her eye, clearing her throat. "So, um… if you wanna sit here 'till we go back to town, I don't mind. It's got quite the view."

** Art [Clementine] **

She settled for a sigh and a smile. Two of the warmest hands she'd ever felt covering hers in a tiny shell. Somehow, some way... her worries faded like the mist rising from a waterfall. Clementine let escape a giggle, finally. "With just you? Tempting."

Her mind wandered up above the clouds, and time, though it ticked by, seemed to give Clementine the runaround. Clem wouldn't get to lose her fear that day. She only knew one thing - and it was the _ one thing _ she did know: Clementine wouldn't let anyone pick on her for it. _ Especially _ not Buckley.


	79. Nothing But Outsiders, II

_1:02 PM - Outside Joel's house_

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The letter was cold to the touch. He kept reading it over and over again.

Dwight was dead. Everybody outside was a suspect; Ellie and Clem of course, had been outside at the time of his death.

What if it was just bandits? That would make sense. He swore he heard Tommy mention that there were bandits in the area; it made sense, didn't it? Some bandit shoots the man with half a face; that's the end of his story. They had already taken Ellie and Clem, he was sure of it. He knew they had grabbed Ellie, that's what the letter had said all in all. He stormed out onto his front porch, looking around with a ferocious severity often seen on the man. Maybe they _did_ kill him... those two were harder than they should be. They weren't like the kids inside the community, they weren't like the _normal_ kids.

He saw Lee standing outside, doing God knows what. It was perfect timing for certain, however; Joel walked towards him with long strides and full stomps. "Lee. Lee!" He shoved the letter out, pointing at it. "What the _hell_ is this?" He questioned, mouth open. "They think two little girls killed the man?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee had spent most of the morning on watchtower duty, days with no class usually meant this was the alternative, although the job was usually a lot less taxing, he found himself often preferring the comfort of the classroom; felt more like old times, he supposed. Activity in and out of the front gate had been relatively high today, more so than than the entirety of this week. Every so often the one-handed man's head would perk up at the small parties of survivors congregated near the gate, coming and going in droves. Lee was beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about, though he just assumed that maybe this would be one of those busy days for the supply runners.

The man had only just finished his shift, eager to get some blood flowing back into his legs. He had only barely made it back before Joel's aggravated voice reached his ears. Immediately, Lee swivelled around, concern on his face. Whatever the Texan was about to tell him, it didn't look like it was going to be good news.

As soon as Joel held out a letter of all things, frown lines appeared on Lee's forehead, continuing to stare before taking it from the other man's hand.

_'Dwight dead.'_

_'Those outside the walls at time of death to be questioned.'_

_'They are to be questioned as soon as possible with no interference.'_

The contents of the letter included mainly drabble and justification as to why they had to go on a witch hunt, but those were the parts that specifically caught his attention.

"This can't be right." Lee spoke in plain disbelief, shaking his head whilst he continued to read the same letter that was probably sitting on his doorstep right now. Dwight of all people was dead? What reason could Clem and Ellie possibly have to kill Dwight? None. The logical conclusion was that there had to be others out there at that time, too.

This whole song and dance seemed so unlike Tommy, Lee found it hard to believe he'd give them both the third degree like this.

"Sending letters doesn't seem like your brother's way of doing things." Lee admitted, sensing that there was a certain sense of calculation behind whoever came up with this idea. Sending letters instead of talking to them face to face? It was pretty clear that they knew the both of them would be against Clementine and Ellie going into questioning without any support. It was too late to stop anything now.

Lee's arm fell to his side, the letter still in his hand. He looked towards the person that probably knew Tommy best. "You think he had outside pressure?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The whole thing didn't sit right with him. He held a hand to his chin and used the other to support his elbow. There was no warning; a _letter_, a fucking _letter._ "They could've at least said it to my face." Joel supposed the ordeal didn't matter too much in the end. They would be set free, since there was no way they killed Dwight... or was there? Logic dictated that children didn't kill grown men, grown men who had done little to agitate them, grown men who were working to _help_ them. There was a voice in the back of his head.

_These aren't children._

His fists clenched. It didn't matter what they did or what they didn't do; he had worked too hard to get this. He wasn't going to let it all go to waste because some _scar-faced rat_ got shot while out on patrol. "I haven't known Tommy for a long time now, Lee." The drawl was strong now, annoyed more than angry. This was a nuisance; this was a fly to be swatted. "But I don't think he made the decision on his own." Some _council_ he was certain. Joel appreciated what Tommy was trying to do, but democracy was corruptible; democracy was prone to stupidity in its incessant need for policy, structure, and order.

He calmed down. There was nothing he could do, short of storming Tommy's hall right now and finding the idiot who was considering a pair of little girls as murder suspects. He stared out at the field of houses that splattered the hills. "How long ago was it now? The first time we came here... a year or two. It doesn't matter, I guess. Me and Clementine, we were getting apples. There was a man there, saw her spill them, _all over._ That man, he - he looked at me like I was a monster. Like I was no better than a damn infected." He grabbed his watch, eyes stretching towards the horizon.

"We ain't never gonna be nothin' but outsiders here."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Finding out from Joel about how they'd been treated, the man desperately tried to think back on if Clementine had told him about this one. Lee's mind only seemed to draw blanks. Had she thought he was too busy to care? Or more likely, knowing his own piss poor track record… Lee may have just simply forgotten.

It sent a shiver through his gut, to think about all the times Clementine had potentially been treated poorly here and hadn't come forward to him; whether it was out of embarrassment or the fear of wasting his time. He couldn't help but start to regret every moment he hadn't properly checked up on her, hadn't asked how her day went… was that a missed opportunity?

Of all things, Lee was not oblivious to how truly sheltered some of the people here were. Over the time he'd spent here, being able to distinguish between those who knew what it was like out there and those who didn't was abundantly clear. Some hid it better than others, but at the end of the day he could usually see it.

Nonetheless, it had taken the former smuggler just a few days of being here to realise what it was taking six months for Lee to.

They _were_ still just outsiders.

No amount of classes or socialization could fix what they all went through that winter, at least not for a long while. Thinking that coming back here would magically make everything fix itself was lunacy, it wasn't going to happen at the snap of a finger.

Maybe Joel was the smarter man, or maybe he just didn't have his head so far up in the clouds.

"Much easier to pin it on a bunch of outsiders, isn't it."Lee admitted, giving the letter one more passing glance. Before long, he met Joel's gaze with irritated eyes.

Like hell was he going to let Clementine sit in there and get grilled like some criminal for an act he was sure she didn't commit. Even if it _was_ too late, Lee wanted answers.

"If they can't talk to us face-to-face, then I guess we'll just have to force them to." Nabbing the kids while the both of them were at work and sending damn letters? That was where Lee Everett drew the line.

"You with me?"

**Dot [Joel]**

Joel gritted his teeth. What they were doing to these kids… Ellie was in a fragile state, he knew that. And, to put her into that kinda situation, faced with these kinda charges, it pissed him off. So, when Lee faced him with a determined face, Joel met it with his own, nodding.

"Yeah. I'm with you." His voice was brusque, barely concealing the anger lying beneath it. After this was over, he and Tommy were gonna have words. What this place was, he wanted it to be a home for Ellie, but they really _were_ just outsiders. Weren't they? For Christ's sake, these kids didn't deserve a goddamn trial.

He pushed forward, straight towards Tommy's office. "C'mon."

* * *

_12:50 PM - Eleven minutes ago - Tommy's office_

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea still couldn't believe that it took them this long to find Dwight's body, let alone figure out what the hell had happened to him. The Saviors were already asking for a check-in, and with Dwight gone, what the hell were they supposed to do? Dwight was 'working alone', which meant _no one else_ could answer for him.

That put them into a difficult situation.

On Andrea's request, Tommy had gathered up everyone she knew to have been outside during Dwight's patrol, and to her dismay, it was… just a bunch of kids. Carl, Clementine, Ellie, and Lydia. Along with the patrol groups Andrea had sent out to keep an eye on things where Ellie and Clem were supposedly going, but she'd already questioned them, and they'd seen nothing.

So that left the kids. God, she hated this. It wasn't that long ago they had everyone in this room, for a different offense, but this one was a hundred times more serious. And if it turned out to be one of them… well… she wasn't sure what they'd need to do yet. With their only wildcard to keep the Saviors at bay gone, the entire community was at risk.

She stood behind Tommy's desk, hands placed firmly against it as she leaned over it, eyebrows bent into a serious expression. Tommy stood just to her left, while the kids sat in front of her.

"Dwight is dead," Andrea explained finally, telling them why she'd gathered them all here. "Shot in the head. Out on his patrol route."

She pushed away from the desk, straightening her back while her hand went to her hip. "I'm not pointing fingers, but we have to question _everyone_ who was out there. So, let's start with you two." Her gaze focused on Clementine and Ellie, setting herself down in Tommy's chair. "What were you doing out there? Did you see or hear _anything_?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem fidgeted in her seat, as if that would help. Once Andrea told them what happened it was like the room had flipped on its head, with all the motion sickness that entailed. Clementine looked at Andrea - gaped and stared long enough to make it clear to everyone else that her mind was racing. Racing as fast as her heart was.

"We went on a walk, where the trail leads... scaled over one of the mountains and had lunch together. That's it." She had no idea how she was meant to prove it. Andrea's eyes pierced like arrows, but she didn't shy away from them. "We only came back 'cause we heard a gunshot. I don't even know what it was." The latter she put across with only the slightest hint of disdain, knowing better than not putting two and two together.

"Cross my heart."

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea had listened patiently as Clementine told her what they'd done that day. Seemed simple enough; believable. Of course, the fact that they'd heard a gunshot caught her attention, which caused her to raise an eyebrow.

"Why didn't either of you report that to us?" She asked, almost taken aback. Those two kids knew the outside world better than anyone, except maybe for Lydia, but didn't think to tell either of them about the gunshot after getting back to town?

"That's pretty important," she continued, almost scoldingly.

Ellie's eyes had gone from her lap to Andrea in the matter of a second after those words were uttered. "I was going to tell you, but- we got sidetracked, and forgot about it."

Andrea sighed at that, ready to put her face into her hands, but she refrained, turning her attention towards Lydia. "You were out on a run at the time," she summed up. "And you _were_ with Dwight for the run." She didn't need to say the rest. If Lydia had an explanation, she'd hear her out. Maybe they'd gotten separated, and Lydia assumed Dwight had made it back to town.

At least, that's what she wanted to believe, but she doubted it. Too easy.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Here it was, the moment Lydia had been dreading since her bullet pierced through Dwight's cranium. The girl resisted the urge to squirm around in her seat, trying to look as though she wasn't shaking in her boots, not to mention physically sick from the nerves. _Just breath. It'll be okay._

She already went over what she was going to say a million and one times in her head, so she was hoping it'd go smoothly, because there was no way they could prove it was her otherwise. However, at first, Lydia hadn't understood what the hell Clementine and Ellie were even doing here.

_They weren't on schedule to go out…_

She silently listened as both recounted their ends of that day, the girl cursing all kinds of things in her mind as she learned what they did, and _heard_ out there. _Of. Fucking. Course._

Lydia was swiftly brought out of her thoughts as Andrea's domineering voice reached her ears, the girl mustering up the courage to calmly look at the woman's face.

"The run with him went okay, nothing out of the ordinary that I noticed…." She started, the rehearsed words coming out of her mouth without a stutter so far. "Except, I dunno… I thought it was a bit weird, but I didn't think it was a big deal at the time..." She drifted off, making it look as though she was thinking heavily for a moment.

"When the run was over, for some reason he wanted to go out a bit further before going back? Didn't tell me why, said he'd come back to town when he was ready." Lydia finished, again looking towards Andrea, visibly confused. "So I left."

"That was the last time I saw him."

**Shadowman [Tommy]**

Tommy had remained silent thus far, allowing Andrea to take the lead on this one. That woman could bring out a sternness in her that even _he_ had trouble replicating at times. It was safe to say that leading an interrogation on a bunch of kids wasn't exactly one of his strengths, truth be told he wasn't all that comfortable with the rushed effort they undertook to get them here. However, details were something they were on short supply on these days, so it had to be done.

Even after listening to all of their accounts, he still didn't know what was what. All he had to go by was his suspicion and his gut feeling, which was still telling him that foul play might have been involved.

The man kept his arms crossed, soft eyes drifting over to Lydia in an instant.

"So the man just up and went his own way?" Tommy questioned, feeling as though an out of character action like that was unlike Dwight at all. "That's odd." They'd made a deal, came to an understanding when they agreed to let him stay. The man couldn't think of a reason _why_ Dwight would veer off the course like that, which only left two potential options.

The Saviors had got to him while he was alone out there, or Lydia was lying. Both theories left him feeling unsettled. Nonetheless, he knew what would happen if he started pointing fingers with no evidence to back him up. To be quite frank, he had _nothing_ aside from a corpse.

"Alright, so here's how it is." Tommy resumed, straightening himself as he looked over the questioned.

"There ain't gonna be no more dead silence on the radios, I don't care how safe y'all might think it is." He directed his words towards Clementine, _especially_ Ellie. "Going outside always brings a risk, and I know that's easy to forget in here. I don't want it happening again."

"We're also gonna be making some changes to the roster."

No more pairs going outside of the walls, groups of three or four at the very least.

With a heavy sigh, Tommy offered a sidewards glance towards Andrea. They'd need to have a big talk after this, mainly about keeping a firmer eye on Lydia from now on.

"Are we at an understanding h-"

Tommy paused, his head flicked towards the door. Yelling could be heard coming from outside, followed by the sounds of some sort of scuffle. "What the hell now?" He glanced towards Andrea, before making a beeline to the door.

* * *

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

The duo stomped onwards, until Tommy's office soon appeared in the distance. Lee noticed two guards that were stationed outside of the front door, stiff like statues. If anything, it confirmed that this indeed was probably the place the kids were being held.

"Hey there." Lee called out, which was followed by a nod of his head, both men eventually coming to a halt in front of the guards.

**Shadowman [Fionn]**

It'd been a rather long morning for Fionn, working construction and hauling materials around had his knees aching, so having to stand around for who knows how long had him rather crabby.

No one unauthorized was allowed through, those were the direct orders from Tommy and Andrea. So far, things were quiet in that regard, until two silhouettes began to get closer.

"Here we go…" He mumbled to the person sharing his guard shift.

Fionn recognised one of them as Tommy's brother, who he'd been warned about prior to this, accompanied by another man. Nonetheless, both of them knew they weren't supposed to be here.

"Sorry, but you can't be here." The man was quick to shut down his attempt at a conversation.

**Dot [Joel]**

The moment they arrived, Joel knew that things weren't going to be simple. They never were. The two men guarding Tommy's office were on edge by their presence, obviously, and it did little to negate the sense of worry already beginning to fill him. If Tommy was really gonna play it this way, then things must've been more serious than he thought.

"Look, we're not goin' anywhere 'till we see the kids, so you go tell Tommy to let us in, so we can talk this out." Joel's voice was calm, but an underlying threat floated beneath the surface. If it resorted to violence to get in there, Joel would do it, but that'd only worsen the situation.

"But…" The other guard, a man wearing a black beanie and a hoodie, started, but Joel cut him off with a harsh look.

"You tell my brother. _Now._"

**Shadowman [Fionn]**

"He'll do no such thing." Fionn's stern and thick Irish accent came through. The guard stuck out his hand, signalling Quinton to stay put. What _didn't_ intimidate him, honestly? He needed to learn how to follow his orders, Fionn, being the much older one, was going to show him.

"There's nothing to talk about. No one is allowed through, you were already notified of this." The man stood firm, not willing to give an inch. "Don't you think for a fookin' second that just because you're his brother that it somehow gives you the right to spout out orders."

"Now piss off. You're starting to irritate me."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee attempted to interject, trying his damnedest not to get nasty here, because that was the direction this seemed to be headed for. "Listen." The one-handed man took a calm step forward, though the frown lines on his forehead were very evident. Clementine was in there; no way was he leaving until he saw that she was okay.

"I don't think you understand that letters aren't gonna cut it. We want some answers, which is-"

"Last warning. Step back," one of the guards ordered. Lee refused to listen as he continued to advance, attempting to talk over him.

"Which is fair enough on our behalf, I thi-"

**"I said STEP BACK!"**

Lee wasn't able to even complete his sentence as the butt of a gun collided with his nose, sending the man staggering back. Eyes watery, head spinning. He stood there for a split moment, trying to register what the hell just happened.

_Blood._ He felt it gushing out of his nose.

A heat rose in his chest that was all too familiar, gritting his teeth before looking back at the asshole. Without a second thought, everything telling him to be rational seemingly dissipated in an instant. _Fuck it._

Lee was done talking, his next response was to automatically send a fist flying towards the guard's head.

However, all he managed to hit was air, the bulkier man had anticipated his movement, managing to duck with ease. Lee barely had time to react before he was forcefully shoved up against the wall, the man held him there, using the rifle to pin him by the throat as he gasped for air.

**Dot [Joel]**

The instant the guard made a move on Lee, and Lee's subsequent punch towards him, Joel sprung into action, grabbing the guard with the hoodie and forcefully yanking him towards the wall, pinning him. He turned back towards the other guard, his voice hard as steel.

"Let him go, or your friend here's gonna leave with a broken nose, too." He raised his fist to accentuate his point, ready to throw it if he had to.

One way or another, they were getting into that room. Tommy and his orders be damned.

**Shadowman [Tommy]**

Tommy's eyes almost popped out of his head. The man had emerged from the room to find two of his guards in some kind of scuffle with… _My goddamned brother… and Lee?_

The teacher was pinned up against the wall by Fionn; Joel had a hold of the other kid. He should've expected this, how could he not?

"Hey, **HEY!** That's enough!" Tommy shouted, ordering Fionn and Quinton to back off before bullets started flying. "Everyone settle down now!" His gaze hardened, looking towards his brother, who still had a hold of one of his guards, someone he needed in one piece. "Joel."

**Art [Clementine]**

She followed Tommy outside without much in the way of thinking. The shouting was enough to get her to stand, much less the rush Joel's brother was in. Clem couldn't afford to give Ellie or Lydia a second glance before she was out the door, and the sight she did run into stole her breath away.

It looked like a fight. It looked like Joel about to kill someone. It looked like Lee with a gun to his head. She didn't wait to see which one wasn't what it looked like.

Clementine moved past Tommy, toward the guard who had Lee pinned against a wall. The seconds she had to spare to think of something went unused, and before the man knew it, he had a girl tugging at his arm, trying to pry him away from Lee. "Get **away** from him!" She said with all the menace she could afford, but the guard didn't budge. It only took a shove to send her falling back, elbows smacking against the ground. If it weren't for Tommy, she would've charged at him a second time.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

"Clem, don't-" He rasped as she stumbled back; the rifle pressing further up against his neck with each second. Tommy yelled out an order, which the guard was quick to follow. Once Lee was released, the man fell to one knee, holding his throat as he gasped for air.

**Dot [Joel]**

Joel's grip on the boy's hoodie tightened instinctively as Tommy's voice echoed through the hallway, only loosening as his brother called his name expectantly. He let the boy go, taking a step away, only to turn his attention to his brother. The one who thought it was a bright idea to take a couple kids without even bothering to say it to their faces.

"I'm gonna need a _real_ good explanation for this," Joel stated evenly, perhaps even angrily. Yet, he knew the answer he was going to get, but he just couldn't wait to see how Tommy tried to justify it. The same way he tried to keep them in Jackson, probably. For the good of the 'community'.

**Shadowman [Tommy]**

A part of him suspected that his brother would come stomping up here, but not in _this_ regard. Joel was putting on a display that only reminded Tommy that old habits did indeed die hard. Regardless, the questioning was done… and he _really_ didn't need this from him right now.

"Look. You heard what happened, yeah?" Tommy sighed out, taking a step forward to answer his obviously infuriated brother. "We needed answers right away." The man stated rather bluntly.

"Ain't no different to how we questioned everybody else."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

As soon as he caught his breath, Lee's head tilted up towards the figure that was looming over him. That smug face of the guard was just asking to be hit, the man was inclined to do so for laying so much as a finger on Clem. He considered it for a moment; but seeing how things had died down, stirring it all back up seemed like a very bad idea. It wasn't a good look, Jackson's teacher... getting into fights.

Lee rose to his feet, heading straight over to Clementine to offer her a hand up. "I'm okay, just hold off." He warned, breath still heavy; no use in her attacking that asshole and accidentally getting shot. To be frank, he was just relieved to see that she was okay.

That was when he turned his attention towards the man in question, who Joel was already grilling. For the most part, Lee had a thorough respect for Tommy. It wasn't his intention to rustle his feathers, but after what he'd done, it was probably impossible for Lee _not to._

"We did hear… _through letters._ That's the problem." Lee butted in, trying his best not to keep his composure. "With all due respect, it would've been great if your guys told us what was going on _before_ dragging off the kids."

**Shadowman [Tommy]**

Tommy's gaze swapped between the both of them, it was like he was being swamped by the goddamn paparazzi, never-ending questions and prodding. With Joel, it hadn't come as much of a surprise. He saw Ellie as more than just something to be smuggled cross country, that was crystal clear since they got back. It was behavior he hadn't seen from his brother since… well. _Before._ The former Firefly knew that Lee cared deeply for Clementine, was a well respected member of the community, easy going usually, though this was the first time he'd seen him get _this_ testy.

"I understand your queries on the matter. Honestly I do." Tommy admitted, trying to sow their evident frustration. "But we had to follow procedure." There'd been enough aggression thrown around for today, so a calm approach was what he was going for.

"They're old enough to speak for themselves without needing you both around."

**Dot [Ellie]**

From inside the office, Ellie watched the whole display with a grimace. This entire thing was so… ridiculous, let alone the thought that someone wanted to kill Dwight, and _they_ were suspects. Like, _c'mon_. Still, as words were hurled back and forth between brothers and Lee, Ellie approached quietly, looking to Joel almost apologetically.

Though, she really didn't do anything wrong anyway, so… she wasn't sure why she felt that way.

"It's over," she stated with a hint of frustration, crossing her arms over her chest. "Can we just go now?"

**Dot [Joel]**

Joel looked between Ellie and Tommy with a hardened jaw, fighting back retorts he knew would only worsen the situation. Whether or not Tommy had a point, this entire thing felt like he and Andrea were looking for a scapegoat for this Dwight problem, and he sure as hell didn't want Ellie being caught up in it, old enough to speak for herself or not.

With the anger subsiding, he directed his next question towards Tommy, looking at him expectantly. "You done?"

**Shadowman [Tommy]**

If this was a year ago, Tommy was certain Joel would've kept pushing. It wasn't past the man to get physical when things got heated in an argument, as the younger of the two already knew. Luckily enough, he could see how things had drastically changed between him and Ellie, it looked like he was _actually_ listening to her.

"I don't have much reason to think your kids were involved, by the way." His gaze drifted between Joel and Lee, who still didn't look impressed by any means.

"So yeah. We're done."

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea pursed her lips, arms crossed over her chest, as Joel ushered Ellie out of the office and down the hall, Lee and Clementine following suit, before eventually Lydia left as well. Leaning against Tommy's desk, she found herself just… overwhelmed by everything.

They had a murderer on the loose, one that had very well doomed them to Negan's whims as soon as he figured out Dwight wasn't reporting back in for a reason. Their suspects were a bunch of trusted adults and a couple kids. And, to top it all off, Joel's brother had shown her exactly what she'd expected from him the instant he stepped into their dam almost eight or nine months ago: that he was more than capable of violence, and was more than willing to employ it to get what he wanted. Men like that were always trouble.

As Tommy turned back towards her, she let out a drawn-out sigh. "So, Ellie and Clementine are probably innocent. What about Lydia? You believe her story?" To say that Andrea was skeptical would be an understatement. Whether or not Lydia was lying remained to be seen, but there was more to the story than she'd said, that much she believed.

In any case, whether she knew more than she'd let on or not, they were fucked.

**Shadowman [Tommy]**

A sigh escaped the man's nostrils, gaze wandering towards his own boots as he tried to think everything over. He _wanted_ to believe Lydia wouldn't resort to something like this, but at the end of the day, all signs pointed to _her._ The only thing in the way of confirming it was a lack of damn evidence.

"For starters, I definitely don't buy that he just went off on his own." That part of Lydia's account didn't really make sense to him, why decide to go off on his own without even giving the girl a reason before doing so, surely he'd think that'd seem suss if word got back to them.

"It's hard to say, really. I just know that I'm not comfortable with her going on runs alone with anyone." His eyes met Andrea's, stern, yet a hint of worry in them. "We oughta send out small groups from now on. No more pairs."

"I just… need some time to think about what might be coming next. Now that Dwight is... _Goddammit._" He muttered in frustration, knowing that their only link keeping those folks away was gone.

**Dot [Andrea]**

"Look, whatever Negan throws our way, we'll prepare for it, alright?" Andrea's voice was stern, defiant. Despite knowing that they absolutely didn't stand a chance against the Saviors in full force, that didn't mean they'd let them walk all over them either. If they get lucky, they can defend this place. It's secluded enough.

"The plan stays the same," she continued. "We make damn sure that Negan keeps away from here, and if we can't, then we'll fight like hell to keep it."

Fucked or not, the very freedom they had here was something worth fighting for.

With a deep breath, she turned back towards Tommy's desk, sprawling out a crudely drawn map of Jackson across it. She glanced back at him with a hard look, waving him over.

"So, let's get to work, cowboy."


	80. Crosses

_8:54 PM - June 11, 2026 - A month and a half after Dwight's death - Mountains near the Eastern side of Bear Lake, near the Utah/Idaho border_

**Dot [Bishop]**

Bishop was not a cruel man. Violent, disfigured, and rough around the edges, but never _cruel_. Every decision he had to make had a purpose; every punishment he carried out on a non-believer dictated and ordained by the Woman that had made their continued survival possible. It was his duty to carry out Her justice, to cleanse the world they've built of the parasite that threatened to destroy it.

And like every encounter with outsiders that he'd participated in, there was always a choice for them to make. Accept their way of life, live in Her grace, or die, as mandated by their code. As the leader of this outfit of misfits he had traveled all this way out here with, the duty to carry those mandates out rested on his shoulders.

The sun was starting to set beyond the mountains across the lake, casting the valley below into an eerie shadow, while the orange hues of the remaining light touched the sun-scorched grass surrounding his flock, practically making them glow.

Near the center of a ridge on the mountain, they'd set up three wooden crosses, one for each outsider they'd found near the furthest reaches of their territory, just beyond the border into Wyoming.

The wind howled through the air, buffeting against Bishop's hood. It would've left him half blinded, if he still had his right eye. Instead, a scabbed-over gash remained, scars from a blade that had cut from his forehead to his cheek muddying his features. On the other side of his face was another scar, cut from the side of his lips and around to his ear. Every one of them in Her flock carried that same mark; it was how they told each other apart from the outsiders.

Among his men and women gathered around the three crosses, two of them had to crane their necks to look up at the outsiders nailed onto them. Still just children, the oldest being twelve, and the youngest a measly nine years old. Siblings, orphaned by the same outsiders that they'd put onto those crosses. Bishop wasn't one for revenge, but there was a… sort of _justice_ that the man that murdered his dear friends would end up there. Perhaps his death would be the only one he truly enjoyed.

He looked towards the oldest one next to him, then to her younger brother. "Lev, stay near Isaac. Yara, come." The older girl nodded hesitantly, following him through the clearing in the tall grass towards the crosses. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, urging her forward, before stopping about five feet away from the outsiders. He let go of her.

"Outsiders," he started, his deep, baritone voice carrying through the ridge. "Some here may call you Wolves. Wild and untamable. And, yes, a few of you have earned that title. But to me, you were always simply… misguided children. Lost on the path to Her light. You were offered a chance at redemption, to accept Her into your life, and chose to deny it. For that, our code is clear."

The firelight from their torches grew ever more fierce as the sun sank further beneath the mountain beyond.

"Each and every one of you are nested with sin. Each willing to die to maintain your bigoted ways. So death will be the reward you receive."

Bishop unsheathed his knife, watching as the torches reflected off of it in mesmerizing flickers. Yara stood nearby, rigid, while he approached the first outsider. A young man with close-cropped hair, and frightened blue eyes. What fear remained in his soul did not reflect on his face. Instead, defiance etched into his expression, mouth twisted into a frown, and fingers clenched into fists, bloodied as they were.

Bishop took in a breath. "May your spirit find forgiveness Beyond."

He plunged the knife into the man's abdomen, pulling it along a horizontal line. The man screamed in agony, twisting and wrenching against the nails embedding him into the cross until his guts spilled out of his stomach like a coil of rope being dropped from a rooftop.

It wasn't long before the life in those frightened eyes and defiant face were snuffed out completely.

**Shadowman [Andrew]**

Pain seared throughout his hands and feet, the nails that had been forcibly driven through were soaked with blood, feeling as though they were about to go numb at any moment. Andrew stood bound to the cross, rope weaved tightly around his arms and legs to keep him stable. Tears muddied his face, the salt in them burning the open cut on his cheek before they rolled down further and dripped off his chin. Unlike his companion that had been defiant until the end, Andrew was already broken; pleading for his life as he continuously sobbed.

Surrounded by hooded psychopaths with hellfire in their hands, they all looked at him in disgust, like he was some diseased animal. This wasn't right; wasn't fair at all. Andrew wasn't even meant to be out here when they'd been ambushed, he mainly worked the labour jobs in the yard, they were short a man and he'd reluctantly offered to go with, to prove himself.

If only he knew it'd be a decision that would cost him his life.

Although the others usually made fun of him, he was just happy to have a roof over his head, even if it meant he was at the very bottom of the food chain. But none of that mattered now, his thoughts were drowned out by the sound of blood and guts slapping against the ground.

"Please…" Andrew murmured, excessively blinking as he squirmed against his binds, lip quivering at the sight of the older man who was now turning his attention towards him. He stared down at the bloody serrated knife, knowing that its next destination would be his insides.

The injured man grimaced, his neck violently jerked backwards, causing his head to smack against the wooden cross behind him with a tic that he couldn't control. "I re- repent."

"I A- AC- ACCEPT HER!" He stammered out in desperation.

**Dot [Bishop]**

They always pleaded for Her forgiveness once the first outsider was killed. Early in his time with the Flock, Bishop found it difficult to keep going through with the ritual, but it grew easier with time. Yet, it was not mercy that caused him to hesitate at this man's plea.

"The demon's got 'em, Bishop. I'm sure of it," one of his men stated from where he stood to his right, in the circle surrounding the crosses. The leader looked towards him with a hard jaw, then back towards the man on the cross. He jerked unnaturally, like the demons that plagued their lands. Perhaps Jonah was right; he was in the early stages of turning, and highly infectious.

He turned to Yara behind him, still rooted to the spot he'd left her. He extended a hand. "Yara, hand me your torch." She took a step forward, weighted with indecision, just enough for Bishop to clasp his fingers around the burning stick. He held it tightly in his hand, his eye focusing on the man before him once more.

"Repent or not, the demons have infested you, and it our duty to spare you from the pain and suffering you will endure, and inflict." He lowered the torch to the cross, letting the flames lap against the wood. As the fire caught, he turned back towards his group. "Bring the animal."

**Shadowman [Andrew]**

_Demons?_

Andrew's eyes widened in sheer terror, watching the man they referred to as Bishop opt to use the torch instead. They'd mistaken his condition… for some kind of, possession? His heart thumped even harder now as he squirmed against his binds, hands and feet aching every time he pushed against the nails embedded into his skin. "I- I'm not one of them! Let m-me go and I c-can prove it!" He pleaded, with the small hope that they'd see reason. It was like talking to a stubborn brick wall that refused to budge, he might as well have been dead already, because it looked like no one could hear him. He watched as the flames splashed against the cross just underneath his feet, slowly and gradually spiralling upwards.

"I-I'M N-N-NOT A FUCKING DEMON!" He squealed, the tears poured out faster, accompanied by a few more muscle spasms that came about more intense than before. The man's pants were now dampened as a pungent smelling liquid travelled down his legs. Andrew continued to flail around, proving fruitless against his binds. His wails echoed throughout the mountains; adults… even children. They all just stood there… entranced at his body as his skin began to bubble and blister, his squalls and screeches only getting louder as the fire slowly consumed him.

**Dot [Bishop]**

Bishop only watched as the flames mottled and melted the outsider's skin, before eventually he was obscured by them. His men brought forth the animal he'd requested, a young pig squealing as they carried him. As Bishop moved on to the next outsider, they cut the pig open across the stomach, the blood held within spewing out in thick clumps and pooling on the ground. The ritual was meant to capture the soul of the burning outsider, to separate him from the demon that prepared to take over his body. Perhaps then, the outsider will find the forgiveness he was so vocally looking for.

His bloodied blade found the next outsider's stomach, Bishop repeating the words he said before, while the others carried the pig towards the edge of the ridge, to throw into the valley below. He twisted the knife to place the sharpest edge against the woman's body, ready to slice into her skin, when the sharp tone of a whistle stopped him in his place. The signal that someone was coming, quickly followed up by a hushed shout of "Wolves!"

He pulled away from the outsider, while the men carrying the pig dropped it to the ground, pulling out knives and pistols in response to the cry. The hairs on the back of Bishop's neck raised and bristled, and he stashed his knife in exchange for a rifle he had strapped over his shoulders. He looked towards the youngest two in his group, calling for them. "Lev, Yara, find somewhere to hide!"

And so they did, running towards a collection of boulders on the other side of the crosses, where they could hopefully remain during whatever fight was just about to occur. If it was the same group they took these men from, Bishop had no doubt how this would end.

No matter what, She would guide them to victory.

**Basil [Negan]**

_Months._

Months had gone by since the last call from Dwight, his key to the new group that was found in the area. Negan had at first dismissed it as lack of opportunity, but as the weeks went by he became more and more frustrated, more and more furious with the lack of progress towards incorporating another settlement into his influence.

That was why he took it into his own hands to finally make some progress. He gave the order, and soon, him and a small group of his men marched towards the community, where he thought it was at least, to finally confront the group he was so desperate to meet, scout the area, and set up a base for a much larger group.

Progress was slow, but they were close. They had settled down for the night, awaiting the trip in the morning, when their group was ambushed, many soldiers taken at night, when the group was encamped. Negan was furious, he thought it was the assholes they were looking for; the group had gotten a jump on him. They had left tracks, and Negan rounded up the remainder of his group and quickly searched for the attackers.

Finding them was easy, not so soon after his men were taken, there was a scream heard nearby, and the group dashed to the location. What he saw was unexpected. One of his men, strapped to a pole, burning. He saw what seemed to be the leader, holding a knife to another kidnapped soldier, a girl. He composed himself, and started walking towards them, Lucille gripped tightly in his right hand. He whistled, as soon as the knife was about to plunge into her belly. He saw them scramble, he had ten men behind him, guns in hand. He saw how many there were, a few were carrying a pig, most were covered in crimson blood, it didn't phase him.

"Well, well, well… a bunch of fucking sickos were the ones to capture my men…? My fucking luck." Negan said, loud enough for everyone to hear. He gestured, and the men behind him raised their weapons, pointing at various places.

**Dot [Bishop]**

The wolves appeared all around them, pointing weapons as his own men pointed theirs back. Bishop wasn't afraid, though maybe he should've been. They'd gotten out of worse situations before; their lives were meant for something greater, and wouldn't be snuffed out by some _outsiders_. It seemed that whoever got the element of surprise would be the victor, though, and reinforcements were only a city away. Soon as the bullets start flying, they'd come to finish the job.

So, instead of ordering his men to fire, he aimed his pistol towards the leader of the outsiders, his voice as calm as ever. "We seem to be evenly matched, outsider. So how about you put down your guns, before no one walks away from here alive."

He put his finger on the trigger, his good eye narrowing. "Walk away, and She may yet grant you mercy."

**Basil [Negan]**

The reaction was as he expected, they brought out their arsenal of guns to match his. Negan himself was lacking a gun, preferring the threatening presence of Lucille, he left all the shooting to his men at the back.

The assumed leader of the group aimed his pistol at Negan, who remained calm and collected despite the threat. There would be no need to be scared; he wouldn't shoot, because if he did, he'd be blown to bits by the people behind him. He considered their words, insisting that his group just walks away. Why? Because Negan actually had the advantage, or because he wanted to ambush him with his back turned?

"I'd love to not get into a fight with you, but in case you've forgotten, you've taken and killed my men. You think I can just walk away from that?" Negan paused, judging the situation again; it would be stupid to die in such a fight.

"I suggest you give me back the ones that are alive, I'll judge how much 'mercy' should be granted based on how many you've killed."

**Dot [Bishop]**

It occurred to Bishop then that the man he was facing wasn't an idiot. The leader, obviously. Perhaps outplaying him wasn't in the cards, but they still had more men nearby; all they needed was a signal, then they'd swarm the ridge. Would they manage to hold out that long? Probably not. But, what mattered was dying in pursuit of Her goals.

And for Bishop, he intended to keep that promise, _all_ while still breathing.

He slowly nodded his agreement to the terms that the taller man had proclaimed, stepping away, and towards the woman on the cross. He held his pistol tightly, hand extended to his side to show that he wasn't going to pull anything funny, finger off the trigger.

One of his men approached him with a hammer, which he used to pull out the nails keeping the outsider attached to the cross. She fell to the grass, which flitted and swished in the wind as flames made them glow a bright orange. When Bishop turned towards her, his movements were quick, instantaneous.

A bullet pierced the back of her head, her body dropping to the ground with a faint thud as thunder boomed in the distance, rolling through the sky.

His voice was nearly drowned out by it.

"Kill the Wolves!"

With the order given, his men fired first, the other man's men reacting just as quickly, spreading apart to avoid getting shot. Bishop plastered his back against the wooden cross, gun held tight.

Maybe they'll survive this after all.

**Basil [Negan]**

The atmosphere was tense after he issued his demand, the silence was heavy as both sides' guns pointed at each other. Negan smiled proudly as their leader nodded, and the girl was soon to be set free to them. He thought there'd be more. As she got up, he saw the leader aim his pistol at the girl's head, knowing what was going to come next. The bullet came, and soon the silence was replaced with guns firing. Negan and his men quickly found cover, but there were a few that couldn't get there in time, and those few men lay dead on the ground from the gunfire.

There was someone next to him, cowering in fear behind the same tree. "Hey!" He shouted, trying to get his attention. When he had grabbed the man's attention, he issued his order. "We're going to pull back and get support, I want you to stay behind and fend them off, we'll be back soon!" He said, Negan knew it was too dangerous to stay around. They'd die, but they'd need a distraction to get away, hopefully this man was willing to sacrifice himself for the Saviors.

**Shadow Savior [Jason]**

The damned bullets were ripping Jason's eardrums apart, plowing against a thick layer of wood that'd kept him alive so far. Right then, his palms were sweaty enough to make it a hurdle to hold an AK without it sliding off his fingers. "What?!" He asked in a shout. Not because he was confused, mind you. Jason couldn't understand a single word with all that noise.

But soon, Negan had taken off with over half of their men. _Shitsticks!_ It was just him and three boys left to fend off those crazies attacking them. Jason shut his brain up, held on tightly to his assault rifle, and thought of all the pussy he'd get back home if they pulled this off.

"I ain't **scared of dyin'**," he yelled, finger dug into the trigger. He wasted an entire magazine firing at nothing, though the screams on the other side suggested he'd landed at least one good shot. Beside him, a savior went down, two bullets to the chest. One straight through the knee of another. And the one beside him, hidden behind a rock, had his gut explode in a red mist. Jason couldn't think straight at the sight.

He leaped off his cover, throwing his weapon at the ground, and throwing his hands forward. "I give up, I give up! D - Don't!" They only had to buy time until the rest showed. They only had to not get shot.

**Dot [Bishop]**

Gunfire deafened him, a cacophony of ear-splitting cracks that tore men and grass apart. The burning cross was split in half by the bullets, falling to the ground, and catching the area around it on fire. Both sides had sustained heavy losses, and most of the outsiders had run off, leaving behind only a few to cover their retreat. They were swiftly dealt with, either injured or surrendered. Bishop took the momentary cease fire to take stock of his men, finding Yara and Lev unharmed but frightened – as expected – and a good number of his men still breathing. Most were injured, some dead, but they had a fighting chance once their reinforcements arrive.

He whistled for one of his men, telling him to head back to the camp, meet up with the rest of the group to lead them here. When he was gone, he turned his attention to the outsider that'd surrendered, who his men had already brought to his knees. Bishop bent his own, putting himself at the same height as the man, and examining him with his eye.

"Where are your friends going?" He asked simply, clutching his pistol at his side. He glanced over towards the outsider's friends, the ones that wouldn't make it out of this alive, frowning. Then back to the outsider again. "I'll let you and your friends go. All you have to do is answer that one, simple question."

"Your friends left you to die, outsider. Perhaps you've found yourself on the wrong side."

**Shadow Savior [Jason]**

Jason swung his head back and forth, challenging the hold of the men who held him by the arms, forcing him to his knees. "You've gotta help them first, man! You gotta!" He shouted, panicked. Tom's guts were hanging out of his stomach, splattering red over the dark fields of grass. He wasn't gonna make it. The thought of Negan and the others leaving them behind made his face boil, and tears wet his eyes... Right then, all he could do was focus on surviving.

The other Savior clutched his bloody leg while his raw screams invaded everyone's senses, muffling even Jason's own words. "Billy got shot. He's gonna die if you don't do nothin'..!"

"C'mon!"_At least give me that, you crazy fucks...!_

**Dot [Bishop]**

With a disappointed frown, Bishop straightened his knees, taking in the outsiders before him. He turned to his group, nodding. The few members of his flock that were the closest things to medics approached quickly, laying the two men out to see what they could do.

"They'll try their best," Bishop stated evenly, tucking his pistol away. "I give you my word."

_Though we both know that boy's not making it out alive,_ he thought to himself. He bent his knees once more, listening to the sound of fire crackling behind him as the cross kept burning. He let out a sigh, pulling out a strand of grass and twisting it in his fingers.

"Your group seems organized. For the most part," he muttered that, frowning. "Do you have a community nearby? Far away? It's obvious you folks aren't nomads." _Work with me here, son._

**Shadow Savior [Jason]**

"Yes," he confirmed in a stammer. "Yeah, we do."

Jason's wrists stung from the pressure, a tiny bit more every second. Felt like those nutjobs were about to crush his fingers into dust. Now... now wasn't the time to wuss out; that much he knew. At least his Savior brothers were safe. He grimaced to chase the pain away, and stared weakly at the man with all the questions. Jason had more to add.

"Biggest fucking one in the south of Wyoming." The young one practically spat his words out. "The type you don't pick a fight with, that's what. Negan's gonna rain shit on all o'you when he comes back."

"Listen, you work with us? And - and _we,_ all of us, can cut you a deal. Let everyone walk away. Don't be... _agh -_ crazy!"

**Shadowman [Charlotte]**

Charlotte had been trying to contain herself to the best of her ability, though the disgusting words pouring out of this man's mouth were starting to make her stomach churn. By this time, she had heard enough.

There was only one person whom was above Bishop; Charlotte had listened to Her preach, about how all the non-believers tried to lead false lives of individualism with no higher purpose, thus causing them to become tainted with vulgarity and a lack of discipline, not to mention selfishness. Here, she could see it up close, how the man so casually cursed in front of Bishop.

Almost as if her body moved by itself, the woman lurched past Bishop, grabbing Jason from behind the neck before wrenching his face towards her.

"You all _reek_ of atheism." The wide-eyed woman stated, aggravated by his disrespectful attitude. With her other hand, she unsheathed her knife, pressing the tip of the blade against the fabric covering his stomach.

"You will apologise for your filthy language in the presence of Bishop... otherwise we _can_ arrange for you to be dragged further into the woods." She smiled, the thoughts of how they could punish him bringing her some comfort. "Do you want that?"

**Shadow Savior [Jason]**

Jason visibly swallowed. His long hair glistened with sweat as it fell over his eyes, which scanned the grass fields as though between leaves they hid an escape. "No...?" He answered unevenly, shifting where he lay.

"Nah, sorry, I- _Filthy language?"_ Jason echoed with a nervous laugh, staring at the other freaks with unbelieving eyes. "You're out here makin' people-barbecue but you draw the line at the damned F-word?!"

**Shadowman [Charlotte]**

The outright disrespect this long-haired rodent displayed in front of someone so sacred and holy was already a sin in of itself, worthy of swift punishment. Charlotte felt like gutting him like the agnostic swine he was right then and there. She restrained herself however, knowing her place was only to act on the word of Bishop once it was received. The woman turned towards her superior, knife still to Jason's throat. "What are we to do with this one?" She asked, almost hopeful that he'd let her have him.

**Dot [Bishop]**

Bishop was, as previously stated, not a cruel man. Even followers of Her path found it in themselves to curse. No, this man's fate was not to be decided due to that sin, but of the sins that he had already committed before.

There would be no 'cutting deals'. No halfway about what their rules mandated. If these men trespassed into their land again, and murder more followers, then they would get what they sow.

He stood up, giving Charlotte a small nod of approval. His attention then turned to Yara and Lev, remaining at the farthest point they could get away from the men they'd captured and the burning cross. He approached them in calm steps, putting a hand on each other their shoulders.

"I am glad you two made it out safely. Let's get you two back home. You have seen enough of the world for one night." He ushered them towards a pair of his men, who escorted them back towards the town across the lake.

Soon, the rest of them would follow, and this group would be catalogued as a potential threat. Bishop would request that more men be transferred out to the frontier as soon as possible. But first, they needed to deal with their prisoners.

He turned to the rest of his men, his voice matter-of-fact.

"Gut them. Let them find forgiveness Beyond."

With that, the crackles of the burning cross was met with screams once more, before finally ceasing altogether.

* * *

**A/N: ****Some quick notes about this chapter, and a lotta future stuff with the Seraphites: these scenes were written way before TLOU 2 came out, so there'll be inconsistencies from canon. While we will be adapting some canon stuff later on, we still intend to tell our own story with the Seraphites.**


	81. Oncoming Storm, I

_11:13 AM – Saturday, June 20, 2026 – Clementine and Lee's house_

**Dot [Ellie]**

The air was humid and superheated, a fantastic combination that made Ellie's trek through town all the more uncomfortable. The morning's thunderstorms had gone away, though distant thunder still rumbled through the valley like a bad memory. Ellie had spent the morning waiting for it to pass so she could head over to her girlfriend's. Gave her time to play on the Nintendo in her room, though, so it wasn't a total lost cause.

Things were still tense around town, like everyone was waiting for the penny to drop that just… never did. A little over a month and a half had gone by since Dwight's death, and the terror of the Saviors showing up on their doorstep was as present as ever. She understood why, just from what they'd seen of that group back in Pittsburgh, and hearing about what had happened to Clem and Lydia the first time they showed up _here_… she wasn't prepared for them to go through that again, whether she was on not-that-great terms with Lydia or not.

So, very seldomly did anyone greet her on her walk. Too busy moving from point A to point B, defending the walls from an attack that had been forthcoming for forever now. Guess that was to be expected. So much for a peaceful home.

When Ellie finally made it to Clementine's house, she took the steps onto the porch two at a time, knocking on the door with a sudden burst of energy.

It was time to put all those worries aside for a couple hours, and actually have a good time. Today's events were gonna be _awesome_.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine stood peacefully in the kitchen space, with the usual bed-hair she fancied so much and got as far as to do tangles around her shoulders. The smell of fresh vegetables loitered in the air, and an apron hung over her nightwear so none would stick to her shirt. This was all pretty new - and she was sure the taste would confirm it - but for now she was content in cooking something other than stolen eggs off a bird's nest. Pouring a tablespoon of salt over a boiling pot was as far as the girl would get before a knock on the door hurried her focus away. "Coming!" She said, before leaving a pair of potatoes to their forty-five-minute-long demise.

Her voice was booming even before she got the door open. "Hey - Hurry, come in..!"

The door was shut, and Clem's face even more so. She didn't want to beat around the bush. "They let you out? I mean-" The posture on that girl was a straight line, if not just to keep herself from stumbling. Clementine's hands danced together while she second-guessed every word and mentally crossed all nine fingers. "You free today...?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie met Clementine's questions with an amused smile, patting the girl's shoulder as she stepped inside. "I missed you, too." She said playfully, taking a deep breath as she glanced around Clem's living room. It was noticeably cooler inside the house, which she was silently thankful for.

"Since Joel and Lee are out on that run with Tommy, I'm pretty much free to do whatever, as long as it's _inside the walls_." She put finger quotes around her last words, rolling her eyes. She sniffed the air, a small smile forming on her face. "Damn, you're cooking? Smells good."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine nodded, looking awfully smug for a chef's apprentice. "Mashed potatoes. Family recipe." _Mom's favorite,_ her mind stressed. You could almost see her there, if you shut your eyes; a glimpse as vivid as the smell that took over the house. Never was enough to make it feel like home, but it helped. The little things always did.

"'_Kay..._"

Clem dragged one of the chairs closer, sitting very politely indeed, for someone with such a daring look in her eyes. "Time for a game plan." Tracing one finger across the table, she glanced at Ellie and shot her the wryest smile. "You got half an hour 'till grub's done. Then it's the whole day just for ourselves. What do you want to do?"

There was a pause there, so she could lean her head on one hand, and fire the deadliest _strictly business_ look she could pull off. "No corny stuff."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie had found herself sitting down across from her, running a hand through her long hair as she contemplated finally putting it up in a ponytail as she considered Clementine's words carefully. She let out a breath, tapping her fingers against the wooden table.

"Well, I got a certain somethin', but I'll need to bring it over. It's back home." She smiled at the thought of the object in question, the Nintendo, and how fun it'd be to see Clem try and play it. Ellie remembered how much she wanted to play, back in Boston, and now that she finally had, it was everything she ever wanted. Eventually, she'd be able to share that with Clem, too.

"Too bad they don't have a pool inside the walls. It's so hot outside, I'd kill for one," she added with a hint of a chuckle, crossing off another potential activity off the list.

**Art [Clementine]**

"Yeah. You would," Clementine agreed, sounding a lot surer than she would've liked to. Forcing a smile felt disingenuous.

It didn't do a lot else than bring her back to the shouting match with Lee months ago, the one that still made for long nights of dining in silence. She'd seen Lee do it, and Ellie, and Joel... and Clem hadn't forgotten how she lost her old knife, though she did more than give it a try. Maybe it was good that it made her nervous, maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was bad that she wanted to do something twice as worse to those guys who slapped Lydia and broke her nose. Maybe it wasn't.

Whatever it was, she didn't feel in the mood to joke about it.

Before Ellie could notice her silence, an idea struck her in a zap of lightning. Thinking about Lee and all, it was like a buzzer in her head serving as a reminder. "I could get you a haircut..."

"You know, since they got you on watch and all... Could be someone tries to grab you. Or, like, maybe a big, hungry bloater. Right?" She flashed her a grin. It was a shoddy excuse to give Ellie a cute hairdo, but Clementine was hoping she would buy it. If not... "You pulled _mine_ that one time, remember? Dangerous."

... She was just gonna have to guilt trip her into it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

The affirmation, and the following, albeit brief, silence only served to force Ellie to think about what she'd just said. Before the thought could really settle in, though, and ruin her mood, Clementine moved on to the next thing, one that had Ellie's pulse quickening with a small grimace.

She looked towards her girlfriend, grimace deepening as the baseball-capped girl went on to talk about how Ellie'd pulled her hair, _way_ back when they'd first met. Every ounce of defiance she had begun to fall away after that.

"Well, I–" She stopped short, shaking her head. "Okay," she finally agreed, not so agreeably. "Only if we cut yours, too." She ran a hand through her hair, stopping about a centimeter in when the tangles started to catch her fingers, pulling them out seamlessly. "Although, the long hair look is kinda cute on you."

She shook that thought away, smiling deviously. "Nah, you gotta get a haircut, too. How about it, Orange?"

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem smiled, abashed as she was, nodding in agreement. "You make me look bad and there'll be hell to pay," the girl teased, leaning forward, before getting back on her feet. They were getting haircuts; so it was settled. You could have fooled her, as Clementine hadn't even noticed how long _hers_ looked. It'd been brushing over her shoulders for weeks and she was none the wiser. Leave it to Ellie to point it out _and_ be all flattering too, that jerk.

She hauled Ellie out of the house with an arm locked around hers', walking shoulder-to-shoulder. An hour or two after lunch and the afternoon heat had died down a little. Peach hues painted the skies and made the clouds above glimmer with color. Days like those, Clem would catch herself picturing fancy carriages waiting by the porch, just like in the stories. Off to somewhere extravagant and romantic. Maybe _one day,_ though she doubted there'd ever be a ball to ride to.

The streets paved the way toward the park, always bustling with people - and probably other couples, if you looked hard enough. Clementine dragged Ellie to one of the old wooden benches next to the fountain, sat her friend down, and ran behind her with a backpack in hand. "Pixie or bob?" She asked, always smiling. "I could do you a crew cut if you wanna impress your old Boston people."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Clementine's mashed potato family recipe was to die for, by the way. She gave serious props to Clem's parents with each delectable bite she'd taken. After lunch was over, though, the imminent dread of having her hair cut began to set in. Seated on that bench Clementine had pointed out, Ellie took a second to get comfortable, looking towards the girl behind her as she began to rummage through her backpack.

Jeez, they were really doing this, huh? She could already tell that she was gonna hate this. Last time she'd cut her hair was back in Boston, before Riley had disappeared. She'd been the one to do it for her. Now, she guessed it was time to trust Clem, and let it happen.

At Clementine's snarky remark about Boston, Ellie snorted. "Yeah, right. People I knew, they'd probably shave your head in your sleep. Hardly wanna impress _them_." She had other people she wanted to impress, of course, but her hair hardly ever came into the equation for her. "But," she continued, mulling over the two choices Clem had given her. "I'll go with the pixie. Sounds better, y'know? Like I'll be a fairy, or something."

Granted, the thought did make her feel uncomfortable. She still didn't really like fairies. But having hair like one wasn't bad, right? It's not like she was two inches tall and had wings.

The briefest of silences passed by as she faced forward, hands in her lap. "You ever read about fairies? In those books you like?" Her voice was soft, interested. She couldn't really help herself.

**Art [Clementine]**

The query came as a surprise, with its own sealed briefcase packed with nostalgia. Clementine cut snippets of Ellie's hair with a warm gaze the other girl wouldn't get to feel, dwelling on a response. "All the time," she giggled. "Wanna hear one?"

Whole tufts of hair were around her shoes, given time. Turned out she was thankful Ellie settled for such an easy haircut... doing _other_ people's hair wasn't anything like doing your own - and for Clementine, it was kind of showing. "C'mon, close your eyes. It's story time." Clementine breathed out with confidence and went on, wanting to get her friend's imagination running like hers used to.

"There's this girl called Rosy, and she loves the little dollhouse in her room. Her dad built it just for her and they used to play together all the time." The Dollhouse Fairy, it was called. She still remembered. "Only... one day, Rosy's dad gets sick. That's back when you used to get sent to a hospital, stay there for weeks, sometimes.

"Rosy's terrified. She doesn't know what to do. What if her dad goes away forever? What if she's left all alone?"

"That's when Rosy finds a fairy inside the dollhouse. She's hurt, too, like her dad, but Rosy takes good care of her." Clem kept playing up her voice as if it'd make the story more exciting, though it only served to make herself chuckle. "It's a really feisty fairy! But even so, Rosy lets her stay until her broken wing heals."

It was totally strange seeing Ellie with short hair like that. She wondered if she'd been the first. _No more ponytails, huh?_ Clem tucked the scissors back inside her pack, reaching for a tiny mirror she'd stolen from the bathroom. "... I guess the whole point is that the fairy helps her cope, you know? It's kinda sweet."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Listening to Clementine tell the story made it sound more interesting than it probably was, but Ellie didn't care. She loved it all the same. Idle hairs made her nose scrunch and move about in order to alleviate an itch she wasn't able to deal with herself, and eventually, as the story came to a close, the haircut she'd begrudgingly agreed to had been finished.

It… was a lot shorter than she thought it'd be, though there was something familiar about it. Vague memories of a fairy from some old cartoon movie sprung to mind, which she assumed was the namesake. It looked cute, though. Not long hair swirling in the breeze cute, but cute in its own way. Boyish, but… she liked it.

Looking through the mirror, a small smile on her face as she directed a question towards her friend. "What happened to the dad?"

**Art [Clementine]**

"Dad comes back and they have cake," Clem told her clear-cut, in patronizing fashion. She circled around the bench to sit by Ellie's side, and said lightly under her breath, "It's just a kid's story."

Clementine eyed her friend with curious eyes that just didn't seemed used to what they were seeing. Ellie did look like a round-faced little boy, which had Clem smirking so as to refrain from teasing. Lucky for her - Elle made for a really pretty one.

"My turn?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Now it was Ellie's turn, and it was immediately obvious that the task ahead of her was going to be far more difficult than the one Clementine had. Her curly locks were thick, intricate to the point of being probably a real hassle, but she wasn't backing out of this now. They both got haircuts.

The idea she had in mind, pretty much, was to just make a shorter version of Clem's own hair. Not too fancy, given that her barbering skills weren't exactly top-notch quality. She carefully snipped at individual locks, looking pretty concentrated while doing so.

While she worked, she said, "Y'know, talking about books, I don't think I told you that I read that one you liked. 'Where the Wild Things Are.' It was back in that ranger's station." Focusing in on her work for a second, she continued after a brief silence. "I liked it."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem sat on the bench as stiff as a pole. Cutting your hair always felt a little terrifying - even more so, letting someone else do it. She was just glad it was Ellie behind the scissors and not Lydia, else she'd never stop flinching.

As for the book, Clementine had to shake her head to fight back the hint of a smile creeping on her lips. "Shut up. No, you didn't."

Well, even if it was a lie, she didn't mind hearing it from her.

**Dot [Ellie]**

"No, serious," Ellie replied with a hint of a chuckle under her breath, mainly at how quickly Clementine refused to believe that she liked the book. _I mean, it is a kid's book, but there's nothing wrong with that._ She kept snipping away at Clementine's hair as she talked, smiling.

"Need to visit that library at some point, find something to read. Nights get boring when Joel's busy with something for Tommy."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine gave it a hurried thought and topped it off with a giggle. "You got it. _Dork."_ She dared to hope they'd find more of Savage Starlight there someday, though even books about math and the odd poetry compendium felt like a rare commodity. So what if her priorities weren't straight?

The mirror shone in front of her soon enough, and she gave Ellie a reassuring glance. The chin length thing really brought out the _young duchess_ in her, even with the little bangs and all complimenting the look. Sure screamed Ellie. "Hey, not bad. You like it?" She ran a hand through the leftover curls, nothing if not mindful of how much of her hair had gone _poof._

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie rolled her eyes at the playful insult, half ready to ruffle the girl's hair in response, though instead, after finishing up, she gave Clementine a glimpse of her new style through the mirror, and to her satisfaction, it seemed that Clementine liked it.

They were a couple of short-haired girls now, and Ellie's head felt billions of times lighter without all that hair weighing her down. It was a strange feeling, one she wasn't sure she'd get used to any time soon. But hey, with summer in full swing, at least she wasn't sweating to death.

"I love it," she said, answering Clementine's question as she set the mirror down on the bench, leaning over it.

Around them, passersby continued on their day-to-day routines, hardly paying any attention to them at all. Ellie liked that part. It was like they're invisible, like they could just do whatever they wanted. Granted, as storm clouds brewed in the distance, she knew that freedom would soon come to an end.

Still, this was nice. And as thunder crackled, echoing through the valley, she hoped they'd have more days like this to come.


	82. Oncoming Storm, II

_11:00 AM - Watchtower_

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Why anyone would even want to take multiple watch shifts on end in this sweltering heat was beyond Lydia. Then again, she honestly wasn't surprised, it seemed like that's all Carl wanted to do this past month. Even if it was unspoken, she still knew he was on edge, waiting for Negan to show up any day. Lydia was confident that without Dwight, he had little way of tracking their exact location down. Still though, he was up there, eye through the scope like a hawk. Slowly, she tiptoed up the stairs, approaching from behind to find him in the exact same position she last saw him in.

A soft sigh escaped her lips, back leaning up against the railing next to him as she crossed her arms. "Brought you something." She extended her hand, offering him a bottle of water. In this stinking hot heat, he sure as heck needed it.

"You really gonna sit here all day?"

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Carl woke up an hour early for his morning shift just as he did almost everyday he had one. His one eye wasn't gonna stop him from taking this responsibility. Ever since the incident with Dwight, Carl requested more shifts and had more than any other guard in Jackson. There was no way Negan and the Saviors wouldn't go looking for him, _right? What if they already found his body and are looking for us right now?!_ This was a thought haunting Carl since the days after he and Lydia took matters into their own hands. Not to mention the unknown status of his dad… He masked these fears to the best of his ability. However, no matter the time that has passed since then, the boy intended to remain attentive as ever on each of his watchtower shifts. After all, there could be more than just the Saviors out there.

Carl had his eye glued to the scope. He was doing a sweep as he heard someone making their way up to him. _Probably Lydia_, He thought. Sure enough, the voice he heard from behind confirmed that. Lydia knew damn well why he's always up here. But Carl didn't let that rile him. He turned around to grab the bottle Lydia was handing to him, giving her an annoyed look in the process.

"Thanks," Carl replied. "There's a lot of dangerous people out here you know," he continue in his annoyed tone. Purposely avoiding the Saviors.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"Right." She valiantly held back an eye roll at his comment, before shifting her gaze towards the cluster of trees in the distance. When it came to paranoia, the girl honestly didn't think anyone had her beat, though she had to admit Carl was taking it to whole new levels with this watch guard stuff.

"You realize it's been like, what? Four months since Clementine and I ran into him. If he hasn't found us yet, he must be one big dumbass." She mocked, getting straight to the topic that she knew he was dodging. Granted, she didn't know him as well as Carl, but from what little they had interacted, the girl figured she had a good idea on his intelligence.

"And even if he does show up, which I don't think is happening. Torturing yourself out here in the heat won't change that."

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Lydia's nonchalance about Negan and the Saviors seriously frustrated Carl. If only she knew how much of a threat they really were. Their numbers alone would scare anyone with common sense. Up until this point, Carl was having a fine morning. But now with Lydia here, bringing up a topic that he really didn't wanna talk about, it quickly went sour.

"You just had to say it, didn't you?" Carl shook his head with frustration. "Lydia, I don't think you realize how dangerous Negan and the Saviors are." He visibly grew a little irritated, voice rising. "There are literally hundreds of them, maybe even more than that." Carl shrugged. "Most of them with guns. And I'm out here because I want to be. The weather isn't gonna stop me from doing my job." _It's not that hot anyways._ "So what it's been months. We can't just forget about it. On the chance that the Saviors do show up while I'm on watch, at least I'll be able to spot them and we'll be ready." Carl had hoped. But part of him knew that no matter how ready they were, it still wouldn't be enough. He hadn't even taken a sip of that water Lydia handed to him. At this point, he already forgot it was in his hand.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

It was the same crap Lydia had been hearing this past month, she supposed it was starting to get to his head more than he was letting on. She did understand, to a degree. With all these rumors of recently infected people outside of the walls, it did make sense why he was so on edge. Hell, she recalled the time he considered the two of them packing up and _leaving_ if Negan found them.

"I haven't forgotten." She bit back, trying not to get testy with him, it was a little hard though. "Of course I know they're dangerous, it's why _I did what I did._" Disposing of Dwight wasn't easy; there were times where it still kept her up at night. Who knows, maybe if she hadn't done it, they might've gotten found already. That's what she told herself at least.

"If you're gonna stay up here all day," The girl softened up her tone in an effort to convince him. "Then at least drink your water and and let me take watch for a bit." Even if it was for fifteen minutes, that kid seriously needed a break.

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Carl looked down. It _was_ still in his hand. Just slightly crushed now after he subconsciously tightened his grip on the bottle. He finally twisted the cap off and began to drink. It took a second to realize that he actually was thirsty. After a few gulps, he let out a deep breath. "Sure…" Carl said quietly. Sometimes Lydia could bring out the worst in him. But at the same time, she brought out some of the best too.

Right before proceeding down the steps, Carl turned around. "Did you want a sip?" It was his subtle way of apologizing for his little moment. Perhaps he was more on edge than he realized

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia knew he must've been feeling at least a little dehydrated, she knew exactly what was driving him to sit up here all day; still didn't mean she understood it. She visibly relaxed when Carl finally allowed her to take over. The girl stuck out her hand, waiting for him to give her the rifle, like taking a toy from a baby. Once it was in her hand, she took his position, eyes trained on the tree line ahead.

_My turn to sit up here and drive myself nuts, I guess…_

She turned her head towards Carl, a smirk on her face as he offered her a sip. It was sort of easy to tell he probably felt bad. "Nah, I'm okay."

"Go rest." Lydia ordered him.

* * *

**Art [Clementine]**

She couldn't remember when it got so hot, though as far as Clementine was concerned, on her way to the gates there was a lot more she'd rather be forgetting.

It'd been a long while since she got away with just a plain shirt. Where the voice in her head had whispered to keep the leather, everything else shouted _you'd smell like a wet dog._ Now, at least her clothes weren't stuck to her back. Like every other weekend errand, Andrea said jump and Clem asked, 'how high,' and this time it was as high as the watchtower towering across the main entrance.

Trying to stare from below had the sun blinding the hell out of her, not that she needed sight to feed into her hunch. She knew what she was walking into. If it wasn't Lydia, it was Lydia _and_ Carl, and she found herself wishing it was the former. If she had to play gooseberry, Clem swore she'd barf on the spot.

The ladder squeaked with her weight and didn't stop until her eyes spied her partners for the day, sitting idly by the sun. _Here goes._

"Hi," she waved, her other fingers tucked under her rifle strap. "Andrea said you needed the help..." _And that it was just gonna be Carl._ Turns out, jacket or not, Clementine found herself sweating regardless. "Should I... I mean - I could go back and talk to her."

Either way she looked at it, Clementine felt unwelcome. _Wouldn't be the first time,_ she thought, wistfully.

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Carl had finished his break that Lydia granted to him. The only thing he really did with his free time was drink the water she handed to him in a nice, shaded spot under a tree. It actually was pretty damn hot right now, he finally admitted to himself. But after he finished his water, Carl immediately returned to the watchtower.

Only a short time had passed since Carl got back to his post. 'You know you can go now' is what Carl thought about saying to Lydia, but Carl knew if she was here this long, it meant she really didn't plan on leaving anytime soon. But it didn't bother him. After all, she's more herself when it's just the two of them. Eventually, Carl would like to somehow show the others that she really isn't as bad as they think Lydia was. She's truly a good person at heart, which can be hard to emit in these times.

A person could be heard coming up the ladder behind them. Carl was about ninety-five percent sure that it was Andrea. He turned around,fully expecting her to be in his vision and to his surprise, it was Clem instead. Who actually looked a little surprised herself. But definitely not in the same way Carl was.

"Oh, hey Clem," Carl replied astonishingly. Of course Andrea did. "N - No, you're fine. Wouldn't want you coming all the way over here for no reason. We have room for one more anyways." He said, trying to reassure Clementine. She was clearly a little uncomfortable with Lydia being here as well, but… that was understandable. He gave a quick look at Lydia as he spoke just to check on how she was reacting to the arrival of their new guest.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia's staunch gaze shot straight towards the person who had decided to barge in on them. Of course, knowing her own luck, it was Clementine. _Out of all the days, why'd you pick this one not to hang with Ellie?_

Her eyes wandered off to the side for a moment in an attempt to hide her displeasure, huffing out a small puff of air as Carl beckoned her forward. It just seemed that whenever Lydia was around her, it was a dice roll on whether things would stay civil. At times, chatting to the girl was bearable, and other times, it was a fucking chore to say the least.

An awkward and oversensitive piece of work, that was Clementine. Lydia just couldn't stand it sometimes. Nonetheless, she put on her brave face, trying to front something to the other girl that wasn't standoffish.

"You must be pretty crazy for wanting to come up here in this heat." Lydia spoke, deciding to break the wall of silence between them. "Guess you'll fit right in."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine eyed her back, matching her poison. "Wouldn't be my first choice. Trust me."

The girl crouched with a huff and dragged a crate of ammo from the corner of the tower, to use as a makeshift seat. It was blazing up there. Times like those she was glad to have a cap, despite the sunlight that sneaked through the tears. Her neck still shimmered in the daylight, she knew, and under that heat Clementine swore Andrea had it out for all three of them. "I just wanna get it over with, 'kay?" She swallowed dryly and forced a tired smile. "You can just pretend I'm not here."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia's eyes were already squinted due to the harsh rays of sun that were tunneling down on them; good thing it probably made her look naturally pissed off, because after those comments, she sure as hell was.

_Yeah, I bet it wouldn't be your first choice. Fucking bitch._

The now irritated girl sat there, gnawing on her tongue, eyes trailing Clementine as she sat down. Lydia swore she hadn't provoked the other girl. Was she still holding a grudge over the whole stupid incident with Buckley? It didn't matter, she could go cry about it all she wanted. The girl wasn't about to let her get away with that, not in front of Carl.

"Since I wouldn't put it past you, I'll just pretend you fell off the watchtower or something." Her head twisted to the side as she spoke the last word, mimicking Clem's own delivery of it with an exaggerated spin of her own, smiling back.

**"'Kay?"**

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Inside, Carl felt like running as far as he could from the brewing hostility in the watchtower. Was this how girls acted when they don't like each other? Their relationship with one another was rough, to say the least. It was almost funny to watch them nag each other. However, on the flip side, if these two girls were to fight again, which could happen any moment now, Carl was afraid they might actually fucking kill each other. Although, he was just recently thinking of ways he could improve their relations with each other, but he was _not_ prepared at all for that to happen right now. But, with where things were headed, the boy had to do something.

"Here Clem!" Carl intervened by passing the scope to her which had been by Lydia's side at the moment. As he Carl leaned over to grab the scope, he glared at Lydia with a firm look in his eyes that basically said, _What the fuck Lydia.. chill out,_ before turning around and passing it to Clem. "You.. should…take a look around for a bit." Carl said, trying calm the tense atmosphere for at least a little while. He forced a little smile on his face, hoping Clem would just take the gun from his hand with no rebuttal.

**Art [Clementine]**

She felt her teeth grind together, but Clementine said nothing. Clem just held the scope near and tried her best not to crush it between her fingers. _Pompous douche._

Minutes and hours dissolved in front of her like the heat had turned them to mist. It didn't mean they went by any quicker. Her throat was parched and her hands slippery by the time she'd broken the silence. Empty the way it was, on the other side; you'd be a sucker to miss something like this. "I see a horse..." said the girl, who couldn't help the mild excitement in her voice. The pony galloped through the fields ahead, equal times nimble and frantic. It could've been a wild one, she mused, though Clem had a bad feeling. It was too far away to make out reigns or a saddle.

"Looks spooked. That normal?"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia's hands were tucked underneath her armpits, she could feel her fingernails beginning to dig into her palms; just itching for Clementine to say something back. It was a moment which was promptly shut down by none other than boy wonder himself. All Carl wanted to do was wait for no one that was coming, when they could actually be doing something productive right now. Truth be told, Lydia was getting tired of babysitting him up here. The heat, followed by the bad company that had now put her in a shitty mood, it had her really fucking over it.

Screw sitting here all day.

With that, Lydia had eventually made up her mind, deciding that there was no way in hell she was going to sit up here for a minute longer. Right now, they could both burn up here for all she cared.

"Well, you two have fun with the horse whispering, I'm gonna take a break." The girl lifted herself up from the seat, not sparing the other two a single glance as she stepped towards the ladder, before quickly making her way down until she was out of sight.

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Carl sighed as Lydia made her departure. "Well, she lasted longer than I'd thought." He paused for a brief moment before turning to Clem, making sure Lydia was far away enough for her to not overhear what he was about to say.

"She really isn't as bad as she seems," he said, referring to Lydia. "I know she acts like a prick most of the time, but...you don't know Lydia like I do. There's more good in her than you think."

**Art [Clementine]**

"Sure," the girl replied, lending only half an ear. Her mind was set on the horse trotting below. But as far as her eyes went, the thing seemed much quicker than _those._ A second slipped by, and it just as soon had vanished behind the growth of green past the crossroads. Clementine set the scope down on her lap and sent a steady look Carl's way. "Whatever her problem is, I - I don't _care._ I can take it." She wasn't one to play the glutton for punishment, true. Maybe it _was_ hopeless. They'd promised to give the friendship a try, so Clem was gonna at least bother enough to do that. _Makes one of us._

She smiled to stifle a chuckle, ignoring the stupid horse altogether. "I'm more worried about you."

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Carl was initially stumped at the comment from Clem. It was the first time he really heard such compassion from her like this. His instincts wanted him to deny that there was anything to worry about. But being that Clem wasn't the only one appearing to show concern lately, he didn't throw a huge fuss. Lydia and Andrea being the main ones. However, at the same time, he didn't need anyone's pity.

Carl took a deep breath before replying. "So you too, huh?" He resentfully accepted. "It's about me being up here all the time, isn't it?"

**Art [Clementine]**

"... With Lydia? Yup."

It still made her nose scrunch to think back to her spitting in Ellie's face. Or when Lydia let Buckley loose on her for laughs. It made Clem want to quit talking and go back to work, before the whole thing devolved into name calling.

Being the preachy Clementine she knew she was, something told her there just wasn't much helping it. "But, you know, I get it. I know she likes you lots..." Hummingbirds flocked around the watchtower in packs, flying all toward the same direction, and grabbing her attention while they were at it. All those poor animals... she wondered where they were all going. If not for Carl, she might've thought twice about it. "You're, like, the last person in here she'd wanna push off this place. Think you'll be fine."

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

"Don't be too sure of that." Carl smiled, joking. He knew plenty of ways to tick off Lydia to the point where she would actually push him off.

"I might be the last person she'd push off but I'd say there's still a pretty high chance." He laughed, pausing for a second as the smile slowly disappeared. "It's a bit more complicated than it looks though."

**Art [Clementine]**

"Yeah?" Felt kinda nosy to ask, really. She echoed Carl's smile, and let it fade just as his had. Thoughts bubbling in her head. _What to do, what to do._ Clementine shifted in her seat, set one foot on top of the wooden box and plopped both arms over her knee, peering curiously. "How come?"

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Carl was usually hesitant to get this personal with anyone. And he was slightly. Not even Andrea could get him to reveal his thoughts and feelings all the time. That was just how he was. But Clementine wasn't your average fourteen-year-old. She was someone who Carl could relate with on a lot of things. And just like him, she knew what it took to survive in this world. Therefore, this made Clem worthy of his openness.

"Well.. we were together a little while back. Everything seemed to being going okay. But one day she asked that we… slow it down." Carl said. Obviously there was a lot more to it than that but he wasn't ready to dwell into it that deeply. Relationship life confused the hell out of Carl. And he wasn't in a rush to figure it out.

"Now we're just… really close friends," he said unsurely.

**Art [Clementine]**

She didn't quite know what to say, treading as lightly as a feather. Not that any of this touched on her know-how in the first place. He'd have better luck tracking those birds down and seeing what they had to say. "You'll work it out," Clementine said, in a tone just as uncertain. "I'm not a big help, I know..."

"If it means anything, we're always around to listen. Ellie's, like, a wizard at this relationship thing." Clem couldn't help the snark in her voice, even when she meant it. Something told her they'd all _definitely_ be in trouble if Elle's method caught on.

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

"Thanks, but... I think I'm okay. I'll keep it in mind, though." Besides, Carl was pretty content with how things were between him and Lydia at the moment. If it got to that point again, then so be it. And if it didn't, then Carl was perfectly fine with that too.

"Now that you mention her, you and Ellie seem... pretty close too." Carl teasingly said. He wasn't completely sure if the two of them were a thing or not. There was only one way to find out.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine tossed him back the scope without missing a beat, flashing a sly grin even she couldn't mask. Did Carl think a little small talk could wear her down? That lamebrain had another thing coming. "Maybe go back to work, okay, gumshoe?"

"And try not to slack off, or I'll tell Andrea you're spreading gossip instead of doing look-out."


	83. Oncoming Storm, III

**Dot [Tommy]**

For once, Tommy was glad to be on the trail, through the mountains. The tree coverage made the sweltering heat a bit more endurable, and the faint sound of a stream running through the valley made the ride calming, at least. With how things had been recently, Tommy needed that calm. That serenity. Been a while since he felt that way about anything.

His horse trotted along the trail at a steady rate, being followed by another pair of horses, ridden by Lee and his brother. This wasn't the first time the three of them had gone out on a patrol like this; given the Savior situation, everyone was doing their part to keep their community safe. Knowing that his brother was willing to put aside their differences, specifically involving the girl in his care, and help out, was a step in the right direction. Eventually, they'd come to trust one another again; he had a feeling.

Hard to feel like that trust was being put in the right place when the horrors he'd seen with Joel were still so close to the surface, given his brother's aptitude for violence. But, he was amenable, to the point of keeping the peace after his little show of force a month back. Lee's nose had healed up fine, too, to Tommy's relief. Last thing he wanted was to alienate them.

A fork in the trail appeared before them, and Tommy let out a quiet 'whoa' to bring his horse to a stop. Looking back at the two men following him, he pulled the reins to turn his horse to the side.

"Up that way, there's a ranch we use to store some emergency supplies. We oughta check it out, make sure everything's still there."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Horses were never Lee's strong suit; being in control of a large animal always seemed to put him on edge. The man would've liked to think if he still had both of his hands that he'd be infinitely better; after all, he was getting the hang of it after they left Jackson the first time. Right now, he felt a tad off balance, but was managing okay. Granted, not as well as the two country boys.

He gave the reigns a slight tug, beckoning the horse to follow the other two. It was pretty humid out there today, which made Lee happier that they weren't walking much.

Before long, the abandoned ranch soon came into sight, as well as something else. "See that?" Lee pointed to a gnarly sight unfolding just outside of the building. A runner had somehow managed to chase down a wild dog; it was knelt down, moaning as it feasted away on its meal.

"She must've turned pretty recent." Lee sighed out, a hint of concern in his voice. It was no one from Jackson, which meant other people that weren't _them_ were getting infected out here. It must've been the third one this month, a worrying sign to say the least.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

_Trot trot trot._

Joel kept the horse in check. Saddled up and addling along, he fell in rhythm to each of its trots. Things had been... different since him and Lee confronted Tommy. Nothing had been solved. Just a negative feedback loop of dismay and suffering. Life would only get more and more difficult as it kept going on; this place was supposed to be normal. Jackson was supposed to be _safe._ Now it was under risk from that group that called themselves the 'Saviors' or whatever the hell they thought they were. Monsters, is what they were.

His grimace only dimmed at the sign of the runner ripping a dog open just outside of the building. "I got it," he said, reached to the side of his horse and pulling a baseball bat out. He leapt from his ride and ran along the ground for a few moments, the infected poking its head up and looking at him. Some biker looking gal. It started grunting as it shimmied over the dog and sprinted for Joel. He wasted no time; he swung the aluminum bat into the side of its neck, a thick crack emanating from the thing's spine. It fell onto Joel, still biting and clawing as the man kept it back with one hand before tossing it down to the ground and stepping on its chest.

Two more foul swings took a chunk from its head, killing it. Joel grunted and stepped off of it, rubbing the blood on his boots off along the grass. "Ain't good." He stated the obvious, he knew. He figured it was best that someone at least get it out there. "Let's get these supplies and get out," Joel said, looking up to Tommy with expectations on his face. _I'm just the muscle._

**Dot [Tommy]**

The ranch was nestled deep within the western valley, and of course, not quite untouched. The infected woman had been quickly dispatched by Joel, which Tommy gave him a curt nod of gratitude for. The dog's eyes were empty, and a gaping hole was left in its stomach. Tommy averted his gaze eventually, focusing on the structure before them before dismounting his horse, tying the rope to a pole.

It was abundantly clear the moment he walked through the door that someone had been there, recently. Muddied footprints littered the wooden flooring, and discarded supplies and equipment covered the rooms they were initially housed in. Perhaps that infected outside hadn't been alone after all.

Under normal circumstances, he'd probably curse under his breath and figure out what they had left, but an uneasy feeling began to wash over him.

"We better get goin', before whoever did this shows back up." _Three of us don't got the manpower to take on the amount of people this kinda ransacking would take._

**Vi [Alvin Jr.]**

The heat was beginning to become unbearable. Midday weather always brought the sun highest in the sky, its dreadful rays burning down onto the Earth's surface with a vengeful mindset. To those unfortunate enough to find themselves walking out in the open, that sun would be considered a foe, rather than the comforting friend it was any other season. Despite the light of day making spotting monsters that roamed the land easier, it also had its disadvantages. Sweat, fatigue, and the much more common, dehydration. Especially to a smaller body such as Alvin Junior's.

He dreaded the heat and every side effect that came with it. Had the four-year-old been able to change the weather on command, he would've made it fall, or winter. Monsters moved pretty slow last winter, and he didn't feel much for dealing with them. However, monsters and heat were the last of his issues... at the moment, anyway. He had much bigger fish to fry, and this being his first real order to do on his own was a big deal. If he were to mess this up, that wouldn't be the prettiest lecture.

The walking was the most annoying part, having such small legs made for quiet movement, but longer journeys. With the quickness of horses against the speed of his general quiet stroll, it wasn't much of a fair competition at all. Lucky for him, through all his inner monologue he found himself refocusing on his surroundings just to be out front of the ranch. Brown orbs scanning the surrounding area, the eyes of his people watching in anticipation as they remained hidden behind trees, rocks, anything they can get behind. Then there was the fresh carcass of some mutt resting off to the side. Disgusting... but useful. He made his way closer, careful to keep his eyes wandering around in case someone he didn't already know might have been watching.

The child crouched close to the dog, his hand moving up to cover his nose as his stomach flipped and turned from the smell. It was horrid, enough to cause tears to well up in his eyes with how much it burned his nose. He stayed there for a few moments, shaking as he removed his hands and let the smell over take his senses. He felt nauseous, ready to be sick at any second as he let the tears slide down his face and to the ground. He moved back slightly once they continued to fall, his breath hitching as he fought for air. He was ready; it was finally his time. He had the tears, the quickened breath. He just needed their attention.

What a better way to do so than letting out a grief stricken scream? For that's exactly what he did.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

To Lee's dismay, one shifty sign seemed to pop up after the other. First, it was the recently infected girl outside. Now they'd just swept the inside of the ranch to find nothing but a pillaged household. Ripped open boxes and remnants of supplies were littered across the floor, in such a manner that one would think a goddamn tornado hit this place.

"Well, shit." Lee nudged an empty can to the side with his foot. Didn't look like one of the infected's work, that much he was certain. "It's a pigsty in here." Lee's concerned gaze met Joel and Tommy, who looked just as on edge.

Tommy was quick to suggest booking it from here, which Lee had no objections to; there wasn't really anything they could salvage here anyway. Before he could even respond, though, a high pitched scream reached their ears, unlike anything he had heard in a long time.

Lee rushed towards the front door, hand hovering over the pistol hunkered away in the holster on his hip. He quickly opened it, stepping out onto the front porch. The man stood there for a solid moment, eyes widened, bewildered at what he was looking at.

A small boy. Puffy hair. Kid looked like he'd been crying his eyes out, hunched over near the dog's corpse. _Oh god._ Had they just found who was responsible for the mess inside? More importantly, what the hell was a little boy doing out here? Where did he come from?

"Hey, hey," Lee spoke gently, his hand drifted away from his holster, now outstretched towards the kid. He took a slow step forward; the last thing he wanted to do was spook him. As confused as the one-handed man was right now, the best thing he could do was try and calm him down. "You okay?"

**Dot [Tommy]**

The scream had, by all accounts, startled him. Right on Lee's heels, he strode down the steps two at a time, rifle lowering as he watched Lee approach the young boy. He wasn't familiar, though Jackson had gotten big enough that maybe he just never seen him before. Still, though, something had him on edge. The fact that this kid was out here, alone, only made that feeling worse.

And if the dog was his, then that meant that dog was from somewhere, and owned by someone. Someone that definitely wasn't standing right here, right now.

Call it a hunch, but his time with the Fireflies told him to be prepared.

He turned towards Joel, gesturing towards the forest beyond them. "Keep your eyes open. The kid's got family somewhere. Might be watchin' us."

**Kentucky [Joel]**

The kid was, of course, untrustworthy.

A child appearing from the woods, crying. _All by himself._ He wasn't even a child, a toddler if Joel was being kind. He gripped the gun stuffed in his pants and nodded to Tommy, watching the forest from a distance. His eyes scanned every part of the horizon; it wasn't like it mattered, anyways. All he had was that damn revolver and it wasn't going to hit a thing from this range.

Still, his thumb came back on the hammer. This _wasn't right._ Where did this child come from? Why did this child show up here, now? Just so happened to come from the woods where nobody else lived? Nobody but the Saviors and the people from Jackson... Joel felt like this was a trap.

"Yeah. This isn't right." Joel mumbled to Tommy, just low enough for neither Lee nor the kid to hear. He only hoped he could see something off in the woods, _something_ had to be out there.

Kids surviving on their own, even if they were tough... it was an impossibility. If the toddler had maybe been with his family, then maybe. But still unlikely.

**Vi [Alvin Jr.]**

The boy's head shot up the second a voice entered the area, his eyes widened as he sat up straight. He looked around, focusing in on a one-armed man who's hand hovered dangerously over his gun. As they moved it away and got closer, the boy wiped away at the tears on his face, clearing his vision to get a proper look at the gullible man that chose to step forward.

"M - Mister, it's awful… Papa and I, we went... went looking for Rex a little while a - ago… When we got separated, I… I came back here to wait for him… but all I found was R - Rex." He covered his face, motioning back to the dog as he broke into a fit of sobs. Did he know who this dog was? No, he didn't, nor did he really care. It was a mutt that made for a good sob story, that was all it was good for at this point. Sure, it was a shame it didn't last, but then again, all it would've done was bark and attract monsters. No one needed that.

The child stood up, continuing to wipe away his tears as he made his way closer to the one-armed fool. As his footsteps slowed to a stop in front of him, he looked up, sniffling as he looked up to the basic giant the male appeared to be compared to him. He had one of them. One right in the palm of his hand. But the other two, they were getting too close to the forest for comfort. AJ reached his arms out, motioning for the stranger to pick him up. "C - Can you help me… Please… I… I just want my Papa…"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Poor boy was crying his guts out, begging him for help; soon enough, Lee knew why. Maybe the kid and his father had found the ranch filled with supplies, decided to bunk down there for a week. It still didn't explain the mess, but perhaps the place had been raided by someone else when they went out to look for the dog.

Of course, Lee couldn't leave a toddler out here on his own. He wasn't about to have that on his conscience. They'd probably have to take him back to Jackson first, send out a few people to look for the father if Tommy allowed it.

He continued to sob, wanting to be picked up. Lee's eyes scanned the woods ahead, a moment of caution before he finally caved in.

"Don't worry, we can go find him. You know where you last saw him?" Lee asked, before he went to pick him up.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan had listened to the scene unfold in front of him, perched behind a rock with another Savior. He wasn't sure about peeking his head out and blowing their cover. He'd heard the kid's scream, and the crying. He could tell it must've been convincing. The situation unfolded slowly before him.

They had been following these people ever since they left, and it was a stroke of luck that they went to such a place… one exit. He still wasn't sure about the significance of any of the three men. He doubted that any of them were important; why would they send someone important on such a dumb mission when they _knew_ that he was out there?

Negan cracked a smile when he heard the kid tell his story. He was remarkably impressed by the young boy's ability to think on his feet. He could hear one man, who seemed to be taken in by it. He decided to risk it and peek around, spotting the man _way_ too close to the kid. He didn't like it. They had one of them in, it was just three guys, and there was at least a dozen Saviors here. This would be easy. Negan took the gun from the Savior across from him, and stood slightly over the cover. Aiming at the man who was about to pick up the kid.

The bullet shot out. Of course, he made sure it wasn't lethal. He watched as the shot ripped through the man's thigh. He had to be sure, these people were still new and they could've done something to AJ if they were too close. He gestured to the rest of the Saviors to stand out of cover too. He didn't want any retaliatory fire.

"I'd suggest you get on your fucking knees right fucking now! Drop your shit and we can be civil!" He barked to the men. "You are heavily fucking outnumbered and I'm sure you don't want to be gangbanged by bullets from about five different fucking directions." He looked over at AJ. "Kid, get your gun out!" He hoped all this would be enough to scare them, the last thing he wanted was more gunfire, especially with AJ in the middle of it.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A searing, hot pain shot up his right leg, like a million daggers were jabbing away at him. The piercing sound of the rifle had frightened off a flock of birds in the nearby trees, right before Lee fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"_Goddammit…!_" The confused man cried out with a guttural yelp, gnashing his teeth together as he clutched his thigh, trying his best to withhold the screams as crimson now soaked his hands. Lee could only watch in horror as a large and burly man in a leather jacket started to bark orders, followed by multiple people beginning to emerge from the trees, all armed.

It was a trap. One he'd been foolish enough to fall for.

**Vi [Alvin Jr.]**

Alvin Junior's eyes darted around as Lee made his way closer, every instinct inside him screaming to reach for his gun… but he knew… He knew he had to wait for the right time, a signal of some sort. But, that's when he got one.

The gunshot rang out harshly through the trees, causing him to cover his ears as blood splattered along the grass, the male's only hand, and his clothes. AJ stared down at the thick, crimson liquid with a look of shock, his hands hovering over his own clothes to avoid having to touch it. Sure, he'd seen this stuff before now… but never so close that he could feel the warmth of it, causing his clothes to cling to his skin wherever it soaked through.

His mind snapped back into focus when he heard Negan call for him to draw his gun, his hands now finding their way to his back pocket as he pulled out a small, clean revolver. He pointed it immediately at the one-armed man, his face stern yet riddled with a sense of mischief. "Sorry, Mister. I can't say I know where my dad is at all. Never met him. Now, weapon, slide it over or the bullet in your leg will be the least of your worries."

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

In an instant, the boy had seemingly transformed from a sniveling mess to emanating a confident yet mischievous persona. He'd fooled Lee, fooled him pretty damn good. The entourage he was with even let him carry a revolver - and from the looks of it, he knew how to use it too.

That was when it dawned on him, it was over for them as soon as they stopped to check out the ranch. Whoever these people were, they'd been trailing them for long enough to set up a quick ambush.

"Alright, just-" Lee grimaced in pain, attempting to sit himself upwards in order to respond to the young boy's command. "Easy on that trigger, kid." The injured man warned, hoping he wouldn't be so jumpy that he'd shoot without notice. Putting a gun in a kid's hand that young… it posed a potential recipe for disaster.

His only hand hovered towards the holster at the side of his pants, before he slowly took out the pistol and slid it towards the boy's feet. There was nothing left to do but comply at this point, Lee just hoped the other two would.

**Dot [Tommy]**

Before Tommy could react, men began to emerge from the trees, weapons drawn. The kid also had his own weapon, pointed directly at Lee. _Shit._ He had no doubt that these were the people that ransacked their emergency supplies, and a sickening feeling in his gut told him that these folks were the Saviors. Begrudgingly, he lowered his rifle, hoping that Joel would do the same.

Right now, they just had to make it out of this alive.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel went for his gun the second the shot rang true. It skimped off of Lee's leg; the poor man was running out of limbs at this rate. His revolver came out of his pants and aimed at the woods before he noticed the kid drawing on Lee now; finger on the trigger, eyes darkening into a murky shade of something... something sinister sat behind those eyes. Joel had seen the look plenty of times before, mostly in adults, but only _sometimes_ in kids. Fiery eyes of violent murderer.

He lowered his pistol. "I'm putting it on the ground." He called to the men emerging from the forest now, bitter in tone. He knew something was wrong; they should've acted quicker. Joel placed his revolver on the porch, raising his hands to shoulder level. He didn't dare say a word; in one way out of pride, in another out of self-preservation. The three of them didn't need to get shot over getting smarmy with bandits; besides, Tommy was the negotiator. Joel kept his mouth shut.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan watched the group with happy eyes. They seemed to be smart enough to understand their situation, and all three of them put their weapons down, exactly as he asked for. He quickly emerged from the forest, Lucille clutched in his right hand. The gun that he'd used to shoot the man's thigh was handed back to the Savior across him. Negan eyed all three of them with steely eyes. His expression quickly relaxed into a smile.

"Well if this ain't a fucking treat! You came all the way to see me. Christmas has come fucking early!" He wasn't expecting any laughs, so he continued immediately. "You probably know who I am, but I have no idea who the fuck you people are." Negan stepped closer to the men. "So mind enlightening me? And I mean, I want to know every single fucking detail about your life. Your name, place, hell, what the fuck you had for breakfast this morning." He pointed at the man he had shot. "Let's start with you, first. I'm really fucking sorry I shot you. Didn't want to. I just realized you're the only black guy here. Now, I don't want to come off as some fucking racist, so I'm gonna be _extra_ nice with you." He knelt, so he could be on level with him.

"Who are you?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

Lee Everett's eyes were drawn upwards to the towering figure that loomed over him. The first thing he noticed was the leader's monstrous height, also the fact that he was built like a brick shithouse. The man with the leather jacket approached him with that barbed wire baseball bat, accompanied by an eerie smile. Lee wasn't going to even think about trying to stand up, lest another bullet was thrown his way, so he stayed there on the ground.

So this was _him._ It must've been.

It was just like Clementine had described. Bombastic in nature, swore all the time, his weapon of choice. There really was little doubt about it, now that they were face to face.

This was Negan.

He didn't know much, but he knew that all it took for Clementine was one interaction with him for her to go quiet for weeks.

After just narrowly escaping his people all that way back in Pittsburgh, Lee wished and hoped they'd seen the last of them for good. But no, it was like they emanated a stink trail, one that the Saviors would just keep following forever.

Lee couldn't help but draw a comparison, one that took his mind to a place where it didn't want to go. This _Negan_ carried himself in a frighteningly similar fashion to someone else he'd known.

A charismatic man, pretending to be _reasonable._ Lee had seen it all before. His eyes followed Negan as he leaned down in front of him. Like hell he was going to give this man information that led him anywhere remotely close to Jackson. Though, Lee suspected he might've already known where they were.

"We were just passing through. That's all." Lee answered dryly, followed by a small wince as another wave of pain shot needles up his leg. "Didn't know this place was occupied." The general consensus Lee had reached was that he was going to play dumb, even if Negan didn't believe him.

"Just let us be on our way and we'll get out of your hair."

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan cocked an eyebrow up at the man's response, his eyes staring straight into the him. He stood up again, tightening his grip on Lucille. The man had been quick to give an answer, very defensively. He didn't even ask that, just for his name.

"You know what's funny? I ran into a girl a while ago who gave me a similar answer, and she left with a fucking shattered nose. Now, I didn't ask what the fuck you're doing out here, I asked who the fuck you were. So, now you got me suspicious already, see? Now, I'm gonna ask again, all polite and shit, and you're gonna be honest with me." He knelt down again, same position as last time. "Who are you?"

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

A girl with a shattered nose…?

The bastard sounded near condescending, almost as if he was boasting about what his people had done to her. Lee was starting to have a feeling he knew exactly who they were, why bring up Clementine if not to get a rise out of them? Or it could've been a coincidence, there was no way to know for sure.

Regardless, Lee had already decided that he wasn't going to give him an inch. His breath was still uneven as he tried to manage the excruciating pain in his thigh; he could feel the blood beginning to drip beneath his leg and into the dirt.

"I'm nobody that's got much to say to you." Frown lines appeared on his forehead, the man's prior words about Clem serving well to aggravate him.

**Basil [Negan]**

How stupid did the man think he was? They had followed him, people had seen him walk out of Jackson and this idiot thinks he could play dumb and pretend it didn't happen?

Negan saw the frown lines on the man, his tone and demeanor had soon changed after what he brought up. Negan assumed that the two girls were from that community, meaning this guy must've known them. He decided to twist the strings a bit more. "Yeah, she was crying for a long fucking time, it was hard to get her to shut up. Blood everywhere." He said with a stern expression, but quickly chuckled as he continued. "But at least she had the fucking balls to actually give a name to me and not fucking lie."

He had forgotten what the girl was called, the name had eluded him an that moment. The guy was lucky, Negan didn't want to do anything to him after already shooting him, and he doubted the guy would ever forgive him if he shot him _and_ kicked his ass. "One last chance… fucker." He kept his smile, whether or not they gave him his name was irrelevant. They were from Jackson and they would make excellent hostages.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

He knew.

The way he kept trying to rile him up about it, the other man was clearly drawing satisfaction out of seeing him angry. If Lee was in his right mind, he'd tell Negan and his child-beating posse to take a hike. In that moment, he almost did, though he bit back the many gnarly remarks that were forming at the back of his throat.

"It's Lee," he finally forced himself to speak through gritted teeth.

**Basil [Negan]**

The smile on Negan's face only grew wider as he noticed the man's discomfort. He could tell he was fighting back saying something he'd regret, eventually coming to just submitting and giving his name. At this, Negan stood up.

"Well thank you Lee, pleasure making your acquaintance." He said condescendingly. Turning to the other two, he cursed under his breath. "Am I gonna get the same shit in responses from both of you or am I gonna get something a bit fucking better." He pointed to the man with the rifle. "Name?"

**Dot [Tommy]**

It was readily obvious that the man before them was Negan, the man that Andrea spoke so venomously about. He lived up to his reputation.

Watching the display between Lee and Negan with a hardened look – which only masked the concern buried deep within – he locked eyes with the taller man as he focused on him.

He answered Negan's question with a simple, brusque "Tommy," deciding that just keeping things focused on what that asshole asks would be the prudent course of action. He wasn't giving up, but cooperation meant they'd survive just a little bit longer, and that's all that mattered.

**Basil [Negan]**

The response was quick. An answer for a question. He didn't have to pull some emotional bullshit to get the name like some _other_ person.

"Tommy! Lovely to meet ya," Negan continued, his voice perfectly conveying his happiness at the situation. This was a stroke of luck for them, hostages were a great form of leverage.

He noted the direct answer, and Negan decided to take this to his advantage. If Tommy was going to give answers, might as well see how far he could push it.

He took a few steps closer to him, making sure that Lucille was perfectly visible, rested against his shoulder. "You… wouldn't know who the leader of your community is, would you, Tommy?" He glanced to the other two. "Now, I'd assume you three fuckers are just patrolling or some shit. As I'm gonna be introducing myself to that little community _very_ fucking shortly, it would be a great help if I knew who I was going to be talking to."

**Vi [Alvin Jr.]**

AJ remained in his spot throughout the interrogation, his fingers resting on the trigger of his gun as he watched the man he now knew as Lee carefully. It was only as Negan moved away did the child take just a small step forward, a warning for the male not to try anything funny.

Despite his small size... and obvious lack of experience in all of this, he still seemed to be holding his ground fairly well. At least, better than you'd expect from a four-year-old that's struggling to hold his gun. The boy swallowed hard, tightening his grip on the weapon as he let his eyes dart between the man and Negan, listening as best he could for the information they surely knew well enough to spill by now. Unless, he wanted to be like his friend Lee...? _Maybe worse considering Lucille's involved. She tends to bite, after all. That's a joke, obviously, it's a bat. Get it..? Like- Vampire...- Nevermind._

**Dot [Tommy]**

That question, also, had been readily obvious. It seemed like Negan's M.O.: figure out who you're dealing with, then find their leader. Unfortunately for Tommy, he was both the one Negan was dealing with _and_ one of the leaders. Still, he wasn't about to lose his cool just yet. Not until he knew what was going to happen the instant this asshole made his way over to Jackson. Especially involving Andrea.

"What are you gonna do to 'em?" He asked calmly.

**Basil [Negan]**

The response… wasn't what he was hoping for. Looks like he'd have to do even more work to get what he wanted. He cocked an eyebrow up, staring straight at Tommy. It certainly wasn't a response he was expecting. "What am I gonna do with them? Fucking hell, Tommy, relax, I ain't a fucking monster." He grinned. He'd found it hard to think of something to say, the whole 'I'm going to take over your whole community' shit usually didn't really go down well. "Trust me Tommy, I ain't gonna kill them or anything like that… But the more you make me wait." He held Lucille in front of him. "The more this baby wants blood." He was almost in a trance staring at her. For a few seconds, the air was silent, before he suddenly snapped out of it, refocusing on Tommy.

He had hoped his words had been enough to convince him, so he repeated his question.

"So, let me know who your leader is, and it'll make this whole thing a lot more fucking easy. Just a name will do."

**Dot [Tommy]**

Tommy wasn't at all convinced, but what other choice did he have? Refuse to answer, and get Lee, Joel, and himself killed, and then the rest of Jackson? It wasn't even an option, barely even requiring a little more thought.

"I run things around here," he admittedly calmly, matching Negan's friendly façade with one of his own, if only to hide just how terrifying this situation really was.

Seeing the monster up close, with a grin like that, made you want to step away, just in case it bites. Something told him that Negan would bite, albeit in a metaphorical sense.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan was impressed with the man's confidence; he didn't seem at all worried about his situation, whether that was because he was hiding it or didn't really understand the situation was a different question, but Negan admired it nonetheless. But the answer, fucking hell the answer, it made him happy. "No fucking way. You're the leader?! Truly, merry fucking Christmas to me!" He shouted, before laughing on the spot. "I must have a rabbit's foot hidden up my ass, 'cause this is just too fucking good."

After a few more laughs, he composed himself. "How fucking stupid are you to go out. You could run into some shitty people… or us!" He glanced over to the other stranger, before looking back at Tommy. "I'll deal with you in a bit." He wanted to know everyone before he started with his actual plan.

He kept his grin, before moving to the next man. He had been quick to lower his weapon after the shot, hopefully he would be as compliant as that. Looking down at him, Negan pointed at the man's expression. "Fucking hell, You… do not look happy. Lighten up! What's your name?"

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He had waited his turn this whole time. Figured it was best to wait the man out, wait until he had ample opportunity before he took any drastic action against him. Joel didn't move his feet as Negan approached him, his hands nearly clenching but never clasping fully closed. Sweat lined his arm, rippling over each tendon in tandem. Negan asked his name, cruel, rotten breath floating above Joel's head. He grimaced harder, eyebrows laced with hatred.

"Joel." He spoke the word, near growling. His expression would not - could not - lighten up.

**Basil [Negan]**

The hatred that emanated from the man in front of him was obvious, clearly he wasn't going to take his advice, and his response reeked of disgust. However, he'd not flinched in front of him, and having the guts to speak and act like that impressed him. "I said lighten up, asshole. Relax, fucking hell." He didn't want to dwell too much on it, he was excited, and wanted to get on with his idea.

He stepped back from the man, getting into view of all three. "My friendly fucks, don't cry or anything like that, you are guests of the Saviors. We won't kill you or any shit like that." Negan's eyes darted between each of the men. "Although, we will have to take you and use your status as members of that community to gain some fucking leverage. You may call it 'hostage taking', I call it 'better than blasting the fucking wall down'." He stared at Tommy. "Then, we can get down to business." He grinned widely. "My men are going to have to tie your hands up, wouldn't want you reaching for your guns or any stupid shit like that. Don't take it the wrong way, or maybe you like being tied up… you masochistic fucks." He ordered his men to move closer, and soon they'd be on their way. There was a slight pause, before he added. "I'm taking those fucking horses too."


	84. Oncoming Storm, IV

**Basil [Negan]**

It wasn't that long of a walk from where they were to get to Jackson, so they quickly set off on the trip. Negan was walking alongside one of the horses, guiding the young AJ who was sitting on it. It was an important skill to learn, and the kid had been hurting from the long walk, he could tell. The other two horses had been taken by those quick enough to take them. The hostages were in the middle, Lee had been struggling to walk, and Negan was sympathetic enough to offer the man help from one of the Saviors. The man had refused at first, but as Jackson drew closer, he was becoming too slow not to help. They hadn't any medical supplies on them, so an improvised bandage around the leg was all that could be done.

After a while walking, they could see it on the horizon. This was the moment that he'd been waiting for; the walls of Jackson looked high from where he was, but he had faith in his hostages to deliver. They didn't stop, moving closer till they reached the main gate. Negan ordered the hostages to move to the front, and the Saviors behind them quickly forced them onto their knees. He had taken a megaphone with him, just for this occasion. He had to make himself loud and clear. Negan looked up to the walls, before shouting his first words into it.

"**Ho fucking ho, Santa's here early this year, and he's got a present for ya!**"

Behind him, a few dozen Saviors stood, holding various kinds of weapons. Some of them held rocket launchers, ready to take down the wall if need be. He'd hoped he wouldn't have to use them, it'd be a shame to blow a hole in such a nice wall, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't if he was forced to, though.

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Carl laughed as he lifted the scope up to his eye. "Looks like someone's got a..." Carl trailed off. As he peaked through the scope, a large group of people started to emerge in the distance. This was the day that haunted Carl ever since the beginning of his stay in Jackson. He envisioned this day so clearly that one could call it deja vu. Frankly, given Carl had actually experienced this before, it was fairly easy to picture. Yet, his constant paranoia of this exact moment happening hadn't prepared him in the slightest.

There was no mistaking it. The Saviors had finally tracked them down. Leading the pack was Joel, an injured Lee, and Tommy. Tied up as their hostages. And not too far behind them was a face that sent chills down the boy's spine. _Negan._ And the rest of his armada.

"Get down!" He urgently ordered Clem. His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest.

**Art [Clementine]**

They'd seen them coming, but it didn't do a thing to help.

Carl had told her to get down, so that's what she did. All Clementine could do, back against a flimsy fence of wood, was wait and listen. First came the horses, the loud whispers, and then the loudspeaker. She got the memo then.

She hadn't seen a thing, but Carl hissed about _everything;_ Negan, his guys with rockets, Lee and Joel... Tommy, too. How'd it all happen under everyone's nose? Clem cursed and shut her eyes as if it could make the whole thing go away. The fear made her want to scream. They both sat stunned and out of breath, but the only thing that gave Clementine a headstart was pretending to know what to do. She mouthed to the boy beside her to 'go get Andrea' and braced herself.

Her gunshot came and went - she hoped - before any of them realized, raising the soil next to Negan's feet. It was all the empty threat she could afford. And until someone told her what to do, as much as she'd dare to while they had Lee in binds.

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

As Carl was on the brink of panicking, Clementine whispered for him to get Andrea. It was the obvious thing to do but her comment snapped him back to his senses. Carl rushed out of the watchtower as fast as he could and sprinted to the last place that he saw Andrea, hoping that she was still in the vicinity somewhere.

**Basil [Negan]**

There was silence for a few seconds, he could tell there was a guard spot above the wall, however no one was there. No one was responding to his shouts. _How fucking rude_. He looked behind him, seeing his nervous soldiers, before turning back and putting his mouth to the megaphone. About to shout into it again.

Negan reacted to the bullet, seeing a tuft of dust rise in front of him. He had taken a step back instinctively, but he immediately took action with a few more steps forward and placed the megaphone to his mouth again. He guessed it was a warning shot.

"If you fire one more fucking shot at me, I'll come up there kill you with your own fucking gun." He shouted up at whoever had shot him. "Be a fucking man and show yourself."

**Art [Clementine]**

She hoisted herself up slowly. Teeth chattering, hands shaking. But her eyes were still, and they were aimed at him. Clem thought of all kinds of things to say, with her sights down on the guy, but in the moment it was useless do so little as breathe. Clementine only stared, one finger on the trigger, with the half-dozen minutes she was meant to buy staring right back. Mocking her.

"_I'll kill you with your own gun,_" he said, and she didn't doubt it for a second. Clem couldn't hope to move a muscle.

* * *

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

The voice on the megaphone had caused an uproar within the town, various guards were frothing at the mouth as they shouted orders at each other, leading families into their homes. Most were armed though, beginning to run towards the gate where the source of the commotion had originated from. The streets of Jackson were now only comprised of two things… hysteria and dread.

As for Lydia, she had recognized that horrid voice. One that'd been carved into the back of her mind for months. A harsh reality was now only just hitting the girl. One that she wasn't ready to accept.

"No… _oh-_" She slumped back against the cold hard brick wall of a random house she was passing by right before the voice had emerged. She felt sick, every depraved and twisted possibility of things that could happen if Negan got inside crossed her mind in a matter of seconds.

Before Lydia knew it, she was already beginning to hyperventilate.

_He's here because of-_

No. She blocked the thought out. Instead, she focused her energy on _who_ might've still been up in the watchtower, so the girl's legs moved on their own. In a full sprint, she circled back the way she'd come. However, just as she turned the corner, the girl was too clumsy to see the other person before she crashed into them.

She stumbled over, landing on her backside. Now stunned, she looked up only to realize that it was Ellie, who looked just as confused. Lydia's urge to run battled against her will to just sit there and let whatever was about to happen… happen.

"He's here. He's-" Her breath was quick and erratic, fighting back the mist in her eyes as she looked towards the redhead, still in disbelief at what was unfolding around them. "We're so fucked."

**Dot [Ellie]**

Pandemonium broke out within Jackson in a way that left Ellie both confused and frightened. She'd heard the man's voice echoing through the town just as anyone else had, yet not knowing who it belonged to had wrought terror upon her, only further worsened by the frantic shouts about the Saviors surrounding her. These were the fuckers that Andrea had been so terrified of, the same fuckers they'd run into again and again after reaching Pittsburgh over a year ago. And now they were here, at their gates, ready to blow them open if need to, she imagined.

And with Clementine on guard duty, that terrified her the most. Her lungs felt as if they were on fire as she made her way through the town, desperately searching for any sign of Clementine – and silently hoping that she'd left the guard tower for the safety of the interior of the town, though knowing Clementine, that wasn't going to happen – and making her way towards the main gate.

Of course, her path led her straight to Lydia, who collided with her violently enough to send them both tumbling to the sidewalk. As she struggled to pick herself back up, Lydia spoke in a desperate voice, mirroring her own thoughts regarding Clementine and Carl.

And as much as she found herself sinking beneath the surface of the fear enveloping her, she didn't have time for that, and neither did Lydia, so she grabbed a hold of the girl's arm and dragged her towards the main gate.

"Come on, we gotta find Clem and Carl, before this shit gets any worse!"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"Th- they're still up there. I - I think?" Lydia spoke in a riddled mess, her mind jumbled and contorted with so many thoughts. It left her near frozen, in a freaked out mess. She didn't know what to do, or how they were going to go about this. _We can't let him get in… we can't._

When Ellie grabbed her arm, she was in enough of a daze not to resist. The girl just hoped that Negan hadn't spotted Carl yet, fearing that it'd just spell more disaster. There was no time to think, only time to act on what Tommy and Andrea had trained them to do.

Lydia followed after Ellie, absolutely petrified at what she was going to see on the other side of that gate.

* * *

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Carl quite literally ran for his life, startling residents as he went by. _Her office, Andrea has to be there._ It would be super inconvenient if she wasn't there at the moment. He ran at full speed until it was finally in his sights. As Carl barged through the doors, there she was. Sitting at her table on the opposite side of the church.

"Andrea!" Carl yelled frantically as he made his way down the aisle. "They're here…" he said trying to regain his breath, "at the gate."

**Dot [Andrea]**

Today had been another boringly long day of inventory work: making sure their food stocks were stocked enough for the coming winter, weapons and ammunition were in good supply for any potential threats, among a hundred other things. She'd just finished writing up the list for their food supply when Carl barged into the church, his shoes squeaking against the wooden floor as he sprinted through the large space.

His voice echoed off the walls, and he didn't even have to clarify who he was talking about for Andrea to make the connection, dropping the notepad into her lap as if suddenly seized by fear. She lifted herself off the pew, the notepad falling to the floor as she approached him quickly.

"Help get everyone in position," she said quickly, sternly, grabbing for the radio on her belt, holding down the button. "Tommy-"

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

"He's tied up!" Carl quickly intruded as Andrea reached for her radio. "Lee and Joel too!" Carl's words were quick and jumbled from from a mixture of fear and adrenaline. As he spoke, he remembered that Clementine was also still up on the watchtower. Probably in just as much danger as the three hostages. "We have to go back now before Negan-"

**Dot [Andrea]**

"Carl, I need you to keep it together," Andrea placed a hand on his shoulder as she clipped her radio back onto her belt, looking towards the exit beyond them. If Negan was here, they needed to keep their heads. And if they had Tommy, Joel, and Lee, then that went twicefold. They couldn't afford to fuck this up.

"I know you can do this," she continued, calmer this time. "I'm going out to talk to him. I want you to organize our defenses. Be prepared to fight if things go south."

With that, she squeezed his shoulder, rushing for the door. The pistol stuffed into the back of her waistband felt heavier as she became all too aware of it. Something told her that she wouldn't be getting out of this day without using it.

* * *

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan, a man imbued with confidence and nerves of steel, was shocked as he saw a little girl emerge from the wall. This shock eventually turned to laughter. The guards behind him were confusingly raising their weapons to the girl, not quite sure what to do. After a few seconds of laughter, Negan composed himself and looked up to the wall. "Uhh, is there an adult up there that we can talk to? Or is this place so starved for manpower they're using little girls as guards?" He shouted up to her, hoping to get a reaction. He turned behind him, gesturing his soldiers to lower their weapons. They weren't going to be scared of a little girl.

He thought it might be worth a shot just to issue his threat now. He couldn't be bothered to wait any longer, everyone would hear anyway. "I've got three people here from this community. If you don't open the gate, and surrender your weapons, I'll fucking kill them. You've got five minutes."

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

By the time Lydia and Ellie made it back to the watchtower, the bulk of Jackson's forces were now manning the gate; courtesy of Andrea, the blonde assumed. Tensions were brewing, threatening to spill over at any second. The two girls ran towards the last location across the watchtower where Lydia had seen Clementine. Low and behold, they found her... hunched over with a rifle in her hand and looking very worse for wear. No sign of Carl, though. A small peek out into the open field was all she needed to confirm her fears. Negan was there, at the front… Tommy, Clementine's friend, the brother, all there, too... on their knees.

"Where's Carl? He was with you?!" Lydia roughly hushed out as she darted for cover next to her. Worrying that the boy might've run off to do something stupid.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

He was sat on his knees, face contorted with raw annoyance. Inside, fury bellowed and swept down his body. Joel looked up to the sky, sweat cascading down his brow. "_Don't you dare!_" He screamed out, with little worry for his own safety. The man behind him was disgusting; never before had he met someone with such a twisted, selfish view; Negan was an anomaly. He didn't want to kill them, he just wanted them to give them their things. _Forever._ It was nothing new to Joel, just a rare event. FEDRA did the same thing, and plenty of bandits had done it before in a less organized format. But this man had an army; a mix of sadism and morals, something unheard of until now. Joel only hoped that Clementine listened to him. Ellie and her together could get them out of this, Tommy and Lee at least. They just needed time to figure out a plan...

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine's hands were damp, eyes blurry, joints twitchy. The sound of Joel's shouting kickstarted her heart. She had to ignore Lydia, though from her she hadn't understood a word to start with. Jackson's guards, holding out behind the gate in small masses below, gave but all the confidence the girl could gather so as not to tuck and run. Clem matched Negan's gaze, just for one moment.

"Here's your welcome..." she muttered through hitched breaths, before firing another shot.

**Shadowman [Narrator]**

The shot, now fired with a much harsher intent than to merely warn this time, had again missed. It was way off course, spiraling too far above Negan's head as it whizzed past him. Instead, it struck one of the Saviors that stood behind him in the arm, causing him to drop his gun.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie's heart was beating a mile a second, the instant Clementine sent that bullet flying sent her climbing up those rungs to the top of the guard tower two at a time. Without a gun, she wasn't sure what she could do, but she'd pull Clementine off that tower if it meant she wouldn't get shot in the process.

**Dot [Tommy]**

The situation was going from bad to worse. From where he sat on his knees on the ground, Tommy watched the exchange between Negan and Clementine in horror. In a way, he found himself proud of the girl for standing up to this asshole; in others, terrified of the ramifications for their defiance. As his ears rung from the gunshot that echoed through the valley, he found himself unable to stay quiet anymore. This had to be stopped, before Negan plowed through their gate and killed everyone inside.

"Goddamn it, stop!" He shouted, mostly focused on Clementine, though he threw Negan into the mix as well. He looked towards his captor, eyes wide. "We can **_talk_** about this!"

**Basil [Negan]**

Time had passed since he issued his first warning, and the wall above him had filled with more guards than they had at the start. The girl with the rifle was still in view, and she was still aiming at him. Negan was waiting for someone inside Jackson to speak up, surely Tommy had some kind of deputy leader or partner? However, the first person to speak wasn't someone inside Jackson, it was Joel. He had shouted up to the guard, ordering them to not do as he said. Negan took a step forward to Joel, intent on shutting him up.

He was interrupted, as another bullet flew through the air, this time above him. Turning around, the sounds of a soldier shouting in pain erupted as one of his men were injured. Negan's eyes widened with rage. _How fucking dare they_. Negan looked back up to the wall, moving his hand behind him, soon feeling the pistol tucked into his back. They needed to know he meant business. He took it out, and was about to aim at Tommy's head, send them a message. Pure luck on Tommy's part, he shouted out for the people on the wall to stop, and begged to just talk about this. Negan lowered his hand, but kept the pistol held tight. He stepped forward.

"Now, that was not fucking cool." He forced Tommy's head forward, placing the pistol against the back of it. Tommy's pleas had saved him an instant death, but if they weren't going to comply… "Whoever the fuck just shot my men. I want them standing in front of me… **right fucking now**…" He shouted. "Or this guys brains will be all over the ground..." He turned behind him, and gestured for his men to aim their weapons at the wall.

"I will fucking blow that wall down with you all standing on it if I have to." He hadn't seen who had shot at them, but he had a feeling it was the girl again.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clem pulled the handle on her rifle and slammed it back up violently, firing a second shot.

**Ledge [Lee Everett]**

All Lee could do was merely observe, the gravel and muck dug into his kneecaps as he knelt there. Clementine, she was up in the guard tower… freaking out, no doubt, with the way she was handling that rifle. Lee didn't want them to open up that gate, no way in hell, but he also didn't want everyone to die over this. It wasn't that hard to tell who's forces could be decimated here, just by looking at the equipment Negan's people had. The man was simply hoping Andrea or someone else would come out to bargain, maybe reach a deal without the bloodshed? Why were they taking so long?

Lee's shoulders jumped as a shot whirled over their heads, only causing to stir Negan up way more than he already was. _Shit... what are you doing, Clem?_

The injured man watched as a furious Negan made his way behind Tommy, gun loaded and pointed right at the back of his cranium.

**"CLEMENTINE, STOP IT!"** He pleaded with her, yelling up to the watchtower.

"Stop shooti-" He couldn't even finish as the second shot with intent to harm spun their way, missing again and hurling into the crowd of Saviors, causing them disarray as they were now looking preparing to fire back. Waiting on that one order. They were only going to stand there and take shots for so long.

She wasn't listening to him. Hell, she'd disobeyed a direct order from the leader of Jackson. Negan was going to kill Tommy, he was going to fucking murder the poor man and there wasn't a goddamn thing Lee could do about it. Negan had given his last warning.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

_What the actual fuck is she doing?!_ Lydia was perched up nearby, unable to intervene unless she wanted to lose the shot she had on them in case things went to shit, which looked to be the case at any moment.

"Tommy told you to stop!" Lydia growled at Clementine, giving her a side glance all the while still trying to look through the scope on her rifle. Why did she have to be a stubborn little shit, when even her teacher friend was telling her the same thing as Tommy? All the other guards were elsewhere and looked like they had no direction and no idea what to do really. Where the hell were Andrea and Carl when you needed them? The girl's attention turned towards the only other person present in this watchtower, who was just sitting there.

"Ellie, _do something_ for once in your fucking life! Before she gets all your friends down there killed." She near begged, now in full panic mode, hoping that maybe the redhead could get through to her. Though, the gun was already loaded and placed at the back of Tommy's head, the girl already feared that Negan wasn't going to let that last shot slide. _Please... don't._

**Dot [Tommy]**

The cold metal of the gun placed against his head sent a familiar shiver down his spine, memories of a dozen situations like this one he'd lived through replaying as if to torment him. This time, Joel wouldn't be there to save him at the last moment. This time, they were in this together, maybe gunned down together too.

This wasn't going to end well, no matter what happened now. Negan wasn't going to back down, and neither was Clementine. Eventually, one of them was going to have to break, and by then, it'd already be too late.

This wasn't a bunch of thugs out on the road, this was an organized invasion. They couldn't punch their way out of this.

And when that second shot rang through the air, all possibility of this ending peacefully went with it. He just had to hope that someone on the other side of that damn wall had the sense to put a stop to this before it turned into a full-scale fight. One they couldn't win.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Reaching the top of those stairs felt far too agonizingly long, Ellie found herself frozen to the spot. Looking beyond the wall for the first time, seeing the amount of men this asshole had on his side, and the fates of Lee, Joel, and Tommy hanging in the balance, it struck her with a terror too great to shake off. Like she was back in that restaurant, clawing for every inch of life she had left.

A small part of her wanted to join Clementine, to take that damn rifle and put a bullet between their leader's eyes, but even she knew how that'd end. As Lydia screamed at her to do something, though, it finally pulled her out of it, sending her rushing forward to grab the rifle from Clementine's hands, letting it fall to the ground below with a clatter. Anything to stop the bloodshed that was bound to happen otherwise.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Gunshots rang in the distance, each sending Andrea's heart sinking deeper. Her breathing was ragged as she traversed Jackson as quickly as she could, clutching her pistol like a lifeline. As the gate came into view, though, it became clear that they were not winning this fight. Tommy's voice mixed with Lee's, mixed with Negan's – a voice she had so desperately desired to never hear again – and then the figure of Ellie ripped the rifle out of Clementine's hands, in the watchtower, letting the rifle fall to the ground below. She walked right past it, gesturing for one of the men manning the gate to open it. She breathed in.

Time to face the devil.

The gates opened with a deafening creak, and she stepped outside, making sure to place her gun in the back of her jeans before she was visible to the outside. She stepped out, hand blocking out the sun as it pierced her vision. Beyond, Negan and his Saviors filled the road, with his captives right in front of him. Negan had his gun placed against the back of Tommy's head, causing Andrea to visibly grimace.

Still, she needed to maintain composure.

"Negan," she greeted the man calmly, eying him and her friends he'd captured in slow movements. "I know why you're here, and it's not to kill people you need. You wanted to talk, so let's talk."

**Art [Clementine]**

It slid right out of her grip, though it hadn't ever been a strong one. The blur in Clementine's amber trickled down and spilled into her knees.

"_Ellie,_" she called in a fragile voice, short of cracking. "Ellie, what do we do?"

**Dot [Ellie]**

Seeing her break down then, it hurt. Like a gut wound inflicted by a shotgun. Still, she held it together for the both of them, voice calm enough to sound convincing to herself though probably not so much for anyone else. She grabbed Clementine's wrist, saying "Come on," as she attempted to get her off that fucking guard tower. "Let Andrea and Tommy handle it, okay? There's nothing we can do."

She gave Lydia a short glance, one that she hoped conveyed that the same offer extended to her, to get the fuck off this thing and somewhere safe. Granted, that 'somewhere safe' will probably be about twenty feet from the gate, but it was better than being here if those rockets started flying.

They weren't going to die, none of them. Not today.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

"Wait," Lydia desperately peered through the scope, the girl outright refusing to be ripped away from her position just yet. "Something's happening," she noted, beginning to see some movement. Lo and behold, Andrea had stepped out into the open just in the nick of time, though it might've already been too late. Lydia was willing to bet that by now Negan was _seriously_ pissed off with their- well, _Clementine's_ resistance. It was hard to tell what was being said down there, but it looked like she was trying to negotiate.

The young girl had no idea what to think at this point. On one hand, Lydia didn't want any potential death as a result of this looming over her conscience. But just like the Whisperers, if they gave the Saviors the smallest inch over them… if Negan knew they were weak… it'd never stop. They'd just keep coming at them relentlessly. Andrea _had_ to know this.

"It's Andrea… she's talking to him." Lydia sighed out, backing away from her position as she turned to the other girl's, signaling that she was ready to get the hell out of here. Now it was at a point where things just weren't in her control anymore, anything and everything that happened from here on out was on Andrea. If shots started going off, this watchtower would be their first target for those rocket launchers. _I hope you know what you're doing._

"Which one of you was shooting up here without authorization?!" A voice from behind them boomed, coming from a panicked and aggravated woman. A void of silence quickly filled the watchtower, one that the woman wasn't willing to wait on. "For God's sake, we'll figure this out later. Just get the hell out."

She didn't have to tell them twice, the girl scurried down the ladder, only now being able to properly see the hellish nightmare that was Jackson in all of its glory. Once she was back on level ground, Lydia darted straight towards the mass of people that had gathered near the gate.

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Although Carl was still scared about their current situation, he knew he couldn't let Andrea down… he couldn't let Jackson down at that. Especially after witnessing how composed she was in spite of the Saviors being at their doorstep. And there was no way Carl was about to sit and wait around as the Saviors destroyed yet another home of his.

Following Andrea's orders, Carl alerted every single guard that he could find in Jackson about the imminent threat at their gates. As the word began to spread about what was going on, activity in Jackson could have been compared to a military headquarters. Expectedly, everyone learning of the news were frightened. However, almost everyone who was ready, willing, and able to fight made their way over to the gate. Carl knew that they were outnumbered... but a stand had to be made.

A little ways behind Andrea was Carl with the last of Jackson's forces. A couple of shots went off shortly before he got there that scared the holy life out of him as he thought everything was popping off. Carl sped up immediately after hearing the shots. Luckily, a huge firefight hadn't broke out… _yet_. As Carl got to the scene, he spotted an easily recognizable blond-haired figure jogging right in front of him, who was actually quite a relief for Carl to see.

"Lydia!" Carl called out, stopping her in her tracks as he grabbed her by the arm.

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

Lydia ducked and weaved through the crowds of people that had amassed at the gate, all who looked to be waiting for some kind of order. Tommy was already out there and in trouble. If negotiations fell apart… then the girl feared things would crumble just as quick when it came to Jackson, she didn't want to entertain that thought.

She felt a hand grab her arm and pull her aside, initially shocking her for a split-second until she realized it was the person she'd been looking for. Just as quickly, she wrapped her arms around him. "You're okay." Even though she knew he never would, a small voice at the back of her mind had been telling her that he'd already ditched Jackson and left her behind, due to his fear of Negan. It was wrong to even _think_ that… But all the same, it was just something the girl couldn't help to be anxious about.

"What's happening?" She asked, pulling away as she fearfully looked up to the one-eyed boy. "Andrea isn't gonna let him in is she?"

**Scotty OD [Carl Grimes]**

Carl embraced the hug from Lydia. While it wasn't always blatantly obvious about how much Lydia cared for him, it was moments like these that really proved it. Carl barely knew what was happening himself. But there was no way in hell that Andrea was just gonna let Negan in. _Right?_ The boy knew his practical mom all too well at this point. Certain things about her reminded him of his dad even. Who happened to be heavily on his mind at the moment with the Saviors once again in the picture. And just like Rick, Andrea wasn't going down without fight. Carl just hoped the outcome would be different this time… it had to be.

"Never." Carl said. While it was a dangerous assumption to make, Carl knew he had to be strong regardless. For Lydia especially. "Andrea has a plan, trust me. Just… be ready if it gets bad." Carl said, trying to prepare Lydia in the best way he could.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan had issued his threat, expecting finally to get a reaction he'd wanted. Instead, all he got was another bullet whizzing past his head, hitting one of his soldiers behind him. It hadn't phased him, whoever was up there was clearly too stubborn to be beat by mere threats. Now was the time for _action_. Lee's attempts beside him clearly didn't work, but at least he had the name of the shooter. _Clementine, sounds familiar_. He stared at Lee with a smile. "Well, you can thank 'Clementine' for Tommy's early death." He placed his finger on the trigger. Ready to pull. "Well, I said I'd do i-" He cut his words as he saw the gate opening. _Finally, a fucking greeting_.

Negan kept the gun to Tommy's head, yet eased his finger off the trigger slightly. He didn't know what he was expecting, but one thing he would never have guessed was to see Andrea emerge from the door. He remembered her well, the crack shot bitch who gave him the biggest fucking headache. "You gotta be fucking kidding me." He whispered lightly, under his breath. She quickly started talking. She was right, he didn't want Tommy to die either, but he would happily do it given the reason to, however.

He pulled the gun back, placing it in his pocket. Lucille was still gripped tightly in his other hand. "It's been a while Andrea… You missed me?"

**Dot [Andrea]**

Negan's eyes lit up in a way that sickened her, causing her frown to deepen further. Now that she could see how many men he'd brought with him, this whole situation felt so much worse. Like a ticking time bomb, waiting to blow a hole in their wall. Still, though, she wouldn't move an inch, not yet.

She wanted to show Negan that she wouldn't be afraid of him.

"I did miss you," she stated through a deadpan. "That one time you sent a man to kill me in that tower, in Alexandria." She'd almost managed to kill him that day, and nearly had lost her own life in the process. Beaten to a pulp, just barely managing to kill the asshole Negan'd sent to take her out. She wasn't that easily killed, though.

She always used to say that people like her, they didn't die. Whether that was a blessing or a curse, she still hadn't figured out.

"But this isn't Alexandria. I got enough firepower to put holes in every one of you. You might end up killing me and blowing a hole in my wall, but at least you'll be dead, and the rest of us can rebuild. And in the end, you get nothing. So I'm giving you this one chance, Negan. To walk away. Give us our people back, and leave."

She knew he wasn't going to agree to that, but she had to try.

"Or else I'll finish what Rick started," she finished bitterly.

**Dot [Tommy]**

Tommy listened to the exchange with crumbling resolve, unable to keep himself calm with the cold metal pressing against the back of his head. When Negan finally put away the gun though, he let himself relax. If only slightly.

That only lasted a second. Andrea dropped a bombshell right there, waiting to explode the instant Negan reacted to it. He knew that she wasn't _entirely_ bluffing, but even if they could fight these people off, no one near this gate was going to survive. Rebuilding the wall would take too long to keep them safe. This whole place would go up in flames, and he wasn't ready to see that happen, dead or not.

As Andrea finished dealing her terms, Tommy let out a ragged breath. _I hope you know what you're doing, for all our sakes._

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan paused after Andrea spoke. He paced up and down behind the hostages, tapping his bat against his gloved arm. It was a shame, Andrea knew what he was capable of; the manpower he had at his disposal was always growing. That clearly didn't register in her head.

"And you're still the defiant little badass you were back then. Good to know." He spoke. He kept his grin, he was making progress. The gate was open, soon he'd be inside. He just knew it.

"Rick thought he had enough firepower to beat me, look where that got him!" He continued pacing. "Now, you know who I am, Andrea… Do you _honestly_ fucking think I'm gonna give up like that? You know I fucking won't." He stopped, pointing Lucille directly at her. "_You know._" He relaxed slightly. "You built yourself quite a fucking nice home here, I'm sure you don't want this place to be the next Alexandria, or the next Hilltop. Those places are razed to the ground now, nothing left."

**Dot [Andrea]**

All the times they'd be in this position before, with Negan at their gates, and a hopeless mountain to climb to get out alive, Andrea thought she'd be used to this by now. Instead, Negan's response to her threat had her heart beating faster, the cold touch of fear running down her spine. Harsh and frightened looks bore into her from every direction, and even the storms that plagued the area seemed to sense the anticipation in the air. The wind grew fierce, followed by rain, and the distant echo of thunder.

For years, they'd been trying to avoid this storm, and now it was here, at their gates, ready to blow them down.

Negan wasn't wrong. He had more men than she'd ever be able to muster up. They might have an advantage now, but if the Saviors got away, regrouped, and came to attack at full strength, they wouldn't stand a chance.

She weighed the choices delicately, knowing exactly what would happen. Either way, Jackson would fall, eventually. Giving in meant giving them time, time that Rick had tried to utilize to fight back, but ultimately failed. Andrea had to grasp onto that sliver of hope that, maybe, this time things would be different. They had to be.

Dropping her rifle to the ground, her frown deepening, she spoke the words she'd been dreading for years.

"We surrender."

And just like that, she knew exactly how Rick felt all those years ago, and how she'd berated him for it.

There really _was_ no other choice.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan's wide grin stared on, he noticed how uncomfortable Andrea looked. _Was she gonna do it?_ He thought, wondering if maybe he'd said the right things?

_He had… Oh boy, had he_.

The exact words that he wanted to hear pierced through what was a pretty silent atmosphere. Negan relaxed, certain that there wasn't going to be any fighting. "Well, you just made the correct fucking choice! Congratulations for renewing your Savior membership!" He laughed at them, taking no restrictions on his taunting. He gestured his men forward, and along with the hostages, they marched towards the gate. Negan was soon standing mere meters from Andrea.

"Well, you're not gonna give us a nice little welcome? You, of all people, should know about how I value first impressions."

**Ledge [LeeEverett]**

It started off as a light dribble, though now a heavy downpour of rain had sprung from the clouds. Water splashed against the top of Lee's head, dampening his clothes and muddying his knees, which were planted into the dirt. Cold raindrops flew into his eyes, and the former teacher rapidly blinked in a futile battle to clear his vision, which only worsened how delirious he felt at the moment.

With the way things seemed to be heading, Lee couldn't help but feel as though this situation could've ended up much worse. Andrea had done what any sane person would do. A messy shootout was the last thing they needed right now, _especially_ when they were outgunned.

That makeshift bandage the Saviors had slapped on to his right thigh, with little to no effort at all, felt like a sloppy wet sponge at this point, ready to peel off at any second. It didn't help that blood was continuously finding a way to ooze out and trickle down his leg the whole walk here.

His arms were tied behind him, and he felt someone grab the rope between his wrists, using it to lift the man to his feet. He wobbled, stagnant for a moment, before a shove from behind sent him spiraling forward. Eventually, the hostages all reached the front gate, on full display. Negan's childish prattle was the only consistent voice he heard now, the rest of Jackson drowned out and dead silent.

Lee, however, was unfortunately running on fumes. Standing upright was becoming an uphill battle for the man. Between the painful throb in his leg and the exhaustion from the blood loss… what followed was inevitable.

Sounds and objects around him became less distinct and more disorientating. Voices echoed and rang through his ears. His head spun, until his legs finally gave up on him. Lee's head drooped forward, before crashing face-first into a puddle. Mud soaked his face, and a weakened groan was the only thing to escape his mouth.

**Art [Clementine]**

When it happened, Clementine's legs felt as limp as his. She stared from above as helpless as the rest of them, tears buried long since by the water pouring down the edge of an old baseball hat. Once she couldn't stand to watch anymore, Clementine tore from Ellie's grasp.

The ladder felt damp and slippery between her fingers, and once her boots landed on the ground, they were as likely to stay there stranded under the wet soil. The girl squeezed between Jackson folk, for that's all her size was good for anymore - and deaf to everything around her, Clem dropped to her knees next to where Lee's body lay. Nothing else seemed more important.

**Dot [Ellie]**

When Clementine escaped her grasp, Ellie watched in horror as Lee remained slumped on the ground. He'd been through so much… everything he'd done to protect Clementine from people like Simmons, and find this place for her to _live_ in, only to end up right back in that place. The place of darkness and pain, of losing a hand, or bleeding out while everyone watched. Ellie couldn't.

She chased after Clementine in a dizzying hurry, the crowds slowing her down, but ultimately giving way to her. As Clementine dropped next to Lee, Ellie skidded to a halt only a few feet away, ready to help the girl lift him up, while Andrea had focused her attention back onto the asshole with the baseball bat after the interruption.

"At least let us take him to the infirmary. He's no good to you dead." The way Andrea said that sounded so harsh, but she was certain that's probably what the leader wanted to hear. Seeing what he'd done to Lee, she wanted to grab that rifle herself, and put an end to this madness, but common sense and fear kept her from even moving.

But she knew that the instant that asshole gave the all clear for Lee to be taken inside the walls, she'd jump on that chance. She owed Clementine that, and more.

**Vi [AlvinJr.]**

Loud bangs continued to echo through the area with each foolish shot by some girl in the watchtower. His eyes narrowed on her with each attempt at hitting his leader... his mentor- She was much dumber than she looked if she thought using a gun was the answer. It only made Negan angry, and now her friend was probably going to die. A shame, he seemed capable. Can't be very capable as a corpse. At least one person up there seemed somewhat intelligent and took the weapon away from Madam Trigger Happy. The gun was just going to attract monsters, and if they thought about that for a second, they'd probably realize that.

Alvin Junior turned to look at Negan, his body moving slightly as a fellow Savior helped him down off the horse. There was a quiet thank you, his manners being somewhat of a rare occurrence these days, but not completely gone. A new person was up to bat now for communicating as the gunshots stopped, Negan's negotiations seeming to have higher stakes now. One of the men from before was left as some sort of leverage, and by the look on a few younger faces... it was working. He seemed important to them, so at least they chose the right man. Could have gone south, using the wrong one to get worse results. Not that it really mattered anymore, they actually surrendered.

The small boy looked up at the sky as the rain began to pour, his hand moving up to block his face as a thud caught his attention. The one-armed man collapsed. How… interesting. He thought adults were suppose to handle more than a little brutalizing. Soon enough, the trigger happy girl and her... parasite of another girl, broke through the crowd, quickly dropping to his side. He seemed more important to the girl that liked to shoot than the lanky parasite attached to her side. Seemed important to remember.

The child was by the male in a matter of a second, crouched down to look at his pitiful, broken expression left in the mud. The boy's clothes were soaked now, his hair damp and dripping. He placed a hand against the one-armed man's cheek, pushing his head to the side to keep his nose out of the puddle. He glared down at him, his gaze moving from the man to the two girls. He stared at them for a second, eyes narrowing to try and memorize their features. As he was satisfied with his evaluation of the gunman and her parasite, he moved on to looking at Negan, his head tilted towards the man on the ground. "They have a point. I can watch him to make sure he doesn't go nowhere if you want." His gaze flashed back towards the girls once more, hand now removed from Lee. "I can keep them all in check."

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan finished his words, grinning wide as he made sure to tease Andrea as much as he could. It was fun for him. After, he heard a splash and thud as Lee behind him fell. "Ah fuck." Negan cursed under his breath as the man sunk. _Guess we hadn't bandaged it well enough_. He started approaching the man when he was passed by two girls. Andrea's words brought him back as she asked to take him to the infirmary. Negan sighed, this wasn't how he wanted to first enter it.

"Fine, I guess I owe it to him, since I… y'know, fucking shot him." Negan approached the two girls. He wasn't focusing on them; he wanted to make sure this guy didn't die right there. Wouldn't be the best 'hello' he'd ever done. "Fuck off," he said kindly, gesturing them away.

AJ asked him if he could take care of it. 'Keep them in check'. Negan smiled at the boy. He certainly was brave. "Sure, bud, can shoot 'em dead if they fucking try anything, yeah?" He laughed, before grabbing onto Lee, heaving him up. "Get up, you bastard." Negan supported Lee by the shoulder, another Savior came to him and took his place. Free of the burden, he turned to Andrea.

"Lead these two and the kid to the infirmary." He was already giving orders. "Meanwhile, everyone else is staying right fucking here!" He shouted. The Saviors behind him all had their weapons up. "We still got some work to do."

**Dot [Andrea]**

When Negan had given over Lee to another one of his cronies to take inside, Andrea held back harsh words she was already ready to unleash on the man. Instead, she simply nodded, indicating for the Savior and the kid that Negan had the audacity to let come on such a horrible fucking expedition to follow her into Jackson. Eleanor would be able to save Lee, that much she was sure of. Not so sure if anyone was capable of saving them from the Saviors, though.

Everything was out of control, and that feeling left her more helpless than she'd felt in years.

As they headed inside, she casted a gaze towards Clementine and Ellie, as if apologizing to them. She knew that Clementine would rather die than leave Lee's side, especially at a time like this, but Andrea could only hope that common sense would take over.

They didn't need another incident.

The moment over, the three disappeared into the community, leaving one hell of a ticking time bomb at their gates.

**Shadowman [Julian]**

When the shooting had finally stopped, Julian gladly slung the sniper rifle back over his shoulder. He had been assigned to overwatch, in the woods a little bit behind where the main bulk of their army was set up. Today, it didn't seem like there would be a forceful breach; he supposed Negan always _did_ have a knack for getting the result he wanted.

Once the gates were opened, the Savior left his position to join his comrades once the all-clear was given. Julian made his way to the front of the pack, just in time to stand behind Negan before he saw two girls run out of the crowd, to try and help who he assumed was their very fucked up friend.

_Hang on a second…_

That hat. He was sure of it… the same one he was watching through the scope up in that watchtower a few moments earlier. That girl had pegged one of them with a bullet, and almost Negan in the process. Luckily for her, he hadn't been given the go ahead to fire back when she started shooting. Negan needed to be informed, because he figured she was pretty concealed up there, Julian sure as hell wouldn't have been able to make out the details from that distance without the scope he had. As soon as there was a break in the conversation, Julian spoke up.

"Excuse me, sir." He quietly intervened, stepping forward. "I figured you should know, them two there." Julian pointed out a red-headed girl with an eyebrow scar, and another one bearing a purple and white ballcap, which wasn't hard due to how noticeable they'd made themselves.

"I saw them up in the watchtower, girl with the hat was the one shooting at you." What Negan would do with that information was up to him, but if Julian had any say in it, she needed to be taught a lesson. They all did.

**Dot [Bud]**

Bud had kept to the back of the crowd for this little venture, more or less waiting to see how things turned out with these folks. Guns were shot, rather carelessly, though only one injury had been sustained. Most encounters like this usually had more… death, to them. He was willing to accept an injury.

When Julian came out and approached Negan, Bud slipped through the crowd of Saviors, ending up at Negan's right side. As Julian pointed out the girls, Bud instantly recognized one of them, the very same one Julian had been pointing out.

"_Shooooot,_" he drawled the word, looking towards Negan. "That's the girl from the woods." He turned back towards the girl with a polite smile, as if what he was about to say hadn't been his doing in the first place. "Looks like her nose is healing up nicely, too."

**Basil [Negan]**

As Negan pondered on what to do with the people currently surrounding him, two of his men approached him. The first, Julian, pointed out to him the girl that was shooting at him. There was something familiar about her, he didn't know exactly what though. He took a few steps towards her, squinting his eyes. "Do I know you?" As if an answer was given immediately, Bud pointed out that it was the girl from the woods. Now he remembered! He turned to Bud, then back to the girl. "Oh shit, it is! Couldn't recognize you. Last time I saw you, there was fucking blood everywhere. Good thing you got that fixed up." He approached the girl, taking a few steps closer.

"You got a habit of being stubborn, don't you? You should have learned by now that means absolutely fucking jack diddly shit for me. Maybe we didn't leave a good enough impression of how little you should be fucking with us." Negan pulled out his pistol once more, aiming it in various directions with no real pattern. He was thinking on what could possibly be done, his eyes lit up.

"I got an idea."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine didn't bother to stand up, though her knees lay stained in mud. It'd all gone wrong.

She wasn't convinced they weren't dragging Lee off to kill him, then coming back for Ellie and her. Didn't much matter how hard Clem tried to think of an out… Negan had so many guys, even raising her chin felt pointless. They talked and they whispered, whoever was smart enough to recognize her. Some of them were _smiling._ It wasn't long until the big guy caught on.

She avoided every look he sent her way, eyes stuck to his boots.

"…Andrea's not scared of you," Clementine warned Negan. "You can do whatever you want. She's gonna come back and _kill you._"

**Dot [Tommy]**

Andrea had _surrendered._ Honestly, Tommy hadn't seen it coming. He knew Andrea; he knew their contingency plan for if Negan showed up at their gate, and seeing her so quickly surrender had his stomach dropping. Was she that terrified of what Negan might do? They were outnumbered, sure, but giving up Jackson? There had to be another solution.

Yet there were none. No easy way out. No cavalry to bail them out. They were on their own against the might of an enemy far too powerful to stop. It was like trying to stop a bull with a BB rifle instead of a shotgun.

When Lee collapsed, Andrea was quick to get him to the infirmary, taking a few Saviors and the Kid Savior with them. That was when the attention shifted towards Ellie and Clementine, specifically onto the baseball-capped girl. As recognition beamed in the eyes of Negan's men, and the man in charge began to wave a gun around, Tommy found the strength to speak up, calling to Negan.

"The girl was just scared out of her mind," he shouted. "She's just a child, for christ's sake." Yet, he knew that she wasn't. Just as much as Joel knew that Ellie wasn't. These kids were as dangerous as adults and were likely to be treated as such. Negan wasn't about to start playing favorites.

"You got what you wanted," he continued, hinting at what he knew Negan would hate him saying: for him to calm down and deal with this situation rationally.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

Joel was growling in the dirt.

After Lee had been beaten, he could hardly take it. The situation only grew more and more dire, their lives spiraling into an ever plummeting hell. Things were supposed to be safe. Things were supposed to be _normal_ now. But the Saviors had arrived and squandered their happy lives, their misery returned and there would be no retribution. Joel held himself back, sweat matting his hair to his forehead. He had to stay calm in this event. There was no escape and there was no way Joel was going to stop them alone.

He looked up at Negan. He hardly knew the man but already he despised him. Most bandits were good to say it to your face, no games to play, just violent murder followed by the looting of your corpse. But Negan, he liked to rub it in. He was a boastful winner and he only played games and Joel had already begun to resent him. There was something wrong with Negan; something that Joel planned to snuff out. But first was first… the girls and Tommy.

"Listen to him." He pleaded, exasperated. He looked Negan in the eyes, squinting at sunbeams bursted through trees. "Please. They're just kids, they don't know what they're doing."

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan was brought back by the last two of the hostages, one after the other, they said the same thing. '_She's just a child… They're just kids._' Negan called bullshit; he knew Clementine. This wasn't the first time she'd done something so brazen in front of him, and it wasn't the first time she nearly killed him either.

"Oh, fuck off, the both of you. Try and act like men. I've got a four-year-old with me with more courage than you pussies." Negan stood over Clementine, the gun lazily pointed in her direction. "Get up, I need you to do something." Negan ordered, turning to the other two. "Seeing as we're your new leaders, I'm already gonna start helping you. Starting with some lessons on gun safety, for one little girl, it's clearly fucking needed." Negan spoke, a grin on his face. His idea, it was gonna be perfect.

**Art [Clementine]**

His gun between her eyes, Clem didn't see it fit to refuse.

She pushed herself up off the slippery soil, and beside her, looked to Ellie with painful distress. What to say to her, the girl didn't know, though she fought the impulse to do it. Clementine had to bite her lip.

As fast as adrenaline kicked in, her pistol was off its holster and in her hands. The thing was, Clem didn't know what to do with it.

**Basil [Negan]**

Looking down, Negan noticed the girl had brought out her gun. He stood to the side of her, pointing at the gun. "Now, I don't know if you know what that gun does… y'know?" He said, raising his weapon into the sky, firing it, sending a message. That bullet could have gone into Tommy's skull. Negan enjoyed the silence that came after the firing of a gun; he wanted to listen to it again. Yet, he slid the gun back into his jeans.

"Now, raise your weapon." His finger moved away from the gun, and straight at Tommy. "I want you… to shoot him… Right in the fucking head. Then you might see what happens when you fucking fire guns randomly." Negan whispered, a grin across his face as he stared down at the girl next to him. Negan raised his bat, making sure it was in the girl's vision. "Or else Lucille, the big badass badmouthing barbed wire bitch of a bat that she is… well, she'll be taking the both of them."

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine found it difficult to stand. Would that it were the ground shaking from under her feet, but it was terror why the girl stammered. "No… No, you can't do that!" She tossed her gun at the dirt and lunged forward, pulling at Negan's jacket. Pulling so he'd listen. "They didn't do anything. They didn't do anything!"

"I swear I'll make it right. I won't shoot anyone. I swear I won't." Clem put everything behind that appeal. If she could, she'd crumble to tears again, though the fear had driven them all away. All she could afford to do was beg. Spurn and wail until Negan changed his mind.

"Please."

**Basil [Negan]**

The reaction from the girl wasn't entirely what he wanted, their gun was thrown to the ground and they lunged towards him. Negan barely moved an inch as she went to him, begging him to change his mind. Negan merely raised an eyebrow at the girl, as he pulled her away from him.

"You're right, they didn't do anything, you did." Negan raised his gaze towards the rest of Jackson's members. "From now on, if I say something, it fucking happens. None of this begging shit or else I'll get really fucking mad." He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Her begging having little effect on him, or his orders. "Since you didn't know that, I'll cut you some slack, now pick up that gun, and shoot him… Before things get worse."

**Art [Clementine]**

For Clem, the answer was to take a full step back. Just one, where Negan couldn't reach. Clementine drew back until she had space to breathe. Hair creeped toward her eyes and nose, dripping with rainwater. She scanned for aid wherever her eyes led, but they didn't find anyone. More of the same. The men showing off their nasty weapons and nasty _grins_ made her heart stop and her arms go numb.

Could she do it? If it saved Joel… could she shoot Tommy?

Clementine swept the wet mud with her hands until they ran into something cold. The pistol between her blackened fingers felt so much heavier than before, dragging her elbows down with it. She didn't waste any time breathing. She only raised the gun, and pretended there was no one on the other side.

**Dot [Tommy]**

And just like that, a gun was pointed at his head once more. As soon as those words left Negan's mouth, his shoulders slumped. He was a dead man, whether Clementine went through with it or not. The fact that a fourteen-year-old girl was on the other end of that gun, though, that hurt more than anything.

Having to deal with that… he wasn't sure what he'd do in her place. That kinda fucked up shit, that was the shit they dealt with on the road, before all this. Before Boston. People who so callously killed without hesitation. The people Negan made his own army out of.

Clementine fought back, of course, and Tommy watched the whole ordeal with a hardened jaw. He gave Joel a single glance, one that he knew his brother would understand.

They all knew how this was gonna end.

The gun was back on him, in a pair of hands that seemed like they were more than ready to drop it again. His eyes looked towards hers, though he only saw distance in them. He slowly nodded his head, taking in a deep breath.

"Do it."

If this was how he was goin' out of this world, at least it saved someone else.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Ellie had hoped she'd never meet someone as horrifyingly evil as Simmons again, but this man… even Simmons didn't force them to kill each other. She was helpless, just as much as she had always been, and watching Clementine be forced to hold that gun towards Tommy… she froze in her spot on the ground.

This wasn't how this day was supposed to go. Tommy wasn't meant to die, and Joel wasn't meant to be threatened to be either.

She wanted to thrust her knife right into the bottom of that asshole's head, though even through the terror seizing her, she knew that would only end with _all_ of them getting killed.

"_Do it,_" Tommy spoke calmly, causing Ellie's jaw to drop. She slowly pushed herself to her feet, against her will, ready to charge towards the leader and put an end to this insanity.

Time would tell if she'd ever get that chance.

**Kentucky [Joel]**

It was never supposed to go this way. Nothing was ever supposed to go this way.

Joel's mouth quivered, open with shock dripping from his lips. "T - Tommy, no." He said, his eyes widening in disbelief and raw, unbridled _hate._ His eyes were red, tears coming down his face and neck. Tommy looked at Joel another time, a look of understanding on him. A look of complacency. "Nuh, nuh, no! Goddammit, Tommy!" Joel tried to stand but a heavy hand pushed him back down to his knees. "Shoot me!" His hands weighed heavy behind him. "_Fucking shoot me, goddammit…_" His voice turned to a whisper as Tommy said those final words.

He was frozen in time, staring at Tommy. Clementine would have no other choice if it came down to it. He had accepted that. It was to protect him, to protect Ellie, to protect herself, to protect Lee, that's all that there was to it.

It was over. They pushed his face to the ground and he was barely audible, whimpering "_Shoot me…_"

**Art [Clementine]**

The rain grew thicker, the mutters louder, but all she could hear was Joel; the screams. It bought Clementine a moment to draw air into her lungs - and Tommy, just one more to rethink. One more moment to change his mind and tell her how they were all getting out of there. How everyone else was wrong, and how bad he would scold her for being so gullible. Clementine waited with large, trusting eyes. But another passed, and another. And he never did.

So Tommy's head snapped back, bursting from the inside.

**Dot [Andrea]**

With Lee in Eleanor's hands, Andrea's focus returned to the monster at their doorstep. The streets of Jackson were damn near empty, save for the folks too scared to be anywhere near the main gate. The total opposite met her at the gates, a crowd so dense that she had to push just to make it through, even with the few people that noticed her getting out of her way. Each of them held her gaze for a second, a definite look of anguish and horror in their eyes.

Carl was among the masses, almost unable to even reach the gate, and she gave him a curt nod to keep things under control here. With Tommy out there, she needed someone she could trust to hold the fort.

When the crowd cleared and she was, once again, at those gates, the sight beyond left her speechless. Negan stood next to Clementine, who held a gun towards Tommy with shaking hands. Ellie was rushing towards them, though one of Negan's cronies managed to stop her, tackling her to the ground. Joel was on the ground, screaming out.

And Tommy… he looked calmer than she'd ever seen him. Eyes closing as—

The gun went off with a thunderous clap, her knees giving out as she fell to them. Tommy's body jerked, then fell backwards, unmoving. An uncontrollable shiver wrenched her body, the words she spoke tumbling out in a sob.

"_Oh God…_"

**LadyLedge [Lydia]**

She would wake up any minute now, to see a bland ceiling with some bright morning sun creeping through the window. Lydia begged that it would happen, but ultimately, she knew there would be no form of escape to relieve her from this nightmare. This was real, and it was happening right in front of the former Whisperer's eyes.

_This_ level of cruelty, she'd only seen it in one other person in her life, someone who still kept her wide awake every night. Tommy's existence was about to be snuffed out, the same man who'd shown a broken shell of a girl an ounce of kindness, gave her a place to call home, when most but Carl said otherwise. Tommy was one of the people that helped her try to adjust, all while putting up with her petty and childish bullshit ever since. A genuinely good man. Yet all she could do for him now was stand there like a frightened idiot with the rest of the crowd, most of who weren't daring to move an inch.

He didn't deserve to get shot like some dog that needed putting down. Not like this. Even now, Lydia couldn't find it in her heart to feel anything but immense pity for Clementine. The stubborn girl had made a very big mistake, and now Negan was going to make her pay for it. Clementine was going to be blamed for this, but Lydia was in no place to cast it on her, especially since the blonde knew her _own_ role in making all of this happen. Lydia was just as guilty, and that thought alone was enough to make her stomach twist.

Lydia didn't blink as the leader of Jackson was promptly dispatched, skull cracking open to make way for the bullet that pierced through it. Her gaze was fixed on the body, staring at it with nothing but a blank expression. Lydia's eyes began to glisten, burning hot with tears that were ready to spill. The guilt was already sinking in.

**Dot [Ellie]**

She'd been so fucking close. Her hand reached out to yank Clem's arm, to keep her from firing the gun, but something _hard_ plowed into her, bringing them both to the wet asphalt. Twisting, she clamped her teeth down onto his arm, a howl of pain reaching her ears. Her victory was short-lived, though, as the man's other hand collided with her cheek, her other cheek hitting the ground with enough force to scrape her skin.

The gun went off. Being so close, it nearly deafened her. She couldn't lift her head off the ground, the pain being far too much to bear. The man that had knocked her down stood over her, looking towards the bite mark on his arm with a pissed off expression. She noticed then that it'd been the same asshole who called Clem out before, that amiable mood he'd had before now completely gone.

But she didn't care. Her attention was focused on where the gunshot went, and Tommy's limp body on the road. In that instant, the pain from her bruised cheek was nothing, drowned out by the stones ripping through her stomach as it lurched.

Tommy was gone. The man that had tried to do nothing but protect her – save for the few instances where circumstance put them at odds – had been killed for nothing more than a girl trying to protect her home.

It was unfair. Every single bit of it was so **_fucking unfair._**

She wanted to scream, wanted to lift herself up and jab her knife wherever she could into their leader, but every ounce of strength she had was sapped away, and the realization that anything more would only lead to worse things dawning on her.

She dropped her head to the ground, the water soaking her short hair as she shivered.

**Art [Clementine]**

Clementine felt her stomach contract into a loop, until a strong wave of nausea brought her to her knees. Drops of liquid were scattered around her round cheeks in dark red spots... But it wasn't until she felt the brush of spongy flesh on her skin, that Clem heaved her breakfast out onto the mud for everyone else to see. The pistol fell to the ground next to chunks of digested mashed potatoes, where it'd stay if she could ever help it. The color on her face was gone, and Clementine was too scared to open her eyes to look at what she had done.

Tommy was dead. She'd really shot him.

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan was focused on Tommy, staring at him as he awaited the inevitable. He was ignorant to what was happening around him, although he heard the dashing of someone behind them, but it was greeted with the sound of it getting dealt with by a Savior. Finally, he heard the gunshot. Tommy was dead, the lethal bullet striking into his head. While he heard the sound of gasps around him from the Jackson crowd, and the whimpers of Clementine, Joel, and the other girl, Negan simply cracked a smile.

"Wooooow," Negan spoke lowly, looking down at Clementine as she hurled up a load of nastiness onto the floor. "So that's what fucking happens when you shoot someone in the face. You did a really good job to be fair, brilliant fucking example." Negan teased, deciding to push it a little more. "Good accuracy as well, maybe you aren't as bad a shot as I thought."

Taking in the scene around him, he noticed the girl who tried to reach for them, who was pinned to the floor by Bud. Approaching her, he knelt slightly onto the ground. "Well hello there. Is there something you wanted to say to me? Seems like you was rushing to fucking say it." He grinned, tapping Lucille lightly onto the floor as he stared down at the girl. He was enjoying this, it'd been a while since he had personally taken over any groups. He missed it.

**Dot [Ellie]**

Her face hurt. Scraped and bruised, she pushed herself into a sitting position as these assholes's leader approached, smiling towards her with that huge grin. The one that Simmons often adopted. These two were one and the same.

_And he's going to die the same,_ she found herself thinking.

His words stung, namely in the fact she _knew_ she couldn't say anything. They were outnumbered and outgunned, what was she supposed to do? Had this been over a year ago, she would've thrown every single curse she knew at him, but that'd only get them killed.

She needed a new strategy.

So instead, she gave him a cursory glare, stating in a disinterested voice, "I've got nothing to say to you."

That was the biggest fucking lie in the universe.

**Crimson [Carl Grimes]**

Carl hadn't been able to make it to the gate before a crowd formed. He tried to squeeze through to no avail. "Get out of the way!" His voice was just one more in this sea of people.

He was just able to make out an unconscious Lee being carried inside the gates. _Wait what? That's it? We won ...or..._ The answer reached Carl's ears.

"Thank God she surrendered, if they had fought... I don't even wanna think about it," said some lady in the crowd. Carl's eye opened wide; he remembered what he had told Lydia just a while ago. _Andrea has a plan, trust me._

Carl's hand reached for his gun out of instinct, he wanted to go and blast a hole into Negan's face, but he stopped himself. If Andrea had given up it must have been for a good reason, but he hated it. The idea that Negan would win so easily, that he'd do to Jackson the same thing he did to Alexandria made him sick to his stomach.

A shot rang, people started panicking. "Hey everyone, calm down. It was probably nothing!" Carl attempted to control the crowd but there were too many. Andrea walked by and nodded at Carl, he wanted to tell her she shouldn't have surrendered but there were too many things on both of their minds right now. Understanding that it was his task to keep everyone under control, he started sending people away. "Hey, they're gonna start bringing injured people in, go help at the infirmary! You, go and see if the kids are okay." People kept pushing him around. "Calm down and return to your houses, we're gonna resolve this peacefully." His contribution was small, the amount of people not listening was overwhelming, but he had to do what he could.

People's voices started raising, something was happening at the gates. Carl looked at the gate just in time to hear another shot. He couldn't exactly see what had happened but he knew this one was different. Silence now filled the air, spreading through the crowd. Then a few voices and sobs confirmed what had happened. "They shot someone, they say it was Tommy," Carl heard some guy say.

Unwanted memories flooded Carl's mind. He remembered that night, when that bat swung against Abe and Glenn. "No… No… It's all happening again."

**Dot [Tripp]**

The situation at the gates had gone from an absolute shitshow to a chaotic fuckfest in the span of a few minutes. Tripp had spent those minutes trying to keep people calm, pushing his way through the crowd, rifle in hand, to keep out those Savior fuckers for as long as he could. Of course, when Andrea surrendered Jackson to them, that notion had dissolved in an instant.

One injured man and a pair of Saviors carrying him later, Negan's focus shifted to the young girl, Clementine, and her efforts to keep them out of the town. He couldn't fault her for trying, honestly. He would've done the same. Yet, as Negan's words filled the air, and the girl was forced to lift her pistol towards Tommy's head, that sentiment changed.

The crowd held him back, preventing him from getting a clear shot on that asshole, so he didn't even bother lifting his rifle. Instead, he watched in horror as the girl blew a hole into Tommy's head the size of a quarter, before the bullet came out the other side, spraying blood and brain matter across the street behind the Saviors.

With Andrea returning at that same moment, everyone knew what had happened. For Tripp, that was the last straw.

"Alright people, show's over. Get back to your homes!" He rounded up the rest of the crowd, with the help of the other guards, and directed them deeper into the town. Things were about to go from bad to worse, and he didn't want these people in the crossfire.

Once the street was cleared, save for the rest of his guard, Andrea, and Carl, he shifted his focus towards Andrea.

"Please tell me you gotta plan for these assholes, 'cause I'm sure as shit not letting them into this town."

**Dot [Andrea]**

She'd seen people die before, even those closest to her, but this one was hard to swallow. Tommy had been the idealist, the one that kept this place going purely out of spite when the rest of the world insisted that they couldn't make it work. Now, his limp body fell backwards, left in a heap that no one out there would care about.

As Tripp approached, she was seething, about ready to reach for her own weapon and kill as many of them as she could before she ran out of bullets. But she wouldn't do that. She knew better. She knew that Tommy's death was an example, as much as Glenn's was. And Negan, he wasn't done just yet.

So, with that, she let out a breath. "We have to," she said, turning towards him. "Otherwise it won't just be him that dies today."

Tripp didn't seem to like that, taking in a deep breath, but he didn't argue against it. Instead, he turned back towards the gate, clutching his rifle ever tighter.

She didn't even blame him.

**Basil [Negan]**

"Huh, nothing then?" Negan whispered, he could tell she was hiding what she really wanted to say. "Well, let me know when you find your words." Negan stood up, ignoring the body as he stepped past it. Looking around, he noticed the looks of all the Jackson members, distraught, sad, angry. "Jeez, you lot aren't too fucking happy are you! Relax, move on from this, and don't fucking shoot me alright? Once you settle down, and start treating us with respect, we can be pretty damn fucking reasonable. Step out of line, and that's when shit starts hitting the fucking fan." Negan waved his bat around as he spoke, being very expressive.

"I may have gotten off on the wrong foot with you, but first impressions matter, and I want to make sure you guys know that I don't take shit. Now, you might ask what we want, well what I want… is half of everything you got! In return, I shall lend my services to protect your community from the bandits and freaks out there. Seems like a fair deal to me!" Finally, his eyes fell on Andrea. "Some of you may have had experience with me before, I trust you to be more responsible this time, before you become the cause of someone's death." He stepped closer to Andrea, and the group of Jackson members, standing within a few feet of them. "Now, mind getting back to what you was doing before? I'm sure you've got some logistical shit to work out. I wanna have a little chat with Andrea." He voiced it as a request, when really it was an order. He stared down at the women who'd brought him so much trouble before like he was meeting a old friend. He turned, and gestured his men into the community, they knew what to do, set up, make sure everything was secure, no traps.

**Dot [Andrea]**

Andrea watched as the rest of her community retreated deeper into Jackson, while Clementine, Ellie, and Joel eventually followed, after a nod from Andrea. The looks on their faces, the horror and anger and hatred, it was familiar, and now she reminded herself why she feared Negan's return for so long. Nothing but death and destruction was left in his wake, and the lives he touched, he destroyed. She would've never forgiven him for Alexandria, for Rick and Glenn and Abraham and everyone else she'd lost to the Saviors, but now… now, she wouldn't hesitate to go back to how things were before, to her holding a sniper rifle in a tower, ready to blow a hole in the back of Negan's head.

That wasn't going to happen again, she knew.

When the gates had finally cleared, leaving only her and Negan there, and Tommy's body sprawled out on the street a few dozen feet away, Andrea finally met the man's gaze. Every fiber of her being wanted to lash out, to attack him any way she could, whether with words or fists, but instead, she remained still, shoulders slumped. There was no point. It'd only make things worse.

And as much as she wanted to throw in his face that Tommy didn't deserve to die, another, more important thing, burned within her. There wasn't much to her voice, little and weakened and resigned, like she already knew the answer.

"What happened to Rick?"

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan stood tall as everyone surrounding them quickly dispersed to their positions. While all the Jackson members had faces like they'd just seen a murder, he didn't see it that way… more of a lesson. Nevertheless, Negan's grin showed that he didn't really care about what had happened. Soon, it was just him and Andrea face to face. Andrea clearly didn't share his viewpoint on the whole thing, he needed to say a few words to her, make her understand that a rebellion is the last thing that she wanted to do. Times were different compared to back then, and surely she understood how it went for Rick.

Or maybe not, he had suspected that he might get asked this question. Negan kept his grin up, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Now hold on, I didn't do this for you to ask me questions. No no, that's not how this works." Negan knew how much Rick meant to Andrea, it was shown by how it was the first thing she mentioned, he decided to use it against her. "If you wanna know what happened to him, you're gonna have to be a lot nicer to the Saviors for a while. We certainly aren't going to get any repeats of what happened at Alexandria are we, because that place is a fucking mess." Negan leaned in closer as he stepped forward. "Are we?" He stared down at the girl. He'd learned a few lessons from last time.

**Dot [Andrea]**

She wasn't surprised by Negan's response, though she couldn't be more disappointed. The way he was being coy about it gave her pause, though. There was a chance he was still alive, then. _Still alive, and probably not the same man you knew…_

Instead, it came down to him bribing her into submission, which, well, she wasn't inclined to deny at that time. The Saviors were too strong to fight against, especially on their own, so what other choice did she have?

"No," she finally stated, evenly, her gaze lowering slightly, avoiding his piercing stare.

**Basil [Negan]**

"No… is the correct fucking answer!" Negan relaxed slightly, his pompous attitude seemingly getting worse with every minute he stayed in power. He was having fun, and he'd just taken a new settlement. It was clear that Jackson was going to be submissive to his demands, this reinforced that. Andrea had broken to him. As Negan relaxed, his stare wandered a bit, thinking. One thing was still burning in the back of his mind, it had been nagging him for months now, and today he was finally in the position where he could find out.

"You… wouldn't know where Dwight is, would you?" Negan asked, there was a hint he was pissed off by the whole thing. "Considering I told him to report back to me, and he's been feeding me fucking lies for weeks, months, and then being straight silent. I think he owes me a little fucking explanation, don't you think?" Negan paused again, letting his words settle. "Your group wouldn't have anything to do with his silence, would you? Because that would be a biiiiiiig fucking mistake. Dwight's one of my best, and if he really did betray me. Then I'd want him dead myself!"

**Dot [Andrea]**

Negan's next question caught her by surprise, like pulling a bandage off a wound that wasn't quite healed yet. Dwight's death was still shrouded in mystery, though Andrea still had her suspicions, but the fact Negan was asking about him at least confirmed that it wasn't the Saviors that killed him. That only made things worse. It had to have been somebody living in Jackson, like she feared.

"Dwight was… killed," she said, frowning. She had a feeling this might end badly, but lying to him would be much worse. "We're still trying to find the killer."

_So Negan knew Dwight was lying. Guess our plan didn't work._

**Basil [Negan]**

Negan's eyes widened slightly, a small amount of shock resonating in him. He'd known Dwight for years, to hear he died just like that, well, he was taken aback. "Killed, huh? Well, that's a damn fucking shame." He spoke under his breath. Shaking his head, he tried to put it out of his thoughts, and focus on other things. "Alright. But find that fucking killer, though. "

Negan rested Lucille against his shoulder; she wouldn't be used today, maybe some other day. "You know the drill, we'll be coming every now and then, and you better have what we want. You know what happens when I don't get what I want." Negan grinned, as he lightly swung his bat. Sympathy didn't resonate in him as he strolled past the leader, whistling gleefully as he entered Jackson, prepared to round up what they could and go back home victors, virtually without a fight. His head turned slightly. Happy to say his last words to his former foe.

"Welcome back into the fold."


	85. Graves, I

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Memories of what had occurred over the past half-hour came and went in small incoherent fragments. Lee wasn't sure if he was simply too exhausted to recall, or if he had blacked out along the way, but he _ did _ remember being dragged here by someone.

His vision finally cleared itself to make way for his surroundings, which was noticeably the infirmary. Lee was sprawled out flat on the bed, his arms now tied in front of him. A cannula was in his right wrist, connected to some sort of drip; the man's eyes followed the tube until he saw that it was attached to a clear liquid, which was strung up in a plastic bag next to him.

The leg, it felt numb; but the bandaging had been replaced and the bleeding had finally stopped, for now. Lee had seen enough infirmaries, blood, and bullshit in here to last him a lifetime, and it was safe to say he never wanted to step foot in one of these again.

Now it was time to get the hell out. He had to.

The horrid thought of Clementine, Ellie, Joel… all within proximity of that bat-wielding maniac was more than enough to make him panic. Lee used his teeth to bite down on the tube that was connected to the cannula, tearing the stupid thing out of his wrist before he sat up.

Immediately, he planted his left foot into the ground, using it to lift himself up. However, as soon as he tried to place weight on the other foot… that's where his attempt to leave came to an abrupt halt.

"_Gahh!_" Lee cried, his inability to move sent him spiraling towards the floor, knocking over a few trays of hospital equipment on the way down. Fiery needles relentlessly shot up his thigh, the previous adrenaline had worn off, giving way to an unbearable ache that just wouldn't go away. "C'mon." He gnashed his teeth together, reaching for a nearby drawer, trying to use it as leverage to lift himself up again.

** Vi [Alvin Jr.] **

There was stumbling, falling. The man must not have seen the child sitting in the corner of the room, or else he would have been smart enough not to move. Not that AJ minded, considering how quickly the man had dropped. And the needles- Well, he's just as useless at moving as he is against Negan. A shame, really. AJ was looking forward to a challenge.

"I'd stop moving if I were you, Mister. It'll only make it worse." He spoke, sliding off the chair he was in as he made his way across the room. "Besides, you won't make it too far even if you can get past me. Your leg is messed up." As he said that, he leaned against the counter, staring down at the male with a blank expression. He wanted to enjoy this, his first watch shift. If he played his cards right, he'd even have a chance at making Negan proud. After all, that's all he wanted to do. He'll do the Saviors proud, someday get bigger jobs…

His hand moved up, slammed the drawer shut before he crouched down to meet Lee's gaze. He wouldn't be able to pick the guy up on his own, even if he wanted to. But, that didn't mean he wasn't willing to try. He bent down next to him, gripping his arm to try and pull him up, with no much luck. "Best get you back to bed-"

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Lee felt like his neck had a weight sitting on top of it, which made it all the more harder to lift it up in response to a voice. The man's head still felt like it was spinning in circles, albeit much better than before. He was lucid enough to recognize the boy, the same one who'd tricked him outside of the walls. None of this was ideal, not that revolver the kid held firmly in his hands, or the several other guards that Lee had only just noticed. He was boxed in here, with a shot to shit leg, and no understanding of what the hell was going on out there. Anxiety filled him, mainly in regards to Clementine's status, he _ had _ to know she was okay. No way he could just sit in here.

Lee stared at the boy for a moment, obvious pain smeared across the injured man's face. Negan seemed to be starting them at a young age, much too young for Lee to be comfortable with. He considered his options which involved getting out of here... and none of them he liked. So he complied. Lee reached for the side of the bed and hauled himself back up, much to his reluctance. Once he was seated on the edge of the bed, Lee figured if he couldn't get out, then the least he could do was try to get some information.

"I need to know." He was desperate now, that was probably obvious enough. "Your friend, Negan." Lee continued, unsure of who he really was to the child, but they seemed close. "Since we opened the gate for him, he won't hurt anyone now, will he?" Lee asked, hoping that some sort of arrangement was being made, one that would see no one getting hurt. After all, they had complied in the end. What more could Negan possibly want?

** Vi [Alvin Jr.] **

As Lee moved to take a seat, so did AJ. His small frame was across the room in an instant, hauling himself up to sit carefully on one of the chairs provided. He straightened, dusting himself off as if he had just touched filth.. which wouldn't be too far off if he were being honest. As the filth began to speak, the garbage that spilled from his lips, the pitiful tone of voice he used to ask his question.

Disgusting.

"So long as no one gives him a reason to, he shouldn't hurt anyone. Negan isn't like your people. Like that girl that likes to shoot her gun. He wouldn't hurt someone unless he had a reason to; she didn't. Negan was communicating, and she fired. We tried to be peaceful. If we are such brutes, then where was your peace?" Alvin Junior's hands were balled, placed softly in his lap as if he wanted to restrain himself. The man before him was a coward, and that girl was dangerous. She could have hurt Negan, and then what? What would he have left?

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Lee just couldn't put his finger on what was so unnerving about listening to this kid speak. The staunch way he presented himself, coupled with that bitter tone he was emanating. It really wasn't hard to tell that the boy was a direct product of the Saviors, or rather, Negan himself. Which made that gun the kid had on him all the more dangerous, Lee had little doubt he probably knew how to use it well at this point.

What worried him even more though, was the answer he was given. It seemed like Negan had all the reason in the world to hurt someone, and he only needed _ one. _

One that Clementine had given him, if he was honest with himself.

In all his years, he hadn't expected her to just… shoot into a crowd full of people, against what Lee _ thought _ he'd taught her about taking life, and against what Tommy asked. No matter what happened after this, Lee figured there'd be hell to pay for it… for something he couldn't bring himself to justify.

"Your guess is as good as mine." He answered in a half-hearted tone, forehead sinking into his palm as he let out a gruff sigh.

* * *

_ That evening… _

** Dot [Ellie] **

It felt as if the whole world had come to a stop, sending everything crashing down like a world-ending earthquake in one of those shitty apocalypse movies. The events at the gate kept repeating in her head, every single moment from her and Lydia running to find Carl and Clementine to Tommy's death, as if somehow she'd find a way to avoid it all happening and go back in time and prevent it. Yet, she knew there wasn't any another way, and she sure as fucking shit can't go back in time.

Negan was here. The man who's name she'd only just learned, but his group had been at the forefront of Ellie's thoughts for longer than she could remember, dating back to Pittsburgh. Now, the man capable of handling a group that large had shown his face, and exactly what he was capable of, and Ellie was terrified.

What was going to happen now? Were the Saviors going to take them over? They wanted half of everything they had, and Ellie was sure that half would be everything _ good _, but what happened after that? She found herself not wanting to know. Ignorance is… well, everyone knew the saying.

When Andrea told everyone to get back inside the walls, the two girls had obliged, in entirely different state of minds that they hardly connected with each other, let alone went to the same place. Ellie's room felt like a prison, with posters and shitty drawings she'd been working on instead of bars and a shit bucket in the corner. It wasn't long before she needed out, not even knowing where she was going.

Yet her feet knew, and when Clementine's house came into view, she didn't hesitate to open the door, heading inside, and up those stairs so fast that if Lee had even been home, he probably wouldn't have noticed.

Now, after two months, it was her turn to be on this side of the door, knocking gently before quietly opening it. This needed to be done, after everything that happened. Being alone, she didn't want that, especially for Clementine.

"Hey…" She greeted meekly, finding the girl inside, the one she cared for so much and yet had no idea how she was going to comfort. How could she? She couldn't even comfort herself, after killing Riley. Yet, that time had been for mercy. This… this was cruelty, on Negan's part. She wanted to kill him for making Clementine go through it, too.

** Art [Clementine] **

The 'now' felt worse. Stuck thinking about it until the sun set behind her window curtains - That's when it hurt the most.

Clem hadn't left her room since she set foot in it, and she hadn't seen Lee either. It was enough punishment not knowing if they'd come for him next. No, she didn't dare leave the house again. Waiting felt easier, somehow. Though it wasn't until light snuck in through the hallway, that Clementine knew who she was waiting for.

Talking to Ellie didn't feel as easy, even when you knew the words ahead of time, and practiced them in your head. She sat on the bed still as can be, with her hat nowhere to be seen. "I messed up so bad."

** Dot [Ellie] **

She choked, unable to find the words to say to that. The faint light of a lamp outside illuminated half of Clementine's face, one that was so beaten down, emotion draining out like blood out of a wound. Ellie crossed the room towards her bed, silently twisting the knob on the lamp on her bedside table to turn it on. The girl's shortened hair looked just about as frazzled as _ she _ was, messy and grimy from the rain. Thunder still echoed through the valley, tensing her muscles every time it crackled. She forced herself to relax, though, setting herself down, next to Clementine. She wrapped an arm around her, rubbing gently at the fabric of the girl's sleeve.

There was so much she wanted to say. To promise. They'd make them pay for this, she almost said. It wasn't her fault what happened, was another one. Everything sounded so… fucking stupid. Clementine didn't want a pity party, she wanted her best friend there, to help her. At least, that's what Ellie hoped.

But she'd sure as hell be there for a shoulder to cry on. Her own tears felt like they were welling up, ready to burst. She took in a deep, shuddering breath, deciding to say something stupid anyway. Better than not saying anything at all.

"I know I didn't say it back before, back on that mountain, but…" Another deep breath. Eyes closed, then opened, teeth scratching the surface of her lip before settling into a soft frown. "I love you, too."

"A - And that means that - I'll sit here and tell you that it wasn't your fault. Over and over, until you know it's true. Okay?"

** Art [Clementine] **

She felt it. It was the tingle running down her neck, circling back around like flying sparks. The hand that pulled her closer, the one phrase she hadn't expected to hear. Breath taken away from her, Clem could try it all she wanted not to fall silent. Making sounds, whispers or shouts, it was just... _ impossible. _ Sudden as that.

All she wanted was to say it back.

But her eyes fell, indifferent. "He killed Tommy because of me."

"How can it not be my fault?"

** Dot [Ellie] **

Ellie was fighting an uphill battle, one that she intended to win, by any means necessary. Clementine was supposed to be the one that kept her shit together, and numerous times Ellie'd seen that side of her that was just like herself: broken, guilty, unable to push on even if she knew she had to. How cruel this world had to be to force them to do this. To kill people they care about. Well, fuck it, and fuck _ them _. They weren't giving up that easily. She'd make sure of that.

"People like _ him_," she started, bitterly. "They're looking for an excuse to hurt you. To kill. With or without you, I think he wanted to kill Tommy."

"They get off on it, like it's… entertainment," she nearly spat out the last word, shaking her head. "Tommy was the leader." As her heart pulsed faster, she let in a shuddering breath, releasing it. "Makes the rest of us easier to control. Make an example."

"I let Simmons get in my head, thinking it was my fault you and Lee got hurt, but he probably would've done it anyway. They're one and the same."

"And they won't get away with it," she vowed. Simmons already got what was coming to him; now it was Negan's turn.

* * *

** Dot [Eleanor] **

The Saviors had come and gone, and left the rest of Jackson to pick up the pieces. News about Tommy's death spread throughout the community like wildfire, a shock that even Eleanor wasn't completely immune to. She knew how things were like outside these walls, had experienced them herself, but the way Tommy had died was beyond anything she'd ever seen before. The cruelty that was needed to make a kid shoot a man she knew… And she thought the Whisperers were the worst thing they'd have to contend with out here.

However, dwelling on that wasn't a luxury she had. Taking care of Lee's leg had become the priority, and while the man rested, she made sure no one else was hurt. Ellie had some bruising and scraped skin, but that was easily fixed up, along with a couple painkillers to help her through the rest of her day. The rest weren't something she was qualified to treat, namely emotional trauma from what the Saviors inflicted on them. Having a psychiatrist would be a godsend, but beggars couldn't be choosers. She had to do.

While the sun began to descend beneath the mountains, Eleanor opened the door into Lee's room, carrying a tray of food. The man was awake, sitting on his bed, and she called out to him. "You're awake. I brought food." She set the tray down on the table next to the bed, looking him over with a concerned eye. "How are you feeling?"

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Lee could hardly take it anymore. He didn't like feeling cornered in here, forced to stare at these godawful pasty walls. Thankfully, the Saviors finally left, and the first person to enter his room following their departure was a woman, holding a tray of food that he most certainly was not going to eat. The man recognized her as a full-time member of Jackson, he saw her around this place a lot, actually.

"Like a man that got shot, if that's anything to go by." He answered, dismissive. Lee's condition was hardly a focal point of his concern anymore. Though, at least now, maybe he'd get a smidgen of peace if he could know they were all safe.

"What happened out there? Is everyone okay...?" Lee asked, the words not being able to come out fast enough. He just wanted to know. He needed to.

_ Please, let them be alright. _

** Dot [Eleanor] **

The question had been coming, she knew, though talking about what happened was still… rough. Tommy was, for most of them, the leader they needed to keep this place going. Andrea held a big role too, but Tommy had the support of the people, and now he was gone, and the void he left behind left them uncertain on what would happen next. Being the one to break that news was difficult, but not something she wasn't used to. In this world, you got used to telling people their significant others were dead, or a family member, or their son or daughter. It was just a fact of life, one that had become all too increasingly familiar.

She remembered the last time she had to do it. This place probably would never recover from it.

"Tommy was shot," Eleanor said quietly, busying herself by indicating for Lee to extend his leg out onto a nearby chair so she could examine the wound. It wasn't bleeding, thankfully, so the worst was behind them. "He was the only casualty," she finished, hoping to alleviate any concern for the girl in his care and her well being.

Granted, everyone knew she was responsible for Tommy's death, so maybe her well being wasn't all that great right now. _ Should make the time to talk to her. Doing that kind of thing, under that level of duress… that'd break anyone. _

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Lee extended his leg for examination, while beginning to think that these last few moments of being unaware almost felt like a blessing. Until it didn't. The news hit him like a freight train, a sickening feeling immediately traveled to his gut in an instant.

Jackson's leader… _ Tommy_, was gone. That was that. A fact too hard to swallow for Lee, given that he'd just seen him _ alive _ this morning, with Joel. The vivid image of that sack of shit Negan standing over Tommy with the gun… He couldn't get it out of his head, which only served to disgust Lee even more. Though, he couldn't imagine, didn't want to imagine what Joel must've been going through right now. Sure, they had their spats, what brothers didn't? But Joel loved him, Lee could see that from a mile away.

The distraught man averted his gaze from the woman in front of him, his only fist balled up tight, gripping the bed sheets next to him. They'd complied and opened the gates... for what? Just for Negan to kill him anyway? The only positive thing he could draw from the whole fucked up situation, was that the kids and Joel were safe, at least.

"What happens now?" Lee asked, before finally bringing himself to look at her again.

** Dot [Eleanor] **

"The only thing we can do," Eleanor replied, allowing Lee to lower his leg once more before taking the seat he'd had it in. Seeing Lee's reaction, she knew that he cared about this place, about the people that lived here. That was a good thing. She took in a sharp breath, leaning forward slightly. "We keep our heads down, and wait."

Everything boiled down to patience. The Saviors were a powerful force, one that'd wreak havoc on them if they chose to oppose them. What other choice was there than to do what they had to, keep living another day, until an opportunity presented itself? Tripp would rush in without a second thought, but as long as Andrea kept the peace, then they could make this work for a while. Long enough for that opportunity to arise.

"The Saviors destroyed our home," Eleanor eventually stated, breaking the silence. "It was years ago. Tripp used to run our community, Prescott, near Virginia. The Saviors showed up one day, and he refused to budge, so… that was that."

"So, as long as we keep our heads, we can stop that from happening again."

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

All Lee could do was shake his head upon hearing that this messed up 'routine' of theirs spanned to other communities as well. "They certainly don't neglect anyone, those Saviors." Lee replied, already imagining that a lot of other people in the region had come across them. After all, this was a group that had enough resources and manpower to get all the way up here from Pittsburgh. Back when it was just the four of them, out on the road, Negan and his people always seemed to be one step behind, wherever they went. Now the horrid inevitable he tried to shove to the back of his mind had happened… they'd finally caught up. All this time It was easier to believe they wouldn't, Lee supposed.

_ What was the damn point of it all? _

No amount of planning could ever stop _ one _ unexpected event from tearing it all down, like today. That was all it took. Lee figured he should've remembered that better before committing to this whole thing. It already happened with places like the Motor Inn, and the events were being set in motion for it to happen here too.

Had he and Clem gotten it right the first time? Was constantly moving the better choice? Coming to Jackson and forming all these attachments just for it to come crumbling down, was that really much more of an improvement to being out on the road?

In that moment, a thought _ did _ cross his mind, but then there was the strenuous part. Taking it up with Clem. He'd done it once before right when they'd first parted ways just after Colorado, and he was pretty sure Clementine still resented him for it. Whether it was worth it or not, he wasn't sure if he had it in him to do it to her again.

Stay, and they'd be under the thumb of Negan. But leaving wasn't all that much of an alluring idea either, no way in hell was he going back east, and who's to say if they tried to keep going a different direction that the Saviors wouldn't catch up again? Or they run into more groups like Henry's? Lee somehow seemed to front having all of his shit together most of the time when it came to planning, and he knew that's why people did look to him sometimes... and yeah, it was easier to play that part up than acting clueless, but now...

He had absolutely no clue what to do. No clue whatsoever. Hell, when did he ever?

"If my leg is good to go... Do you guys have anything I can use to help me support my weight?" Lee asked, his eyes glued to the door behind the woman. "I'd really like to get out of here."

** Dot [Eleanor] **

She could tell that he didn't like that answer, but she never expected him to. She didn't like it herself. Dealing with the Saviors had always been like a ticking time bomb, one that had finally found its way to its target and waited for the countdown to end. All they could do was keep cutting the right wires to make sure that didn't happen.

When Lee spoke, she stood up. "We have a crutch you can use. Use it for as long as you need." She grabbed the crutch from where it sat against the wall, at the far corner of the room, before handing it to the man.

"I'd see Andrea when you can," she added, her voice remaining soft, concerned. "With how things are going, she can use all the help she can get."

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

"Will do." He nodded, before taking the crutches to carefully prop himself upright. Lee knew it wasn't going to be easy for her, the shared leadership was now only on _ one _ person's shoulders, and with so many lives at stake, it would be enough pressure to crack anyone. It was a feeling Lee could somewhat relate to, albeit not on this grand scale. Only time would tell if things would hold together, though. "Thanks by the way, for the help."

The crutches worked well enough, to get him to the door at least. His first priority was to check on Clementine, make sure she was okay. Regardless of what the Doctor said, Lee wouldn't be able to relax until he saw her himself.


	86. Graves, II

** Dot [Ellie] **

Rain soaked through Ellie's hood, dripping in tiny droplets in front of her. The thunder had stopped, thankfully, but the rain wouldn't let up. And what they were doing… it needed to be done. She stood near the hole Joel was digging, a gruesome task given the amount of water soaked into the ground, creating a messy muck that stuck to the shovel. Around them, streetlights provided them just enough to see what they're doing, and for Ellie's gaze to fall on Tommy's corpse nearby, covered with a tarp.

She frowned.

He didn't deserve this. Sure, he was an ass sometimes, just like Joel, but he tried to keep this place going. Without him, she wasn't sure what Andrea was going to do. All that responsibility sounded like torture.

As the wind picked up, nearly blowing her hood off, Ellie shifted her attention back towards Joel. He dropped another pile of mud into the bigger one, grunting.

Eventually, she broke the silence. "I'm sorry."

Some part of this felt familiar, bringing her back to the day Tess died. Except this was worse. It had to be worse.

** Kentucky [Joel] **

He was dead. That was... it. That's all there was to it. Their reunion was cut short; he'd just gotten back. Why wasn't there more time? Where did the time go? What… what _ was _ this?!

Joel's lips quivered. He was covered in rain, sweat, tears, and snot. How would Ellie think of him like this? Weak and pathetic. He wasn't angry anymore, he didn't have time to be angry. There was only mourning and he hardly had time for that. The man finished the hole, his hood flying off with a swift breeze. The rain ran into his eyes, further muddying his vision. He turned to look at Ellie, dropping the shovel and clenching his hands to his coat. His mouth was open, gasping for air in between sobs. He was broken; she wouldn't say anything, but he was a sniveling fool. Where had his passion gone? Where had his emotions left?

_ You're pathetic. _

"_I'm sorry._"

_ You think you're safe. You thought you were special, safe, safe safe. You're nothing, just like everybody else. _

His head ached, pain pulsing through his temple. "Fuck… fuck, no…" He whimpered, getting down on one knee, staring in awe at the tarp. He uncovered it one more time, hesitant, but he did it. It unfurled like Tommy's necroed fingers, curling and sticking to itself. His mouth was open, eyes wide. There was still a chunk of his head missing, a thick, goopy hole just above the bridge of his nose. Joel could see the bones sticking out, shrapnel ejecting themselves from his skin. His left eye had pooled with blood and a thick ring had been dug around it, the eye socket attempting to evict the premises. Puke rose in his throat and his heart thumped in arrhythmia. He placed a hand on Tommy's chest, both knees splashing mud onto the tarp.

"Please, Tommy... please." He could picture the scene; Tommy turning one of those eyes towards him, the tarp moving. _ Alive. _ Brain damage. It managed to miss anything important, maybe he'd be paralyzed from the waist down, maybe he'd still be alive, Joel had worked too goddamn hard for this to be…

_ Selfish altruism. Such a selfish altruist. Do good things to other people for yourself. _

_ No, just selfish. Just regular, sad old selfish. _

There was truth in Tommy's face. Blackened and blue, blood rushing into it as it poured from his now clotted wound. His body was stiff. Cold. Wet. _ Dead. _ They had taken his baby girl and his baby brother too. _ All you can think about is yourself. How did their deaths affect you? How will their deaths affect everyone else? Do you think they wanted to die? I'm sure the world just hates you Joel. It despises you! _

Something hissed within his chest.

_ Maybe the world doesn't hate you. But I hate you. They all hate you, Joel. But I hate you the most. _ And that was final.

He covered Tommy's face with the tarp again then lifted him into the air. He was heavy, yet Joel could not believe the man felt lighter than he ever had. He laid him into the crypt, then he sat down on the dirt, now mud pile, and sobbed. He looked away from Ellie, he buried his hands in his face. Years gone. Years of safety, years of help, all of it had blinked in the flash of an eye. Who killed him? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

He wheezed in the mud, panting. He wept, clenching his teeth together as his hands drew into the mud. Joel wanted to scream, he wanted to do anything but this. His blurry eyes drew towards Ellie and he cried. She was next; he was sure of it. They were all next. The man said nothing in those moments. The only sound was the downpour and the dense noise of grief.

** Dot [Ellie] **

Seeing him like this, it dug a hole into her, letting her insides pour out in an emotional breach. This was different. So much worse. She had no idea what to say, or if she should say anything, instead, standing in place as her sneakers were soaked through with muddy soil. Tommy's body sent shivers down her spine, like a knife being jabbed right into it, and she couldn't help but think about Negan. About how much she wanted to kill him for what he did to Tommy, to Clementine, and to Joel. To this whole fucking place. In the span of hours, everything had fallen apart, and it became harder to remember how just this morning she'd been cutting Clementine's hair.

Fuck this. Fuck the Saviors, and fuck Negan, and fuck this world. All Ellie ever wanted was somewhere nice to live, to be with Clementine and Lee and Joel, to continue learning how to play guitar, to make Joel cringe at another dumb pun she'd made up, and watch Clementine laugh as she told her too. Now, this overshadowed everything. Tommy's brother was in a hole in the ground, one she was already helping Joel fill up with the muddy mess they'd dug up earlier.

This wasn't a place to live, to grow up in, anymore. It was a prison.

That thought stayed with her as the rain picked up once more, leaving them wind-whipped and silent as they finished burying the body.


	87. Graves, III

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

The wind had picked up even more, violently howling throughout the streets of Jackson. Barely a soul in sight, save for the odd person or two who directed a glare in Lee's direction. Either way, the man had a feeling he wouldn't be seeing that many people walking around anyway, even if the weather wasn't like this.

Lee hobbled onward, heading towards one of the only logical places he figured Clem may have been holed up. At least he _ hoped _ she was. His second guess would've been with Ellie at Joel's house, where he planned to stop by if he didn't find her here.

His clothes stuck to his skin, but he had finally made it home. With a twist of the doorknob, he scooted on inside, making sure to close the door behind him.

"Anyone home?" Lee immediately called out, only to be greeted by silence. The bottom floor was desolate, and quiet enough to only hear raindrops bombarding the roof. Before long, he directed his sights to the stairs, shuffling to the second floor, noticing that the door to Clementine's room was slightly open. Lee peeked inside, and the relief was instant. There she was, sitting on the bed, back turned to him. "Clem."

She could hear him, but it looked like she barely even wanted to toss him a glance. Lee couldn't necessarily blame her, after probably witnessing what Negan had done.

"Doctor said the leg will be fine, so there's that." He took a stride forward, closing the distance between them. _ C'mon, talk to me. _

** Art [Clementine] **

She was lost to passages in a book. Eyes, scanning the short pages, with only the dim light of a candle to guide them. Clementine sat on the bed with her legs crossed and her face shut from any warmth. All the good it did was one or two minutes of escape.

When the door opened, she froze, and the book lay face down on her pillow. Relief, at first. Nothing after. "Good." Her eyes ran off to a corner distant. Clem felt too tired to mince words, then. "If you want to say something… get it out. Okay?" So many things it could've been; she was scared of hearing them all… dreading to be told again not to feel guilty.

"I know I did wrong. _ I know._"

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Just like that, the tone in the room changed, and Lee's face dropped into something that was visibly upset. His weakened gaze found the floorboards, sighing deeply before mulling over what he was about to say.

This whole talk had been a long time coming, something he repressed even from their earlier days. Finally arriving at Jackson, starting this _ new _ life. It made certain things so easy to just shove at the back of his mind and leave there to be forgotten, with the hopes that he'd never have to touch on them again. Maybe that was the problem, leaving these issues unspoken, allowing them to fester. If Clementine was ever going to learn, Lee had to stop refusing that there wasn't a problem here.

"I know that you know... you're old enough to." Lee broke the silence, soft yet firm. No matter how much it pained him. He couldn't ignore it anymore, not this time.

His features were fully visible in the dim candlelight as he lifted his head to find those amber eyes of hers again. Lee had failed to hide his disappointment, it practically reeked from his demeanor. "Why did you do it, Clem?"

** Art [Clementine] **

"Because he hurt _ you._"

She sounded choked up, though Clementine felt anything but. It was something else. Regret catching up again. The girl didn't move an inch - none but a chin that rose so as to level a gaze. "I'd do it again."

It was big talk, coming from the kid hiding in her room. Even she could see it.

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

"Not worth it." He immediately rebutted. Did she really full-heartedly believe what she was saying? Lee didn't want to think so. "_ Especially _ not for me." The man on crutches added. Surely Clementine knew that she was putting herself and everyone else around her in danger. What if Negan had decided to execute all of them on the spot right then and there, then start lighting up the place? Lee wouldn't dare to torment himself with that thought.

"I don't have any right to lecture you about recklessly acting on impulse, not anymore." He trailed off, deciding he was past the point of tiptoeing around eggshells when it came to what happened in that nightmare-inducing winter, and everything before. "But I shouldn't have to, because you're _ better _ than me. I _ know _ you are."

** Art [Clementine] **

Clementine's chest burst all at once, and what was left of the cold in her eyes warped into angry tears: hot as fire. "Just because you... you _ murder _ people, doesn't mean I'm _ better! _ What - just 'cause I can't do it as good as you?"

"If I could... I'd walk out that door and shoot Negan in the head. And then _ everyone _ that kept laughing while - while you were bleeding out on the ground." It didn't stop. Air fled her mouth in long gusts, as if she'd just ran a mile. She felt like screaming until her throat gave out. "Maybe you'll quit being such a - such a ** _ fucking pussy _ ** _ ... _ when he comes for me next, and I turn out just like Tommy!"

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

"_Stop it._" He begged, closing his eyes all while trying to compose himself. The way she talked, it was becoming more than he could bear.

It hurt him to see the tears on her face, but scared him even more to think that she meant it all. If she did, then Lee had failed in more ways than he could've imagined. He had to believe she didn't. That it wasn't too late. He had to. "You and I both know how easy it is to pull a trigger, but there comes a point where you need to draw the line, put your anger aside, and _ think _ rationally."

"You've always valued life in a way that I've never had the guts to. That's why you're better... and you damn well need to start acting like it." Lee wasn't just begging now, he was outright demanding for improvement. That's how desperate he was.

"Who was the one that chewed my ear off after leaving Joel and Ellie behind in Pittsburgh?" He stated, meeting her gaze. "Who felt guilty after firing into a group of Saviors on a bridge, saving our lives?"

"You ** know ** the answer, Clementine."

** Art [Clementine] **

Her voice broke and dissolved like sand. Clem didn't know how to respond.

But she kept crying. Harder and louder. When everything else stopped working, it was the one thing she still knew how to do. "Just go away," she wept, soaking the hand that hovered under her eyes.

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

"I-" The crying got louder, and all he wanted to do was go and hug her. Maybe he'd taken it too far, or perhaps he'd said exactly what he needed to say. Lee didn't know anymore… only that the arguments between them only seemed to be getting worse, and more frequent.

"I'll be downstairs… if you need anything." He mumbled, before reluctantly swivelling himself around and heading for the door.

** Dot [Tripp] **

This shitstorm wasn't getting any better. Negan and his crew practically took everything of value, leaving them with the bare minimum to keep this place going, if only for a few weeks. As soon as those bastards left, Tripp went to work establishing as many scavenging runs as he could, sending out dozens of people in hopes _ someone _ would get lucky. They haven't searched everywhere yet, so there's still more to bring back. Whatever they needed to keep this from falling apart.

Andrea, of course, didn't voice much of an opinion on that, instead choosing to let him handle it. Guess they were his crew, after all. Still, it concerned him. Without Tommy, someone needed to step the fuck up, and he wasn't sure if Andrea was up to the task anymore. Grief did horrible shit to a person. He'd been through that rut himself.

Eventually, when he did voice that concern to her, she called for a meeting, the whole community. Maybe she had a plan for those Savior fuckers - at least he hoped, or he'd have one himself. It was _ his _ job to gather people up, get them to gather at the church, while getting the other guards in town to help out. This last one was going to be… well, difficult. He approached the home in quick steps, knocking on the door.

_ Time to play nice, Tripp. _

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Lee had barely made it halfway down the stairs when a few consecutive knocks rang out, stopping him in his tracks. He wasn't necessarily panicked, but it'd certainly be awkward if whoever was knocking heard the spat. Given the recent events, a knock on the door could've been anyone at this rate. It struck Lee as a bit odd, though he figured he'd better answer. The man carefully hopped down the remainder of the steps with his crutches as support, heading for the front door before opening it.

A largely built man stood at his door, one that he'd seen around before on the occasional run or two. However, Lee hadn't known him very well personally. "Hey there. What can I do for you?" He spoke, greeting in a casual manner.

** Dot [Tripp] **

The door opened, revealing Lee, who stood on a pair of crutches to support himself. Tripp had seen him go down at the gates… poor fucker, Negan made an example out of him, too.

Tripp wasn't the kinda guy to beat around the bush, and this moment wasn't gonna be an exception. With a clenched jaw, he said, "Andrea's gettin' people together for a meeting. Probably talk out what we're doin' about those Savior fuckers. She wants everyone there, 'cluding you and the girl."

_ There's a few things needing talked out, that's for damn sure. _

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

It was probably damage control, Lee understood why. If this was a chess game, then the Saviors had just knocked over all their pieces on the board in one fell swoop. Morale was gonna be low, and judging by how sheltered these people were, he had no doubt some would be on the brink of losing their shit. One thing was for certain, Andrea had been dealt a really bad hand here.

"Clementine's had a rough day." Lee admitted, slightly wary of the fact that their presence seemed to be needed. If he was honest, trying to get Clementine out of her room wasn't something he wanted to try and do soon. "We can't give this one a miss?"

** Dot [Tripp] **

Tripp shook his head, frowning. "Her especially. After the stunt she pulled, she's gonna have to answer for it."

He had a feeling they weren't going to come willingly, but he was sure as shit gonna make them. After all, Lee wasn't in the position to fight back. Like it or not, everyone's coming to the meeting. Almost everyone.

"Unless you wanna take away her chance to defend herself for killin' Tommy. Safe to say _ that _ won't end well."

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Lee's brow furrowed together, shooting an indignant glare to the other man. "Excuse me?" He spoke, confused, yet annoyance was the main factor in his voice. As Lee suspected, whatever this was, it was starting to seem less like a general meeting. Why else drag them there after a day like today? If their goal was to try and play the blame game, then Lee wasn't having it.

"Wanna tell me what the hell you're talking about?"

** Dot [Tripp] **

"I'm talkin' about her putting a bullet in Tommy's head, 'cause her actions at the gate forced Negan's hand."

Lee hadn't been there to see that particular shitshow, but Tripp was sure that he knew about it, one way or another. If he hadn't found out about Clementine's involvement, then he'd sure as shit tell 'im. If it were up to him, Lee, the girl… hell, Tommy's brother and the redhead, they all needed kicked out. They had rules to keep things civilized, and Clementine had broken them, several times. This one was just the last, and the worst. Every single one of them caused nothing but trouble since they got here the first time around.

The only saving grace for the brother and the redhead was the fact that girl was immune, far too valuable to kick out.

"If you think that's goin' unpunished just because she's a kid, then you have no idea how this shit works anymore. Luckily for her, what happens next is up to the community." He paused. "Or you can stay here, and let them decide on their own. Up to you."

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

The aggravation in Lee's eyes sank, as did his gut, a sick feeling was accompanied by a chill down his spine. The shot man was at a loss for words, wondering why he seemed to be the last person to find out about this. Maybe, most already assumed he knew. Nonetheless, this was far worse than he would have guessed.

"I- I didn't know she-" Lee stood there, stammering, as if he was frozen in time. For that, he barely had a response. _ Oh, Jesus… _ Being stuck inside of that hospital until the Saviors left hadn't helped, not to mention the doctor didn't want to tell him. It explained the glares on the way home… and Clementine's behavior.

_ That sick fucking bastard played his games and left, and made Clem- _

One blow after another, Lee felt like today wouldn't stop beating them down. No doubt their future here was now hanging on by a thread.

"We'll be there…" He spoke, reluctantly accepting that this is what was gonna have to happen. How were they gonna explain this to the entire community?


	88. Graves, IV

** Dot [Andrea] **

Voices bounced off the walls, loud enough to drown out Andrea's thoughts. She sat near the podium, trying - to no avail - to prepare herself for the night to come. Outside, distant thunder continued to crackle, well beyond the mountains now. Beyond the podium, dozens of survivors sat on pews, talking amongst themselves in such a way that Andrea couldn't discern one conversation from another. One theme was common, though: Negan. The Saviors had shown up and shook their foundation to its very core, and she wasn't too proud to say that she didn't feel the same. Without Tommy… everything was falling apart, and she was trying her hardest to keep it together, both herself and the community. Without Tripp, she had a feeling anarchy would've already set in. At least she could count on him.

He stood near the raised platform she was on, arms crossed over his chest, idly scanning the crowd. Not everyone had shown up yet, but they were trickling in. She still wasn't sure what she wanted to accomplish with this meeting, but she knew she had to lay the cards on the table. Tell them what she planned to do about the Saviors, and figure out a plan. Then, there was Clementine, and what she did. People were talking, especially Tripp, and she knew that _ something _ had to be done about it.

Personally, she didn't blame her. What happened at the gate was all Negan, whether or not Clementine had instigated the situation by firing into the Saviors crowd, though that didn't help things. She'd been there herself, nearly died for it. '_We don't die._' Those words replayed in her head, reminding her of a simpler time, despite how fucked it had been back then.

Finally, as the girl in question and her caretaker had noticeably entered the church, all eyes turning towards them, Andrea pushed herself to her feet. _ Time to get this over with. _

She stood at the podium, clearing her throat. As conversation died in the hall, those glaring eyes that had been directed towards Clementine now fell on her. She didn't see trust there, which wasn't surprising. Tommy had been the leader everyone looked up to, and Andrea… she'd done her best, but maybe that had never been enough.

"We all know why we're here, so I'm just going to cut to the chase," she started, hands gripping the sides of the podium. "The Saviors are here, and forced us to surrender. They outnumber us, outgun us, and _ now _ they know where we are. Fighting back wasn't an option, not today, but I _ promise_, they won't get away with what happened."

"For now, we have to play the part. Give them what they want. If we don't, more of us will die." She took in a deep breath. "So _ that's _ what I suggest we do. Anyone who disagrees, speak up. Today, everyone needs to be heard."

** Shadowman [Debby] **

"There's been a lot of _ suggestions _ lately…" Debby immediately spoke up, standing near the front of the crowd. Her and John had been in mourning for the past three months since the accident that cost their son his life. Since then, the resentment had been stirring in their household. To her, the Saviors were merely an afterthought. If anything, this was a chance for her to finally say what she really thought.

"Like when you and Tommy _ suggested _ that a training exercise outside of the walls would be good for our son…" Her voice shook, but she remained composed, eager to get her point across. "Listen, I'm not here to try and speak ill of Tommy, but I don't think we can deny that there's been some questionable decisions made by the folk in charge."

"So I think there's more issues here to discuss than just the Saviors." She finished, knowing that there must've been people that felt the same.

** Dot [Tripp] **

"She's right," Tripp interjected, pushing himself away from the wall he'd been leaning against. Among many things that concerned him about their situation, Andrea's potential as a sole leader had been one of them. "For months, there's been decisions made by our leaders that just… make no _ goddamn _ sense."

"Like sending out a bunch of children outside the walls without fully preparing them. Like trusting Dwight, after he went turncoat on the Saviors. How do you think they found us in the first place?" He let that one hang in the air, his frown deepening as he turned towards Andrea, still standing at the podium. "Like letting in a bunch of outsiders that've done more harm than good just 'cause one of 'ems Tommy's brother, and givin' them anything they want!"

"So, you wanna hear what I think?" He asked, shaking his head. "I think you're not fit to be our leader. Plain and simple."

** Art [Dan] **

Dan stood from his seat, against his wife's protests. They'd been fighting over what that woman - that Debby from down the street - had just brought up, for a good long while. The tragedy from that winter. And his wife, Samantha, knew what Daniel's stance was on the matter. He adjusted his crooked glasses and cleared his throat, letting go of her hand. "I'd like a word."

"Now, I _ know _ that Debby was deeply hurt by what happened. As a parent myself, I swear to God's good name I understand that. But, I've lost a brother in that horrible incident in March. I'm personally close to the lot of 'em mothers and fathers who lost their children that day." Everyone mourned. Having a sibling who worked on patrols always felt like a hard knock waiting to happen. He felt especially bad for Mr. and Mrs. Moretti, who had to move out of their old home.

He continued, without even a sigh to break up his words. "An' I know that was not no one's fault. You know well, Debby, _ and _ you, Tripp, that there was talk of Savior presence that day, roamin' 'round the area. It's _ them _ I hold responsible, and I reckon you all should too. I don't talk lightly when I say I trust the whole lot of the good men and women who are out _ protectin' _ our kids on patrols."

"What I don't understand is why we have those same children watchin' over our gates! You lot armed a little kid, who didn't know right from wrong, with a _ rifle. _ You put us all at risk."

"An' it caused the death of a damn good friend of mine. That I can't stand for."

** Dot [Andrea] **

It wasn't long after she gave the floor to the community that the blame shifted towards her. She wasn't an idiot, she knew that these complaints were valid reasons to be upset with her, and Tommy, but this wasn't really the time to deal with _ that_. They needed to address the Saviors, that was the priority.

As she opened her mouth, in an attempt to defend herself, Dan stood up from where he was seated. What he was saying had her breathing a sigh of relief, to see someone finally focusing on the important things. _ Thank you. _ Of course, as the focus went back to what happened at the gates, with Clementine, they were right back where they started.

Sighing, she spoke up. "I understand your positions, all of you. Clementine isn't a little kid, and I'm certain she knows right from wrong, which is why I don't blame her for _ trying _ to protect us. She knows more about what it's like out there than the majority of us, who've lived behind walls for so long, we either forgot or _ never _ experienced it. She's confronted Negan before, the first time he'd shown up here, and lost her friend because of it. I don't blame her for a second."

"What happened out there that day… should've never happened. We should've scouted the area better, made sure no one else was out there. Diverted the herd moving through the area further out of the valley. But what happened, happened, and hindsight is what it is. I urge you to please consider-"

** Dot [Tripp] **

"Consider what?" Tripp said, shaking his head. He stepped onto the raised platform, his gaze cycling between Andrea and the crowd amassed inside the church. "These mistakes you're trying to downplay aren't just gonna go away. People died. People are _ still _ dyin'. This ain't about whether or not you should stay our leader, it's about choosin' someone better."

He focused on the crowd, finding the 'little kid' that sat near the back of the church.

"It's about decidin' what to do about the girl who put this entire community at risk," he shouted. "I say we do what we should've done the night she attacked Lydia. Kick 'em out. The rules make that crystal fucking clear. This place ain't safe with people like her in it. They'll just keep fucking things up for all of us."

** Shadowman [Debby] **

Debby was fighting hard in order to keep her emotions in check, but the risk of choking up wasn't enough to warrant holding back. "There's only so many things we can pin on the Saviors, and- I'm sorry, but…" Debby trailed off, letting out a breath as she struggled to maintain her composure. "The training exercise that cost my _ son _ his life, I don't think it's one of them." She spoke, directing her dispirited gaze towards Dan.

The incompetence of Jackson's leadership was to blame for this, and nothing would convince her otherwise. "With everything that's happened since then... It's just been one too many slip-ups for John and I, Andrea."

"So, personally, if you care about our opinion on who should start calling the shots..." Her eyes wandered over to Tripp, who seemed to be the only one speaking sense so far. "Tripp seems like he's got his head screwed on right."

** Dot [Kevin] **

Was this really happening? This meeting was nothing but a fucking sham, a reason to blame their leaders and Clementine for everything wrong that happened to them, and Kevin was sick and fucking tired of it. He rushed to his feet, staring at everyone else that stood within the church incredulously.

"Are we really talking about kicking out a kid?" He said, aghast. "She's not even that much younger than me, what the fuck? We're just damning people to their deaths now?"

"She's _ my friend_, even if we haven't really hung out since Jenny died. But I trust her. She doesn't deserve to be kicked out," he finished, hands gripping the back of the pew in front of him.

"I don't care who's in charge, just don't kick her out because she tried her fucking best to protect this place. That's a load of horseshit!"

** Dot [Tripp] **

"You heard Andrea," Tripp said, crossing his arms across his chest. "She's not a kid, and more than capable of taking responsibility for her actions." He'd had enough of this, they were just running around in circles now. The girl needed to go, before she did something that got them _ all _ killed.

Tripp had learned his lesson the last time the Saviors showed up; for once, he actually agreed with Andrea, they couldn't win this one by fighting back right now. They had to wait, bide their time, and come up with a real plan.

"I know she's your friend, but they need to go. This's one too many fuck-ups. They've clearly been capable of holding their own out on the road, so let 'em. We don't need people who take matters into their own hands runnin' around this place."

** Dot [Andrea] **

The room was starting to divide, whether they knew it or not. Andrea was baffled by it all, just thinking about how quickly it'd gone to shit. Clementine didn't deserve this, but maybe Andrea did, maybe she was better off going back to just being a member of the community, like how it used to be, in Alexandria. But, was that really the right choice? Was letting someone like Tripp take over, someone who led through emotion and brute force? She hated the very idea.

"Look," she started, raising her voice. "We're not getting anywhere by yelling at each other. If you don't want me as your leader anymore, fine, but this needs to be a vote. For both." Her gaze fell on Clementine in the crowd apologetically, sighing. "Majority decides who gets to be leader, and whether or not Clementine gets to stay."

With that, she gave the floor to the people.

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

At this point, he was beyond devastated. The volatile crowd had run its course, and it was starting to look very clear in regards to what most wanted for Lee and Clementine. Tripp had specifically told him earlier that they'd get their chance to speak, so he stood there and waited in silence until the all-good would be given. The one-handed man suspected that it would be absolutely pointless to speak until they were addressed to. It felt like the both of them were human punching bags, standing there and waiting for the next person to throw a verbal jab in their direction. All they could really do was just stand there and take it, until they were allowed to talk.

And so, it didn't take long before Andrea proceeded to get usurped before his very eyes. He could hardly believe it, how quick a lot of them had turned on her. These underlying issues were obviously there in silence this whole time, just waiting for a chance to pop up. Lee had long accepted that their chances of staying here now that _ Tripp _ was in charge were close to getting flushed down the toilet.

They were close with Joel, which obviously scored points with Tommy, but he was gone now. Lee thought it was a scummy move on Tripp's behalf, waiting until he was out of the picture before moving in on the position. Call it a smart move, Lee considered it to be petty. The brash man had made his position very clear, and without Andrea in a seat of power to help… there was no stopping him. They'd worked _ so hard _ to get off the roads, finally settle down, but knowing Lee's luck, life seemed to have _ other _ plans for him. It always did.

Once the decision had been made, the attention again shifted to the duo. Tripp was good on his word, at least. Having granted permission for them to say their piece. Lee steadily made his way up to the podium, standing on the perch as the magnitude of the situation sunk in. So many eyes, all fixed on his figure. Regardless of whatever the outcome would be, he had to give it one more shot.

"I'm not here to justify what happened." Lee started simple, his voice echoing across the silent mass before him. "Or even defend it."

"Clementine knows where she went wrong, and I'll make sure she keeps on the right track if you give us one last chance." His composure didn't falter, but his desperation was obvious enough. "I can _ promise _ that it will never happen again."

** Art [Clementine] **

Clementine tugged at Lee's jacket, slowly. It was harder for her than anyone else. The looks that felt like stabs… She didn't care to fight back. Even to lift her gaze, to look at the people calling her little and stupid. After all, they were all right.

Clem rose from her seat and grabbed Lee's hand, though her grip felt cold and loose. Nothing else would do. Breathing in, she raised her voice. "It's okay. I'll go."

"_...I'll go._"

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

A light tug of his jacket brought the man's attention towards Clementine, his worried gaze pierced her eyes, a lack of acceptance in them. Seeing her mouth those words… Clementine had accepted her fate. Lee, however, he wasn't willing to coil up and give in just yet. Her quality of life was in his hands now, there was no way he could allow them to do this.

"W - Whatever we can do to make it right, we'll do it, we'll do _ anything._" Lee continued, turning to face the crowd again, ignoring Clementine's wishes for him to step down. If sacrificing his own dignity and resorting to begging achieved anything, he'd do it. "Please- just, don't kick her out."

"If there's anyone here that can vouch for her, _ and I know there must be. _ I'm beggin' you, say something now."

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

"I have something to say."

In a dense crowd of booming voices, hers sounded as meek as ever. All eyes in the room seemed to find her, and suddenly, Lydia felt like she wanted to shrink down in size until no one could see her anymore. In that moment, the blonde almost regretted speaking up. All the glares were enough to make her incredibly uncomfortable. Already, her heart was pumping in ways that probably weren't healthy.

"Clementine messed up, _ really _ bad. What she did today was, like... beyond stupid, and _ everyone _ knows it." Her eyes drifted towards the girl who'd almost gotten them all mowed down several hours ago, the one who pulled the trigger that'd ended Tommy's life.

"B - But…" She stammered, her nerves beginning to get the best of her. _ Fucking focus. _ Lydia had to block it out, pretend everyone else in the room wasn't there, or else risk falling apart and running out that door. Against all her might, the anger in her eyes faltered, giving in before eventually shifting her gaze to her boots.

"I… I wouldn't be standing here if she hadn't saved my life on that day we all went out…" The blonde admitted, as much as she hated herself for it. Lydia knew full well that she'd probably be runner food if Clementine hadn't intervened. "I get that it doesn't mean _ shit _ to most of you… but it does to me." Being on the receiving end of a hostile crowd at Jackson, after her time with the Whisperers. Lydia knew what it felt like, and to be frank, she still hadn't forgotten all the shit she had to endure from these people. Seeing it happen to someone else… she couldn't fucking stand it. _ Even _ if that person was Clementine.

"So yeah, punish her, lock her up for however long you want to. But don't kick her out." She still owed Clementine for what she did that day, and if _ this _ could make them even. Then so be it. Finally, she managed to muster up enough courage to look Clementine in the face. "S - She doesn't deserve it."

** Art [Nikki] **

"You wanna talk about that day? You sure?!"

It happened on instinct. Nikki was standing; legs straightened, arms stiff. And she screamed loud enough to hear her voice bounce off the church walls. Her father, Daniel, stood up with her. "Hon, I need you to calm down..." His voice only came as a whisper. A plea that she would ignore.

"You said it yourself. You got away from the horde, and so did Clementine. So did my friend."

Nikki swallowed tears and looked to the bench in front of her for support. Her knees, then strong, now felt close to giving in. "You were safe. You were safe - and all you had to do was wait for help to show up. That's what we were _ instructed _ to do."

"But Clementine made you go. And she got my friend bitten because of it."

The girl turned to the rest of the crowd, crying out her pain. "Her name was Jenny Moretti. And she's dead. Just like Tommy."

"So don't tell me Clementine doesn't deserve getting kicked out... because it should've been ** _ her!_**"

** LadyLedge [Lydia] **

Lydia felt like her entire body was burning up, chest pounding harder with each second. This whole thing was starting to get overwhelming for her, so many people listening had her anxious. Now Nikki was trying to put her on the backfoot. The blonde couldn't deny that some truth resided behind her words.

"Nikki…" She huffed out, trying to keep her cool. Only because she _ knew _ how much they used to hang out. She was right. It _ was _ Clementine's idea, but they'd all agreed to it nonetheless. "We weren't going to risk starving or freezing to death… It was _ her _ decision to leave too. Even _ I _ saw it was hopeless up there."

"Jenny died because..." Lydia nearly stopped, knowing this might not end well. "Because of _ her own _ mistakes. It had nothing to do with Clementine." Lydia stated, knowing that she might've just opened up a bad can of worms. But in her opinion, that was the brutal truth.

** Dot [Tripp] **

The vote had come and gone in an instant, leaving Andrea out of power, and Tripp into a position he hadn't really expected to have. There were no other volunteers, though, so he'd become the obvious choice. It wasn't long after that he allowed Lee to say his piece, which hadn't been all that convincing. What had started to get to him, though, had been the girl herself. She was more than ready to accept the punishment; she looked so broken, in a way that left him second-guessing himself.

But, like all things, this needed to be done with a firm hand. _ This _ was what ** _ had _ ** to be done. And, as Lee called out to anyone to vouch for Clementine, he found a couple voices speaking up, both for and against the girl. Lydia had been a surprise; it wasn't a secret how much those two hated each other, but then there was Nikki, the girl who'd lost her best friend, and had been one of Clementine's, for a time.

She wasn't nearly as forgiving.

As the two girls argued, Tripp sighed. "**Enough**, you two. Clearly, there's a lotta you that aren't on board with this, and a lotta you that are. Lee's said his piece, the girl's already agreed to go, last thing we can do is put it to a vote, before we end up bein' here all night."

** Dot [Andrea] **

She should've seen it coming. Tripp had been upset with her leadership for months, though he'd never really been the only one, but seeing how quickly the room shifted to his side, it left Andrea baffled. After the vote had been casted, leaving Tripp in charge, she plopped into the seat behind her on the raised platform in utter defeat. This wasn't what Tommy died for. _ This _ wasn't going to end with them safe again, and sending out Clementine to a death outside the walls was barbaric, even if she couldn't fault the rules they'd established when they built this place. It kept people that would harm the community out, but she refused to believe that Clementine would. She knew Negan, this would be exactly what he wanted, to sow chaos and disarray so they'd be easier to control.

And they'd fallen right into his hands.

When it came time to vote for Clementine's fate, Tripp called for everyone who wanted Clementine to stay to raise their hands. A few hands raised, namely Lee, Kevin, Lydia, Carl, and herself. Andrea's heart dropped just looking at the display, while Tripp glared at Lee for casting a vote. They both knew that the man was biased about the girl, she was practically his daughter. Nearly everyone else raised their hands when called on to vote, a sea of discontent that proved to be the final straw for her. She stood up, heading towards the door at the back of the platform, slamming it behind her.

This wasn't democracy, it was a goddamn witch hunt.

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Save for a few compassionate people, the votes were pretty clear. Clementine and Lee's time in Jackson had come to an end. It was over for them. He'd seen it coming from a while away, after all, he knew how to read a room.

Begrudgingly, his head swung low in grief, before finally stepping off the podium and making his way back to Clementine. She didn't seem surprised, yet the only thing he saw on her face was the same look he'd seen when they last spoke. Devastated… yet, disengaged to the point where it looked like she didn't even care anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Clem." He couldn't bring himself to look at her in the eye. Lee had to tell himself that it wasn't the end of the world. They'd done this before, and they could keep doing it just fine, he supposed. "I guess we oughta start getting our things in order…"

** Crimson [Carl Grimes] **

"No!" Carl yelled in a heartbeat. He couldn't stay quiet. People looked at him. He took a couple of seconds to gather his thoughts. "A maniac comes knocking down our door and the first thing we do is fight amongst each other?!" He had seen it happen at Alexandria, too. People who thought they knew how to deal with things better tried taking over and it seriously didn't help at all. "I hate what happened to Tommy. He was a great person and didn't deserve it one bit. I am mad at the person who killed him… Negan."

Carl looked at Clem, he wasn't sure if it was their friendship that was making him talk here, but he kept talking. "He is the real enemy, and I'm sure you all know this. He wants us to fight, so we get weaker, so we are easier to manipulate. We can't do jack shit about him for now but that doesn't mean we need to look for someone else to blame. Clementine doesn't deserve this. She tried to do what's right and was punished for it. Sending her out into the wild won't fix anything." Finally Carl approached Tripp. "This is not right, you know it." Carl attempted to appeal to Tripp's emotions. "You can do something about it, you are the leader now."

** Dot [Tripp] **

Tripp simply let the boy say his piece, arms crossed over his chest. He couldn't blame Carl for defending Clementine, they were both… guilty of making rash actions in stressful situations. So was _ he_, he'd admit, but that was a long time ago. Now was all about making sure things couldn't get worse, and they would. Clementine was a brash kid who doesn't follow orders, someone who'd be a liability if things came to blows with the Saviors. It wasn't something they could afford. Heroes get you killed.

"And if it was your father out there instead?" Tripp asked calmly, raising an eyebrow. "Would you say the same thing then?" He didn't give Carl a chance to reply, turning to the crowd. "It's decided. This meeting's over."

Without giving Carl a second glance, he headed towards the door Andrea had left through moments before, closing it behind him. It was time to start getting things in order.

** Art [Clementine] **

She kept trying to find the words. But they all felt like the wrong ones.

That night, the entire town pressed over her shoulders, breaking her down piece by piece. Clementine had been beaten down to a husk, and it only took Nikki to make her cry in front of everyone.

She missed Ellie. That confidence she had... the things she said, that made Clem want to smile when it felt impossible. They couldn't even be together anymore. The glance she had to spare was as empty as the bottom of a lake.

When the meeting was over, not one time had she uttered Tommy's name. Or Jenny, who she felt too afraid to apologize for. The people she missed, harmed, and killed. It hurt to know you were so useless. She walked by Lydia before reaching the entrance doors, and mouthed a 'thank you' sunk with gloom. It was goodbye for now.

* * *

** Art [Clementine] **

The house had gone so quiet. In the dead of night, it was only her whimpers Clementine heard. Upstairs was no better.

There was so little to pack, Clem almost didn't bother. Mom's book was the first thing to go, and the only thing she needed. The guns, they wouldn't let her keep. Nor the pillow. "Lee?" She called - a backpack in her hand that weighed nothing at all.

Lee was taking all the important things: Toothbrushes, clothes and the like, and the sight made her heart sink. It didn't always feel worth it, but they had a home. Lee had a job that he liked, and people to talk to besides… besides a sad kid. Was he giving it all up for her?

"They're only making _ me _ leave. Just me," she said, looking over his shoulder.

"You should stay."

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Were they going to search their bags before they left? Lee hoped not, since he was grabbing every useful supply he could think of. It'd just be one less thing they'd have to find once they were back in the woods. The leg was gonna be a problem, but it'd only be a short-term issue until the injury healed. Lee was already running a few plans past himself. Keeping within the vicinity of Jackson in the walker and infected cleared areas might've been a good idea safety-wise, at least until he could ditch the crutches.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice, turning to see Clementine, who tried arguing for him to stay. Lee simply swapped his gaze back to the bag, continuing to pack. "Don't be silly." He spoke, never in his life would he ever consider it.

"Where you go. I go. That's that."

** Art [Clementine] **

"No," she said. And she meant it, too. "That's _ not _ that."

It was a pause that made her ache, as well as he. And Clem could only spare enough of one for him to pay close attention. "I don't want you to come."

_ Wouldn't go well, _ she knew. She knew way more than that. It'd been years, and he'd never left her on her own. Not once, not when he could help it. Clementine never forgot how good that was… a whole lifetime ago that stuck like chewing gum. It only made her grieve, now: The good and the bad. The times he lost so she wouldn't, same as when he took away from her.

And that grief became all the stronger, knowing she'd blame herself when he ran out of strength, of _ what to lose. _ Lee had to know that. "If I bring you down with me, after - after Tommy... then I can't live with myself. You and Ellie both."

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

Lee halted. Holding a fresh piece of clothing in his hand, her words had been enough to scare him into stopping. He dropped it into the bag, before shuffling around to face her. The man's heart was pounding before he met her eyes. _ No- She's… She's serious? _

Even with the crutches, his leg was starting to get sore again. Lee shifted his weight downwards, using the edge of the bed as a seat. She couldn't do this to him… no way, not after everything it took to get here.

"And you think I could live with ** my**self if I left you on your own out there?"

** Art [Clementine] **

It was easier, somehow, when Lee was facing away. Now she'd be lucky to move a muscle. "That's not what I..." Clementine came close to backing down, then. Crossing one arm as if that was enough to hide behind. _ You have to do this. _

"Lee, your hand..." It wasn't fair to do that to him. It wasn't fair to say any of those things. But Clem knew he'd never listen otherwise, no matter how bad it hurt. "...And now the crutches. You can't - You can't look after me like that. You can't even walk." Her frown deepened, hands so close to twitching, the rest of her body shook accordingly. It was like twisting a knife.

"You'd just slow me down."

To prove a point, Clementine picked up Lee's travel bag off the floor and marched downstairs, knowing he couldn't catch up. "I'm safer on my own. And you're safer here."

** Ledge [Lee Everett] **

His eyes widened in complete shock, and before he knew it, she bolted, in such a sneaky manner that he wasn't able to foresee. The little girl he'd raised for six years, _ his daughter _ , was rushing down the stairs… trying to leave him. "Clementine, I can walk, I can- wait!" He shrieked, using the crutches to hoist himself up as fast as he could manage. She was right. Damn it all to hell, she was right. In this condition, he was too slow… too weak. But he couldn't care less. "**CLEMENTINE!**"

Lee howled out in complete agony, his weak leg buckled, and the crutches slipped out of his grip. The one-handed man tumbled down to the floor just before he could travel down the stairs. He would crawl the rest of the way though, managing to make it so he was just in the right position to call out to her from the top of the stairs. He could see her at the front door, ready to bolt. The best he could hope for is that she'd stop to hear him out.

"I'm sorry I've hurt you... ** I KNOW I'VE BEEN SELFISH!**" His voice trembled, knowing he'd made Clementine sick to her stomach with decisions he'd made. She still hated him for it, he always knew. "**But I'd rather be dead **than stay in this godforsaken town knowing you're out there!" He sobbed, mist beginning to burn his eyes. Lee thought he was handling everything okay, he thought he could be strong, but he broke, finally… he'd broke.

"Please, don't do it alone." He begged, knowing there was no more he could do other than that. "Y-You're the only family I got left… Clem."

** Art [Clementine] **

Lingering afraid by the doorway, it'd be no use covering her ears. Clementine forced herself to move forward once her chin led drops of water to the ground, though the girl saw nothing, and went nowhere. She blocked everything out until it was only her voice she could hear.

_ Keep going, _ it said. _ Don't let them die, too. _

One hurried step after the next, Clem walked away from Lee again, giving him a chance at the life he had wanted so much for them.

* * *

** Dot [Ellie] **

Silence. It filled her ears with a faint ringing. Joel was… doing whatever; in truth, Ellie wasn't sure how to help him, so she stayed in her room. The Nintendo was gone, though, so she was just… left with her thoughts. Left wondering how Clementine was doing but too terrified to go and check on her again, wondering how Andrea and the rest were handling what happened, wondering if Joel would ever be able to recover from this. It made her throat constrict, heart pulsating, hands shaking. This place wasn't what it was supposed to be, that fresh start Joel had been looking for after they left the Fireflies. Even here, they couldn't escape it: that overwhelming sense of dread; people dying.

A knock from downstairs gave her a way out, and she lifted her gaze from the floor beneath her, pulling her knees away from her chest in order to rise to her feet. The knocks continued, insistent, and she went down the stairs two at a time, pulling the door open hastily. On the other side, Andrea stood, her hat wettened by rain, and a scowl etched into her features. That anxiety she was feeling before just heightened, going beyond the threshold.

"What's going on?" She asked, silently hoping that whatever it was wasn't as bad as everything _ else _ that'd happened that day.

"It's Clementine," Andrea replied, sending Ellie's heart shooting into her throat. "They're kicking her out."

…

"What?" Incredulous, Ellie gaped at Andrea, as if she'd heard her wrong. The way Andrea's jaw clenched only told her that she'd heard her correctly. Ellie shook her head. "No, _ no _ , that's- that's ** _ bullshit_**. She didn't-"

"They voted me out as their leader," Andrea continued, her voice almost devoid of emotion, save for the tiny crack that hinted at just how little she was hanging onto that facade. "And decided she needs to leave. I thought you should know."

Ellie clutched the doorframe as her head began to spin, her stomach rolling. This couldn't be happening. It was only this morning that… ** _ fuck_**, how could everything turn to shit so fast?

She pushed past Andrea, stumbling down the steps. She didn't care that it was still raining, and she was shoeless, getting to Clementine's was all that mattered. They weren't kicking her out, they weren't. They couldn't. She wouldn't let them.

She wasn't going to stay here if her friend wasn't there, too.

Reaching Clementine's home, she found Lee on the floor upstairs, helping him up as she desperately asked where she was. She'd left on her own, Lee informed her, causing Ellie's heart to sink even further, if that was even possible. She'd been too late. Leaving him, she nearly fell down the stairs trying to get down, leaving the door wide open as she sprinted through the streets, ignoring the rain and her muddy socks and the indignant yells to slow down by those she passed. The world became a blur, unimportant backdrops, and she only slowed down once the gate came into view.

Clementine wasn't anywhere in sight. Ellie had the desperate hope that she'd made it there first, panting, keeling over to catch her breath. The guard on watchtower duty was Fionn, and when she'd finally gained her breath back, she noticed him staring at her from his spot by the gate, arms crossed over his chest. She ignored it, approaching him in quick steps.

"Where's Clementine?" Her voice was strained, borderline exhausted. Fionn simply gave her another stare, one that she knew meant 'get the fuck out of here', but she wasn't leaving until she got an answer.

"Gone," he finally said, shrugging his shoulders. "And good riddance, too. Lass had the brains to get out soon as she fookin' could."

All it took was that first word to bring the world crashing down around her. After everything they'd been through, Clementine left without a word? No goodbyes, no 'see you soon's, just… ** _ nothing? _ ** She knew what it was like to want to leave, she'd done it before, but doing that to Clementine had made her feel like the sorriest excuse for a friend in the whole fucking world, and she'd gotten what she deserved when Clementine gave her the cold shoulder for the months following it. But, being on the other end of it…

Stepping past him, she headed for the gate. "I'm going after her."

He grabbed her shoulder, yanking her back. "Nuh-uh. You're not allowed to leave. Boss's orders."

"Well fuck his orders, and fuck your boss!" She shouted, lifting a fist and swinging for the man's face, but he stopped her mid-swing, knocking her to the ground. He held her down with his boot, leaving her squirming to get free. "**_Let me go, you sack of shit!_**"

And just like that, any possibility of her catching up with Clementine was gone. Other guards appeared as if out of thin air, Fionn letting her go so they could haul her to her feet, and back towards the community. Struggling against their grips, all Ellie could do was spew every curse word she knew at them, trying to bite and claw and jerk away. Ultimately, they were stronger than she was, and Ellie was exhausted.

When her house loomed in front of her, the taller guard to her right opened the door and shoved her inside. She flipped him off just before he slammed the door, leaving her alone. Her breath was ragged, fueled by rage and hurt, and tears streamed down her face against her will, blinding her. Without thinking about it, she took the stairs, closing her bedroom door behind her.

That was it. She was never going to see Clementine again. The girl she loved, the one person she had left that she didn't hate, was gone in an instant. In some small way, it was like Clementine had been the one to get shot out there, lying six feet under the ground in a hole that Ellie dug. In some ways, that might end up being true. Being out there, on her own, what were anyone's chances of living through that? It was a death sentence, and Tripp, and the rest of this fucking shithole of a community knew it.

She screamed, spittle flinging from her mouth in the rage, as she slammed her hands onto her desk, swiping everything off in one fell swoop. Her lamp was next, fingers clasping around its neck before tossing it across the room, and it crashed against the wall in an explosion of glass.

Only when her room more resembled the world out there, demolished and torn apart, did Ellie's legs finally give in, sending her falling to the floor. Back pressed up against her bed, knees tightly held to her chest, she cried until she couldn't anymore.


	89. Epilogue

_ Three days later, mid-afternoon _

** Art [Clementine] **

_ So, where to next? _

The road looked so dreary after the rain. Now... it looked green, for one. The grass was full of little bugs that shone like stars when light hit at just the right angle, and even if nothing else could, that robbed a child's smile from her. Every trail was so long, you'd never see the end of one before the sun set. Clementine stuck to the same path and not once thought to turn back.

When the first night came, and the light bulb of the world went out - that was the hardest night. She'd _ never _ slept alone outside. Never had to shut her eyes without someone to watch out for her when the wolves howled and the wind sounded like infected dragging their feet. That time, Clem couldn't have been less ready to. But at least the flies kept her company. They buzzed and buzzed until her eyes swelled and the tree against her back started feeling comfy.

Food was easy, so there _ was _ that. So many cans, but then, also not enough. Ever. All that walking made her so hungry. It was sardine every day, and she'd grown to despise the taste. Clem felt lucky Andrea let her keep Lee's rifle, or else that's as much as she'd be eating period. It'd get better once she found _ that place. _ That's what Clem thought, and thought again, when her heels started throbbing in pain. _ I miss you, Whiskers. _

The moon showed its ugly face so fast the second day, it made her want to quit. _ Already? _ Clementine's pace had dropped to less than half of what it was, and there was still nothing but trees to look forward to. She wanted to drop dead. Just lay down and wait until food ran out so she wouldn't have to wake up smelling bad and wanting to cry. That night she dreamed of being home and telling Ellie she loved her too.

It was only when Clementine felt the sun against her back, that it came into view above the hill; down the trail that never ended, next to the grass full of bugs, deep in scary _ fucking _ forest where she couldn't catch a wink of sleep. 'Hidden Pines Corral' it read, in a signpost Clementine simply zipped by. It was the same old ranch, looking not a day older - or not a day younger, really. Like real magic, the sun went missing in that valley between the mountains, leaving a trail of shadow to follow. And for the first time that day, Clementine let out a wistful breath.

"Here's to home."

* * *

**Author's Notes: Thank you so much for reading this story! It's sequel, Snow Crystals, already has its first couple chapters up on my profile. The story continues! :)**


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